Radio astronomy is far from being beyond the scope of amateurs astronomers, and this practical, self-contained guide for the newcomer to practical radio astronomey is an ideal introduction. This guide is a must for anyone who wants to join the growing ranks of 21st Century backyard radio astronomers. The first part of the book provides background material and explains (in a non-mathematical way) our present knowledge of the stronger radio sources – those observable by amateurs – including the Sun, Jupiter, Meteors, Galactic and extra-galactic sources. The second part of the book deals not only with observing, but – assuming no prior technical knowledge of electronics or radio theory – takes the reader step-by-step through the process of building and using a backyard radio telescope. There are complete, detailed plans and construction information for a number of amateur radio telescopes, the simplest of which can be put together and working – using only simple tools – in a weekend. For other instruments, there are full details of circuit-board layouts, components to use and (vitally important in radio astronomy) how to construct antennae for radio astronomy.
The Radio Sky and How to Observe It
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From the reviews: “Lashley (National Space Centre, UK) draws on his own work building and observing with radio telescopes and receivers and provides detailed instructions for building several radio detectors … . accessible to readers with minimal background in astronomy or electronics … . this practical guide will likely be useful to those with a specific interest in this topic. Summing Up … upper-division undergraduate and graduate students interested in building a radio telescope.” (C. Palma, Choice, Vol. 48 (9), May, 2011) “Observing the sky in the radio domain, although perfectly accessible to the keen amateur, requires dedication and practical skills beyond those normally needed for optical work. … the rewards are great and those observers willing to follow Lashley’s succinct advice will undoubtedly increase their enjoyment of the sky. … inexperienced will also benefit from Lashley’s no-nonsense exposition. … If you enjoy a challenge as well as the thrill of discovery, there can be no better introduction to the field of radio astronomy than Lashley’s book.” (Alastair Gunn, Sky at Night Magazine, July, 2011) “Jeff Lashley has obviously put in an immense amount of work in compiling this book and the result is a very worthwhile manual that should make it far easier for amateurs to take up this interesting area of astronomy. More than that, a colleague is seriously considering its use as a text for aspiring postgraduate radio astronomers. That is, in itself, real and deserved praise for a book that can be highly recommended.” (Ian Morison, The Observatory, Vol. 132 (1226), February, 2012)
From the Back Cover
We have learned a great deal about our universe not only by looking at the sky through optical telescopes but also by listening to it! Although in the past most of the great discoveries have been made by professional radio astronomers using large radio telescopes built for institutions, today even amateurs can build and use small radio telescopes and make discoveries that can contribute to the general store of knowledge. And you don’t need to be an electronics genius or rich! Jeff Lashley, in this comprehensive guide to the science and art of putting together and using a small radio telescope, will lead you through the process and help you to understand what to listen for. Filled with projects and tips and great advice, he can get you underway in a hurry and help you to decode what you are hearing. So if you’ve been doing amateur astronomy for a while and want to expand beyond what you can see with your eyes, this is a direction you should consider going in. Or, if you’ve dabbled in building radios for years and want to try something new, this can be a way to expand your hobby. Either way, start now listening to the fireworks going on all around you—you’ll be amazed!
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By D Major
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a fascinating area of work, and for the amateur you detect fairly quickly that the author of this book has got not just the theory but a wealth of practical professional knowledge that will enable modest set ups access radio events in the solar system. When I say modest I mean compared to Jodrell bank. For anything outside the solar system you are talking on the scale of 10 meter dishes.
The Radio Sky is not easy reading! You will need to be some way into astronomy and physics and be prepared for a step change in your grasp of radio electronics. A lot of the theory for the latter is provided, but it is of course very mathematical. And there is a lot more maths in this book than the product description would lead you to suppose! They say the book is divided into 2 parts, and this is where my difficulties began, part 1 the astronomy of the radio sky and part 2 the technology to access it. But in practice these objectives are distributed across the book in ways I found difficult to follow. There are so many occasions where concepts are developed using 5 or 6 key terms that are explained in subsequent chapters.
This book requires some navigation! The journey will be worth it as the author's hands on knowledge leads you into, what feels like, an apprenticeship in radio for radio astronomy. This is both the book's strength and weakness. To be an apprentice you really need to be there with the 'master' watching what he's doing. He explains why bits of kit are useful for radio astronomy and how to set them up, but he bemoans the fact they are no longer available and that you will need to acquire other available bits of kit and modify them - this is where your firm grip of radio and TV electronics will become helpful. Very experienced amateur astronomers will know about 'modded' optical accessories etc., but for radio work it is a step change! And, like most 'masters' who prefer to work with apprentices hands on, the explicitness of the written explanations is very uneven. The best writing in the book occurs when the author is in free flow showing you how bits of kit work and how they can be adapted. Some of the theory is very terse. The author doesn't like kit 'construction by numbers' and prefers schematics with construction plans that don't easily relate. I'm sure there are better ways to illustrate set ups and work back to schematics.
The good news is that the first solar radio project is relatively straightforward - I can do this! You quickly discover that radio astronomy (like the more serious optical counterpart) requires different telescopes, receivers. amplifiers etc. for different frequency bands. The first project (that I can do) isn't technically radio astronomy! It's a very low frequency solar flare monitor which essentially is about detecting changes due to earth atmospherics than the from the sun directly. The subsequent projects are logarithmic step changes in difficulty from this!
If I had designed the book to aim it at someone like me (a keen backyard amateur with a few degrees and some experience of junior kit building) I would have set it out a bit differently. I think this book is really going to appeal most to very serious, somewhat experienced, radio astronomers who are quite a bit further down the line than me - for them I'm sure this book will be the answer to prayers, the author is a uniquely placed professional in this line of work as both a technician and theoretician. I just wish there were a load of DVDs with this book!
The Radio Sky is not easy reading! You will need to be some way into astronomy and physics and be prepared for a step change in your grasp of radio electronics. A lot of the theory for the latter is provided, but it is of course very mathematical. And there is a lot more maths in this book than the product description would lead you to suppose! They say the book is divided into 2 parts, and this is where my difficulties began, part 1 the astronomy of the radio sky and part 2 the technology to access it. But in practice these objectives are distributed across the book in ways I found difficult to follow. There are so many occasions where concepts are developed using 5 or 6 key terms that are explained in subsequent chapters.
This book requires some navigation! The journey will be worth it as the author's hands on knowledge leads you into, what feels like, an apprenticeship in radio for radio astronomy. This is both the book's strength and weakness. To be an apprentice you really need to be there with the 'master' watching what he's doing. He explains why bits of kit are useful for radio astronomy and how to set them up, but he bemoans the fact they are no longer available and that you will need to acquire other available bits of kit and modify them - this is where your firm grip of radio and TV electronics will become helpful. Very experienced amateur astronomers will know about 'modded' optical accessories etc., but for radio work it is a step change! And, like most 'masters' who prefer to work with apprentices hands on, the explicitness of the written explanations is very uneven. The best writing in the book occurs when the author is in free flow showing you how bits of kit work and how they can be adapted. Some of the theory is very terse. The author doesn't like kit 'construction by numbers' and prefers schematics with construction plans that don't easily relate. I'm sure there are better ways to illustrate set ups and work back to schematics.
The good news is that the first solar radio project is relatively straightforward - I can do this! You quickly discover that radio astronomy (like the more serious optical counterpart) requires different telescopes, receivers. amplifiers etc. for different frequency bands. The first project (that I can do) isn't technically radio astronomy! It's a very low frequency solar flare monitor which essentially is about detecting changes due to earth atmospherics than the from the sun directly. The subsequent projects are logarithmic step changes in difficulty from this!
If I had designed the book to aim it at someone like me (a keen backyard amateur with a few degrees and some experience of junior kit building) I would have set it out a bit differently. I think this book is really going to appeal most to very serious, somewhat experienced, radio astronomers who are quite a bit further down the line than me - for them I'm sure this book will be the answer to prayers, the author is a uniquely placed professional in this line of work as both a technician and theoretician. I just wish there were a load of DVDs with this book!
By reinoudjan
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
For the beginner a nice book to start with. I will buiuld a telescope on my school and I will use the book.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3.0 out of 5 stars
4 reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Practical Guide
4 Jan 2011
By Andy Lo
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
If you're looking for a starting point to break into amateur radio astronomy, this is the best book I've come across so far. Wanting to be involved in amateur science as a hobby in my spare time and working toward an astronomy minor, I've been looking to create my own setups for both optical and radio observation (especially on a budget, as a college student), but the sources on radio astronomy have always been a little too dense for me (particularly the books on the science of radio systems and antenna engineering). The Radio Sky talks about many subjects I've covered before, but presents them in a focused and practical manner relating specifically to radio observation. There are a number of simple equations and formulas to be encountered, but don't expect too much theory from this book.
The book is organized into several different chapters and into three informal sections, with labeled "tabs" on the edges of each page organizing the book somewhat like a project binder. While the organization and order of presentation of the material isn't quite what I would like it to be, the faux tab feature makes it easier to thumb through and locate particular material. There are also a few issues of clarity including the manner of presentation, formatting issues, and typos that may sometimes force you to have a double take or annoy nitpickers, these issues are not severe - the book is also in the first edition, so it is understandable and almost expected.
Although the book mentions in the preface that no prior knowledge of electronics is assumed, I would highly recommend at least somewhat of a familiarity with classical physics, particularly relating to electricity and circuits, although knowledge about magnetism and waves doesn't hurt. Also, while not as necessary, having the knowledge from introductory courses in astronomy can enhance your understanding and appreciation of some of the material. However, in my reading so far, of particular help to me was the latter half of the book which contains detailed project descriptions. While I have not had time yet to implement any of the projects since I received this book, I'll try to return later and follow up after I work with the local SPS this upcoming semester.
The book is organized into several different chapters and into three informal sections, with labeled "tabs" on the edges of each page organizing the book somewhat like a project binder. While the organization and order of presentation of the material isn't quite what I would like it to be, the faux tab feature makes it easier to thumb through and locate particular material. There are also a few issues of clarity including the manner of presentation, formatting issues, and typos that may sometimes force you to have a double take or annoy nitpickers, these issues are not severe - the book is also in the first edition, so it is understandable and almost expected.
Although the book mentions in the preface that no prior knowledge of electronics is assumed, I would highly recommend at least somewhat of a familiarity with classical physics, particularly relating to electricity and circuits, although knowledge about magnetism and waves doesn't hurt. Also, while not as necessary, having the knowledge from introductory courses in astronomy can enhance your understanding and appreciation of some of the material. However, in my reading so far, of particular help to me was the latter half of the book which contains detailed project descriptions. While I have not had time yet to implement any of the projects since I received this book, I'll try to return later and follow up after I work with the local SPS this upcoming semester.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Radio Sky
12 Jan 2011
By rob1234
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
An easy to read guide to basic radio telescope construction. According to Jeff Lashley the sound card from a desktop computer and a simple ariel can get you started. I see this book as a great aid to high school students wanting to do an interesting science project, or the amateur radio enthusiast who wants to branch out into a different area. Recommended.
5 of 7 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
You probably don't want this book.
9 Jun 2012
By SA602
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
The thing I find most puzzling about this book is that a good publisher (Springer) actually put it into print. A better choice might be "Amateur Radio Astronomy" by Fielding. (There certainly are others.)
The problem I have with this work is that, while parts of it are interesting, it has no obvious audience. Ohms law is defined on p. 114. On the previous page: "See Fig. 8.1 for the possible circuit symbols used for various types of resistors. Note there are two forms, the box and the zigzag. ... only one style should appear on a given schematic." This is very basic electronics. Does the author really believe that a reader who does not know this is going to build the JOVE receive on p. 177? Actually the chapter (number 8) is mislabeled "Introduction to RF Electronics." It would be better labeled "Introduction to Electronic Parts." Consider that Hayward's "Introduction to Radio Frequency Design" is 372 pages. Lashley's chapter 8 is 32 pages.
Along a similar line, the Jove receiver could be an amusing project, but the author does not provide enough detail to build it. You can get lots of details at the radiojove website, the manual is a PDF rcvr_manual.pdf. So, why bother to include the schematic (without part values) and worse, the PC board layout, if the reader has to get everything from someone else's Web page?
In places I have to wonder if the author was not just trying to use up space. A couple of examples would be the 2/3 of a page for antenna insulators on p. 101 and the tables of AL values on page 121.
Some places these guys could not even bother to do the typesetting right (consider the equation for "XL" on page 118).
One can go on. On p. 59 "Thermal emission occurs from a system whose population state is associated with a Maxwell-Boltzmann velocity distribution, which is dependent on the kinetic temperature T." But the reader needs to be told that V=IR?
It may be that the fundamental problem is that one simply cannot cover the relevant ground in a book of only 236 pages. Unfortunately the whole thing really reads like a collection of "stuff" that the author pulled together so he could sell (not write) a book. It is regrettable that neither the author nor the publisher saw fit to do a decent job of editing it into a real work on the subject. This is particularly true in an age when an internet search will turn up a similar collect of "stuff."
The problem I have with this work is that, while parts of it are interesting, it has no obvious audience. Ohms law is defined on p. 114. On the previous page: "See Fig. 8.1 for the possible circuit symbols used for various types of resistors. Note there are two forms, the box and the zigzag. ... only one style should appear on a given schematic." This is very basic electronics. Does the author really believe that a reader who does not know this is going to build the JOVE receive on p. 177? Actually the chapter (number 8) is mislabeled "Introduction to RF Electronics." It would be better labeled "Introduction to Electronic Parts." Consider that Hayward's "Introduction to Radio Frequency Design" is 372 pages. Lashley's chapter 8 is 32 pages.
Along a similar line, the Jove receiver could be an amusing project, but the author does not provide enough detail to build it. You can get lots of details at the radiojove website, the manual is a PDF rcvr_manual.pdf. So, why bother to include the schematic (without part values) and worse, the PC board layout, if the reader has to get everything from someone else's Web page?
In places I have to wonder if the author was not just trying to use up space. A couple of examples would be the 2/3 of a page for antenna insulators on p. 101 and the tables of AL values on page 121.
Some places these guys could not even bother to do the typesetting right (consider the equation for "XL" on page 118).
One can go on. On p. 59 "Thermal emission occurs from a system whose population state is associated with a Maxwell-Boltzmann velocity distribution, which is dependent on the kinetic temperature T." But the reader needs to be told that V=IR?
It may be that the fundamental problem is that one simply cannot cover the relevant ground in a book of only 236 pages. Unfortunately the whole thing really reads like a collection of "stuff" that the author pulled together so he could sell (not write) a book. It is regrettable that neither the author nor the publisher saw fit to do a decent job of editing it into a real work on the subject. This is particularly true in an age when an internet search will turn up a similar collect of "stuff."
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