SDR Radio Science Station
What it measures
Radio meteor scatter events, VLF lightning sferics, ionospheric absorption (riometry), NOAA weather satellite imagery.
One radio, four sciences
A software-defined radio (SDR) turns radio signals into data in software, so a single low-cost station can serve several science programmes at once. HICS's SDR station is designed to listen across the spectrum — for meteors, lightning, the ionosphere, and weather satellites — from one antenna setup.
Meteor scatter ▸
Detects meteors by the radio reflections their ionisation trails make off distant transmitters — complementing the optical meteor camera, day or night, through cloud.
Lightning (VLF sferics) ▸
Picks up the very-low-frequency radio bursts from lightning strikes, feeding regional storm and lightning monitoring.
Ionosphere ▸
Monitors ionospheric absorption (riometry) and propagation — a window onto space weather over the Himalaya.
Weather satellites ▸
Receives imagery directly from passing NOAA weather satellites.
Planned. A high-leverage, low-cost instrument that multiplies HICS's scientific reach from a single build.