I will build a system and operate it in the US national radio quiet zone that includes the Green Bank radio telescope observatory, in Green Bank, West Virginia. The data stream will be made available to the astronomers using the telescope, and to the operators of the telescope through the observatory data taking system. Astronomers will use the data to help excise terrestrial noise and interference. The operators will use it to enhance the safety of the telescope. I am a retired Silicon Valley chip designer and radio designer, now working in radio astronomy. When can I tell the observatory I may be receiving a kit?
David Saroff
Rochester Institue of Technology
david.saroff@mail.rit.edu
I thought another good spot for a station would be at Arecibo in Puerto Rico.
This quiet zone station proposal triggers a brainstorm of activity as I sit here... especially as the system will be surrounded by scientists and equipment specifically dedicated to noise isolation, and very faint signal detection and analysis... there is much opportunity here, I think..as it relateds to sferic discharges.
It might be possible to do some data gathering regarding other atmospheric discharges that appear as 'interference' or noise, and
can be isolated to 'atmospheric' distubances with local environment terrestrial sources eliminated... .
I'm quite sure smarter folks than I have already considered 'lightning' and sferic research within the 'quiet zone', but I've often suspected many of my signals as being induced by electric / proton atmospheric events that aren't 'lightning', for example. Even aircraft induced 'discharges' to solar triggered, meteor entry... etc.
Blue's optional outputs might be provide an 'instant' source to begin collection for example. Such an installation and secodary data observations beyond David's original focus might prove extremely useful, in 'lightning' research, and specificlly the capabilites of Blitzortung Blue Hobby / Experimental network! operating 3-300 kHz, especially in the 12-16 kHz area
Now, if we could figure a way to get 3 more identical systems within the 'quiet zone', and operate a 'mini-network' therein.... .
I think the Naval Research Observatory is also in this quiet zone...
It might be interesting to have a similar 'mini-network' around Arecibo, Table Mountain Colorado, etc.... Area 51
.
David!
Once you get it, with your own & surrounding radio astronomy expertise , maybe you can suggest improvement in antenna and internal DSP?
Regards/M