May 6, 2005
tuning into the sun on ku band
The prototype, now finished, observed the southern afternoon sky above Oxford for several hours. As the spin of the earth turned the focus toward the sun, the subtle variations of the chart recorder nib started to amplify, tracing the peaks and valleys of the solar ku band broadcast.
The simple radio telescope electronics were based on advice gleaned from a book by William Lonc. A ku band LNB and satellite receiver subverted to pick up any signals from space within its band width, their strength relayed to the chart recorder via a satellite signal strength meter inserted between the LNB and receiver.
