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How Is Meteor-Scatter DX Defined?

S

Steve_Green

Though not nearly as much an FM DXer as an AM DXer, I am familiar with, and had fun during, trope and E-skip.

Trope is noted for many of the same 'pilot' stations heard, especially along the coast. E-skip is marked by the bigger distances received.

But I can't say that I ever received Meteor-scatter DX. What are its characteristics, distances, indicators, duration, et al?

T.I.A.!
 
Meteor Scatter reception can be both fun and frustrating at the same time.

When meteors enter the atmosphere, they burn up. Sometimes when they burn up, they leave trails of particles. Sometimes these trails can be dense enough to reflect radio waves, up to 1400 miles.

Here is the frustrating part. Since these trails are very brief, reception is very short. Most of the time, reception won't even last a second so catching an ID is almost impossible. However, sometimes, reception can last up to 10 seconds, giving you a better chance to make an ID. I was lucky enough to ID an FM station coming out of Jackson, TN here in Lubbock, TX.

So something you need to have when hunting for meteor scatter is patience and a calendar. A calendar to look up when the next major meteor shower is and patience because reception will be very brief.

The best thing to do with meteor scatter is to put your radio on an open frequency where there is no interference and just simply wait until you hear something.

And you'll know it's meteor scatter just because reception is so brief.
 
Hey Eggs -- and thx for the info. I doubt I ever caught meteor-FM or ever will. It sorta helps to be tuned to an actual FM radio while FM DXing, and the dial is just so darned exciting nowadays that I get too worked up listening to it in the first place.

Two questions : How do you know your Tenneseean was from meteor-shower present? Were there others that blipped by too quick to ID, which would profile the reception pattern?

Question two : What time of day was your reception? Reason I ask is that I've done a steady but casual form of astronomy for a few decades. In other words, without a star-guide I sorta know my way around the ecliptic even with my six eyes. My guess is that meteor-scatter DX happens just as often in broad daylight as it does when the lovebirds are out at night watching the Taurids and Leonids ..... And that in daylight the same meteor dust is there but we just can't see it .......
 
I've been DXing FM using meteors for many years now. Meteor signals are characterized by sudden bursts of a station or stations that usually last only a second to a few seconds long but can last longer. Often choppy and usually rather weak. Typical distances are 400-1000 miles. shorter distances on "bursts" do occur and may be airplane reflections. Longer than 1000 miles have proven to be rather rare. The best way to DX meteors is to use your computer to record a clear FM frequency over a long period of time and then open the recorded file with Wavepad or similar audio editing program that displays the recording as a waveform. the brief meteor signals will be displayed as blips or peaks in the display and you simply click on these to listen. It beats sitting by the radio listening to static for hours hoping to catch a good signal.
Catching an ID in these brief bursts is pure luck and around meteor showers your chances increase due to stronger, longer lasting and more frequent meteor bursts. however you can catch meteor DX any time of the year with patience. In my experience the best times are early morning from about 3am to 9am.
Here's some examples of meteor signals caught by recording:
http://members.aol.com/kw4rz/mp3/95-3_KXMO_Ms_Jun29_07.mp3
http://members.aol.com/kw4rz/mp3/101-7_KBKB_Ms_May12_07.mp3
http://members.aol.com/kw4rz/mp3/93-9_KSSZ_Ms_Dec07_06.mp3
 
The other thing the others didn't mention is that you need a very sensitive FMDX setup to hear meteor scatter DX. Forget using a boombox & whip antenna. Best results are obtained by using a very sensitive/selective tuner like the Sony XDR-F1HD & an outdoor yagi for FM.

Not only are there 'pings' (short bursts) but there are also persistant trains which can last up to 3mins+. I heard a train a few days ago which lasted for 3 1/2 mins on 95.3Mhz. These are caused by high velocity meteors such as the Orionids & Leonids.

Remember, Google is your friend to learn more. (eg search "Persistant Trains" to learn more about these).

dxer2_2000
 
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