Telescopes at Lichfield Radio Observatory

The main telescopes at Lichfield Radio Observatory are listed below:

LRO-H1 – LRO-H1(Ptarmigan) – Based on ex-military 86cm x 86cm 4×4 dipole array, this telescope is involved in mapping the Milky Way at 1420MHz (hydrogen).
LRO-H2 – LRO-H2(SCRT) – Aerial is 150cm parabolic dish sold on ebay as a solar cooker. Also involved in hydrogen line observations of Milky Way.
LRO-H3 – LRO-H3(DiscYagi) – Disc Yagi Aerial constructed for hydrogen line observations by Alex Pettit.
LRO-U1 – Muon detector.
LRO-U2 – Muon detector.
LRO-M1 – Meteor radio scatter experiment using UKRAA receiver at 143.049MHz (log cabin).
LRO-M2 – Second meteor radio scatter experiment UKRAA receiver. Currently not in use.
LRO-J1 – Radio Jove – currently not in use.
LRO-J2 – Radio Jove – currently not in use.
LRO-S1 – UKRAA Sudden Ionospheric Disturbance (SID) detector, monitoring solar flares, at 23.4 KHz (house).
LRO-S2 – SuperSID Sudden Ionospheric Disturbance (SID) detector, monitoring solar flares (log cabin).
LRO-S3 – UKRAA Sudden Ionospheric Disturbance (SID) detector, monitoring solar flares, at 23.4 KHz (Log cabin).
LRO-F1 – Interferometer – currently not in use.
LRO-N1 – Magnetometer monitoring Earth’s magnetic field in Lichfield.
LRO-I1 – INSPIRE Receiver for monitoring lightning in area of several hundred km around Lichfield – currently not in use.
LRO-Q1 – Solar observation and photography using Daystar Quark Hydrogen Filter.
LRO-Q2 – Solar observation and photography using Daystar Quark Calcium Filter.
LRO-Q3 – Solar observation and photography using Daystar Quark Sodium Filter.
LRO-Q4 – Solar observation and photography using Daystar Quark Magnesium Filter.
LRO-Q5 – Solar observation and photography using Sol’Ex Spectrohelioscope mounted on Sky Watcher 72mm ED Pro telescope.
LRO-P1 – Deep sky astrophotography setup, with Sky Watcher Espirit 100mm OTA, Sky Watcher AZ-EQ6 mount, Atik 16200M mono camera.
LRO-P2 – Deep sky mobile astrophotography setup, with ZWO Seestar S50 automatic telescope.
LRO-D1 – Orion Optics 10″ Dobsonian Telescope.
LRO-D2 – 8″ David Lukehurst Dobsonian Telescope.

RADIO FREQUENCY FILTERS AT LICHFIELD RADIO OBSERVATORY:

SAWB = Nooelec SAWBird H1 filter and duel cascaded amplifier.
1418-22MCav = 1418-1422 MHz WT Microwave Cavity Filter.
1420-7MCav = 1420-1427 MHz WT Microwave Cavity Filter.

DATA NAMING CONVENTIONS FOR LRO HYDROGEN TELESCOPES:

Where filters are listed, these are serial from the aerial on left to radio on right (hence LRO-H1(Ptarmigan)_1418-22MCav+SAWB_ indicates that LRO-H1 used 2 serial filters for this data file, order being aerial –> 1418-1422 MHz WT Microwave Filter –> SAWBird H1 LNA –> Radio –> Computer).

LRO-H2(SCRT)1420-7MCav+SAWB_
LRO-H1(Ptarmigan)_
LRO-H2(SCRT)_
LRO-H1(Ptarmigan)1418-22MCav+SAWB_
LRO-H2(SCRT)1418-22MCav+SAWB_
LRO-H1(Ptarmigan)SAWB_
LRO-H2(SCRT)SAWB_
LRO-H2(SCRT)_SDR#IFAV_1418-22MCav+SAWB_50OhmCalib_
LRO-H1(Ptarmigan)_SDR#IFAV_1418-22MCav+SAWB_50OhmCalib_

For each data file, elevation and azimuth are added. For example, with an elevation of 33.6 degrees and azimuth pointing direction of 163 degrees, data files might be as follows:

LRO-H2(SCRT)_SDR#IFAV_1418-22MCav+SAWB_50OhmCalib_El_78-3_Az_163
LRO-H1(Ptarmigan)_SDR#IFAV_1418-22MCav+SAWB_50OhmCalib_El_33-6_Az_163