OnAirDecode Meteor scatter with an SDR
Meteor scatter: pings of meteor trails reflecting a distant beacon, counted and logged.
- Group
- Weather & science
- In the mode list
- Beacon echoes, 143.050 MHz
What Meteor scatter is
Meteor scatter detector: forward-scatter echoes of a fixed beacon (the GRAVES space radar at 143.050 MHz, or any CW beacon) found in a narrow spectrogram next to its line. Each ping is counted with its start time, duration, peak level over the background and Doppler shift; ping rate per hour and per day with the annual meteor showers marked, a live echo waterfall, CSV logging for unattended….
Frequencies and settings
OnAir takes any frequency you type; the numbers above are the mode's starting point and the range its table describes. In the app the shortcut label is Beacon echoes, 143.050 MHz.
What OnAir shows
Meteor scatter detector: forward-scatter echoes of a fixed beacon (the GRAVES space radar at 143.050 MHz, or any CW beacon) found in a narrow spectrogram next to its line. Each ping is counted with its start time, duration, peak level over the background and Doppler shift; ping rate per hour and per day with the annual meteor showers marked, a live echo waterfall, CSV logging for unattended runs. Needs a radio that tunes to the beacon (2 Msps or more; the beacon within 4 kHz of the centre).
Limits and what it was checked with
Checked with generated signals and impairments; recordings of real signals welcome.
Which radio you need
This is a shortwave mode, so the radio has to tune HF. An SDRplay, Airspy HF+ or an RTL-SDR in direct-sampling mode do that directly; with a HackRF an HF upconverter or a direct-sampling receiver is the usual route. A long wire or loop antenna matters more than the radio.
Receiving and the law
Questions about Meteor scatter
Can I decode Meteor scatter with an RTL-SDR?
An RTL-SDR can receive HF only in direct-sampling mode, which OnAir offers in its radio settings; results depend on the antenna. SDRplay and Airspy HF+ radios are better suited.
Is it legal to receive Meteor scatter?
Receiving these signals is legal in most countries. OnAir is a receiver.
Can I try Meteor scatter in OnAir without a radio?
Yes. Most modes include a built-in synthetic test signal, so you can open the screen and try the controls before you own a radio.