We have investigated the conditions for simultaneous meteor observations with the EISCAT UHF radar system and telescopic optical devices. The observed characteristics of 410 meteors detected by all three UHF receivers are compared with model simulations and their luminosity is calculated as a part of a meteoroid ablation model using a fifth order Runge–Kutta numerical integration technique. The estimated absolute visual magnitudes are in the range of +9 to +5. The meteors should therefore be observable using intensified CCD or EMCCD (Electron Multiplying CCD) cameras with telephoto lenses. A possible setup of a coordinated radar and optical campaign is suggested.