Question
Which of the following digital modes is designed for meteor scatter communications?
Answer Options
- A) WSPR
- B) MSK144
- C) Hellschreiber
- D) APRS
Correct Answer: B
Explanation
Meteor scatter communication is a specialized weak-signal VHF technique that relies on transmitting a signal toward an ionized trail left by a small meteor entering the Earth’s atmosphere. This trail briefly reflects the radio signal, allowing for short, burst-like contacts over long distances (typically 800-1500 miles). The window for reliable signal exchange is often only a few milliseconds.
Because the signal window is so brief and fragmented, a dedicated, high-speed digital mode is required. MSK144 (Minimum Shift Keying at 144 bits/second) is the digital mode specifically designed for this purpose. It uses rapid, structured transmissions combined with powerful digital signal processing to decode the weak and fast signal bursts reflected off the meteor trails.
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