Comment by staplung
> (can amateurs pick up pulsars?)
In theory, yes but it's supposed to be pretty tricky. Since it looks like you're up for making antennas, maybe this is for you:
https://britastro.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/SmallApertu...
Vela is the "brightest" pulsar but is only visible in the southern hemisphere. B0329+54 is the "brightest" in the northern hemisphere.
Optical astrophotography has stacking software. Radio astronomy has a counterpart in folding software.
Thank you for the link! A pulsar or something "noisy but distant" in space is my goal, I think. The idea of being able to listen to distant stars is mind blowing to me, just amazing stuff.