Where would you point a hydrogen line radio telescope to get hot sky?
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Calibration of radio telescopes usually uses cold sky and hot ground, rather than hot sky. However, for completeness here is hot sky. (Cold sky is best achieved by pointing at…
June 2026
What SDRs will provide bandwidth 20 MHz suitable for millimeter work?
If you want a receiver with 20 MHz instantaneous bandwidth, there are only a few realistic options — and one stands out as the simplest choice. — Best simple answer…
What types of GUI inputs blocks are available in GNU Radio?
In GNU Radio, “GUI inputs” are mainly implemented through Qt (modern, default) or WX (legacy) GUI blocks, plus a few message-based controls in the flowgraph. They let you change variables…
I need to brace my satellite dish as it is flexing when moves. What materials are effectively transparent to radio waves at 21cm, with least absorption or defraction and least weight with minimal cost?
At the hydrogen line (21 cm wavelength, 1420 MHz), many common structural materials are essentially transparent provided they are non-conductive and not loaded with carbon or metal. For bracing a…
How does the TV1 Minicaster device compare to Yaesu G-5500DC for my desired purpose of pointing at and tracking masers?
CHATGPT OPINION: For tracking astronomical masers (or any fixed celestial radio source that drifts slowly across the sky), I would actually lean toward the TV1 miniCASTER positioner rather than a…
Original auction catalogue descriptions of the TV1 Minicaster I purchased.
Description on BROADCASTbargains website: TV1 Minicaster Satellite Dish Pointer A rare satellite dish pointing system, once part of a KA-SAT outside broadcast uplink van, is being offered for auction. The…
I have a TV1 miniCASTER vehicle-mounted satellite uplink positioner system. It is designed to go on top of a minivan, has azimuth bearing around 50cm in diameter, and an altitude motor which attaches to an arm which holds the dish and can fold down automatically for storage when not in use. Would this suit my intended purpose to use it to point at and track masers?
Your description matches the TV1 miniCASTER vehicle-mounted satellite uplink positioner much more closely than a conventional antenna rotator. From the material I found, the system was mounted on broadcast vans…
SARA video that discusses measuring Tsys in hydrogen line amateur radio astronomy systems
https://youtube.com/watch?v=4gVUFFxra-U&si=qBMd3ExnKxtG1oC0
My SETI Horn of Plenty uses a WR-650 rectangular waveguide. What difference would it make to taper the waveguide down to a point rather than flat back to the waveguide?
If by “taper the waveguide down to a point” you mean replacing the flat shorted end behind the probe/feed with a pyramidal or conical taper that gradually narrows to a…
Does Yaesu G-5500DC antenna rotator have position feedback that could be used for pointing at and tracking masers?
Yes. The Yaesu G-5500DC absolutely has position feedback, and that’s one of the reasons it is so popular for satellite tracking. The system consists of: Inside the rotators are position-sensing…