[time-nuts] Pulsars (was: 60 KHz Receiver)

[Hal Murray]

jimlux at earthlink.net said:
> If you want something that isn't run by governments,and is a technical
> challenge, how about pulsars?   I'd guess (not having looked into it at
> all) that is would be cheaper to set up a station to receive pulsars  than
> to run a Cs standard. 

What sort of gear does it take to hear a pulsar?

What sort of spectrum are they sending?  What frequencies would I listen to?  
What sort of bandwidth would the receiver use?

If I have a setup that can hear Pulsar A, will it also be useful for Pulsar B 
and C and ...?  Or do I need to listen on widely different frequencies?


One problem with pulsars is that they might go below the horizon for part of 
the day.

Is there a convenient one up near the north pole?

I assume that they are weak enough that I need a steerable dish.  Is there a 
catalog of pulsars that might be interesting to use for amateur timekeeping?  
I assume a strong signal would be the primary consideration.

Any chance of hearing one without a dish?


-- 
These are my opinions, not necessarily my employer's.  I hate spam.