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Here the Olde Antenna Lab SETI LNBF (see last week's Featured Photo) is inserted into its radome, and is awaiting sealing and end-caps. The helical antenna feed can be seen at left, just inside the PVC pipe. W6OAL photo

27 December 2003

Dr. Dave Clingerman, W6OAL, through his company Olde Antenna Lab, produces a commercial SETI LNBF assembly (integrated Low Noise preamp, Block downconverter and Feedhorn) for Project Argus use. Here on his workbench, the helical feed (left), LNA (right, smaller box) and downconverter (right, larger box) are awaiting installation into the PVC radome (seen at rear center). W6OAL photo

20 December 2003

Dish Array in Disarray: Although the Central Pennsylvania snow is light this winter, the winds are heavy, resulting in each of the eight dishes of the Very Small Array choosing its own target. SETI League photo

13 December 2003

After the recent moonbounce contest had ended, Argonaut Peter Cheasley, VE2TPR, helped Noel Welstead, VK4ETI, to analyze his received EME signals (see last week's Photo of the Week) with one of his music programs, to extract the Morse code callsigns buried in the noise. VE2TPR image

6 December 2003

During the November 2003 ARRL International Moonbounce Contest, Noel Welstead VK4ETI, our volunteer regional coordinator for Eastern Australia, recorded these 1296 MHz EME signals with the recently commissioned five meter dish at the Boonah Science Centre. VK4ETI image

29 November 2003

At this year's SETI League Annual Awards Banquet, Executive Director H. Paul Shuch presented Dr. Allen Katz with his Extra-Terrestrial QSL Card, for successful reception of the W2ETI Moonbounce Beacon. SETI League photo

22 November 2003

Peter Cheasley, VE2TPR, detected this narrow-band signal component, standing out clearly against the background noise, on 3500 MHz, from RA 23:58:46, Dec 44d 05m N, at 0113 UTC on 8 November 2003. The spectral display is exactly what we would expect from an unmodulated carrier such as might be emitted by an interstellar beacon. Unfortunately, without independent corroboration or a repeat of the signal, further analysis is not possible, and we can only speculate as to the signal's true origin. VE2TPR image

15 November 2003

SETI League regional coordinator Christian Monstein, HB9SCT, captured this magnificent long-duration solar flare on 28 October 2003, from his home in Freienbach, Switzerland (JN47je). He used the CALLISTO spectrometer sweeping 42 to 865 MHz at 300 kHz bandwidth, driven by a fixed-mounted log-periodic antenna pointed at zero degrees declination. Christian writes, "In the last few days I really got very impressive results, although the antenna was never pointing directly to the sun." HB9SCT image

8 November 2003

The Flag of Earth flies at SETI facilities around the world, including many of our members' Project Argus stations. Today, Flag of Earth creator James Cadle abandoned his 23-year-old copyright on the Flag, transferring it into the public domain. See this editorial for details. SETI League photo

1 November 2003

This six-foot dish mounted on a joystick-controlled NASA/KSC Pelco mount is used for hydrogen line spectrometry with the Radio Astronomy Supplies SpectraCyber system. It is located on the front veranda of Jeff Lichtman's Fort Lauderdale FL villa, and illustrates how a small aperture antenna can be used in a confined space. Jeff is founder of the Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers. Radio Astronomy Supplies photo

25 October 2003

The prototype Low Noise Amplifier for the Very Small Array is based upon the Down East Microwave 23ULNACK kits constructed at the SETICon03 Hardware Workshop (see the Photo of the Week for 27 September 2003). Modifications include noise matching for 1.4 GHz, and the addition of a second gain stage. At the Central States VHF Conference in July, this prototype measured 0.53 dB noise figure (38 Kelvin noise temperature) at +31.2 dB gain. Click here for VSA development photos. SETI League photo

18 October 2003

Executive director H. Paul Shuch demonstrated two weeks ago in Bremen the use of the Rio Scale for quantifying a SETI candidate signal. Browse to this article to see this new analytical tool in action. Tom Pierson photo

11 October 2003

Outgoing Academy president Dr. Michael I. Yarymovych (left) and incoming president Prof. Edward C. Stone (right) inducted SETI League executive director Dr. H. Paul Shuch into the International Academy of Astronautics, last week in Bremen, Germany. Dr. Shuch has for the past two years served as Webmaster for the IAA SETI Permanent Study Group. See this Press Release for further details. SETI League photo

4 October 2003

During SETICon weekend in April, eight members participated in an optional Microwave Hardware Workshop. Here Dr. Malcolm Raff, WA2UNP, tests the bias on a low-noise preamplifier he has just finished constructing. Mal's amplifier yielded an impressive 0.6 dB noise figure and 17.47 dB of gain from 1 to 1.5 GHz. SETI League photo

27 September 2003

Here is the European Radio Astronomy Club's DSP-FFT Award, presented to SETI League president Richard Factor (in absentia) at the Third European Radio Astronomy Congress two weeks ago. Curious as to why the trophy is made from a can of soup? Read all the details in this Press Release. SETI League photo

20 September 2003

The SETI League is saddened to report the death on 9 September 2003 of noted nuclear physicist Dr. Edward Teller, as a consequence of a massive stroke sustained over the previous weekend. Prof. Teller, 95, was a SETI League honorary member, a mentor to many prominent scientists, and for forty years the head of the Fannie and John Hertz Foundation, which identified and then supported the postgraduate research of gifted young people in the applied physical sciences. Among Teller's Hertz Fellows was executive director H. Paul Shuch (seen here with his famous mentor last year). SETI League photo

13 September 2003

Still in session this weekend, the Third European Radio Astronomy Congress convened yesterday in the shadow of Heppenheim Castle, at the Starkenburg Observatory in Heppenheim, Germany. For the second time, the triennial meeting is being co-sponsored by The SETI League. More photos from this year's Congress are available here. SETI League photo

6 September 2003

US Patent #6,593,876, "Adaptive Microwave Antenna Array," was granted to Executive Director H. Paul Shuch, and assigned to The SETI League, on 15 July 2003. The patent covers key aspects of the Very Small Array's signal combining technology. See this Press Release for further details. Click here for VSA development photos. SETI League photo

30 August 2003

The 2003 Giordano Bruno Memorial Award was presented last April to SETI pioneer Philip Morrison and his wife Phylis Morrison (in memoriam). Employing the very technology which the Father of SETI has long advocated for interstellar contact, H. Paul Shuch and Awards Committee chairman David Ocame made the presentation to Prof. Morrison via audio teleconference. Further details appear in this Press Release. WA2UNP photo

23 August 2003

Since its inception, The SETI League has received loyal support from the Central States VHF Society, a leading group of amateur VHF-UHF experimenters in the US. The Society, a SETI League Affiliate Organization, awards annual Technical Development Grants to The SETI League to support such projects as our moonbounce beacon and Very Small Array radio telescope. Here CSVHFS treasurer Bruce Richardson, W9FZ, presents a check to executive director H. Paul Shuch, N6TX, at last month's Central States VHF Conference. SETI League photo

16 August 2003

Two weeks ago, a number of SETI League members were among the fifty amateur radio astronomers and guests gathered at NRAO Green Bank WV for the annual SARA Conference. Here they are posed in front of the famous ten-meter parabolic dish built by Grote Reber, W9GFZ, in 1937. Click here for more SARA photos. SETI League photo

9 August 2003

At The SETI League's annual banquet in April, author Dr. David Darling spoke about the new partnership between astrobiology and SETI. The abstract of his presentation is linked from here. SETI League photo

2 August 2003

Three months ago, Executive Director H. Paul Shuch tested his SETI Horn of Plenty antenna in the microwave laboratory at The College of New Jersey. The horn, a Project Argus antenna alternative, is described in a paper being presented this weekend at the Central States VHF Conference. SETI League photo

26 July 2003

The three-meter dish at Argus station EM29je, with which Harry Kimball, N0TOU, achieved first light last month (see the 5 July 2003 Photo of the Week for his first Sun transit image). Harry says, "I modified the original feed support arm to hold an RAS cylindrical feed horn and choke with an RAS LNA. It looks funny because it's hiding under the bottom 1/3 of a 20 gallon plastic trash can that is held in place with 3 large hose clamps connected end to end." See more Project Argus stations. N0TOU photo

19 July 2003

Longtime Canadian moonbounce amateur Cor Maas, VE7BBG, helped us to celebrate American Independence Day (4 July 2003) from Duncan, BC, by receiving The SETI League's W2ETI Beacon weakly on a 3.3 meter dish and 0.4 dB noise figure receiving system. Since Cor's system is typical of the average Project Argus station, his success should give encouragement to many of our members. His Spectran DSP settings are: AVG. 5 integration sampling rate 5512 resolution 2.7 Hz VE7BBG image

12 July 2003

One more Argonaut achieves first light! Harry Kimball, N0TOU, recorded this sun transit at Argus station EM29je just two weeks ago, on a strip-chart recorder driven by a 3-meter dish, RAS cylindrical feedhorn with choke ring, RAS LNA, DEM downconverter, and Kenwood TS-700A ham transceiver. Harry writes: "The input to the chart recorder is connected across the S-meter on the Kenwood via a voltage divider (to get the ~200 mV max signal down within the 10mV range of the chart recorder; and I threw in a capacitor to give it about a 3 or 4 second time constant). I marked the chart levels corresponding to several S-meter readings on the picture. Assuming the 6 dB per S-unit rule of thumb, the peak is nearly 20 dB above the baseline." N0TOU image

5 July 2003

David Ocame, N1YVV, at Argus station FN31ng, which achieved first light last month (see last week's Photo of the Week for his first Sun transit image). In this photo, he is using a helical feed. Note that his LNA is enclosed in plastic kitchenware to protect it from the elements. See more Project Argus stations. N1YVV photo

28 June 2003

David Ocame, N1YVV, achieved first light at Argus station FN31ng on 29 May, 2003. Here (peaking at 21:34 LMST) is his first transit of the Sun, captured with Radio Skypipe software. His station uses an eight-foot parabolic dish, homebrew dipole feed, and Down East Microwave PHEMT LNA driving an Icom receiver. See other Project Argus detections. N1YVV image

21 June 2003

The SETI Horn of Plenty antenna, introduced at SETICon03, is featured on the cover of the current (Spring 2003) issue of CQ-VHF Magazine. Also in that issue, you will find the latest installment of our executive director's quarterly column, Dr. SETI's Starship. Back columns are archived here. CQ-VHF image

14 June 2003

From the University of Indianapolis, Malcolm Mallette writes: "Here is the plane of the galaxy at the declination of 3C392, which is about +1.4 degrees. The graph is an average of 5 observations, each separately temperature corrected. I was hoping to see 3C353, which is 1 hour 36 minutes earlier on that dec. We do have some variation from the baseline at that time but not strong enough to be definitive. "It looks as if replacing the two line amps at the receiver with the SETI League suggested line amps at the dish does work. The DC gain is set back from 100 to 50. However, the 50 Jansky source did not appear. It is probable that the local interference pervents us from seeing bellow 100 Janskys. 3C392 is around 50 Janskys but it is in the plane of the galaxy that is huge at 1.4 GHz. " University of Indianapolis image

7 June 2003

At Project Argus station FN35dm, Peter Cheasley, VE2TPR, analyzes the audio output of his receiver with a music program. See his Software Notes here. VE2TPR image

31 May 2003

Argonaut Tom Hutter detected this strange signal in January 2003. Its spectrograph (top) and Doppler pattern (bottom) are reminiscent of a signal detected by Project Phoneix at Parkes Radio Observatory in 1995, and dubbed the 'Big Zipper'. SETI Institute scientist Dr. Peter Backus recalls: "The 'Big Zipper' turned out to be the Geotail spacecraft. It is a US/Japan mission to explore the outer regions of the Earth's magnetic field. The spacecraft is in a very elliptical orbit that goes out well beyond the Moon. On its way back toward Earth, it sweeps its carrier signal while waiting for a response from a ground station. I guess that once it gets a carrier from the ground, it locks on and transmits its data." Tom Hutter images

24 May 2003

From Argus Station JO89xw, Greger Gimseus sends these two images recovered from a NOAA weather satellite on 1544.5 MHz, using two different Icom receivers, an R-8500 (top) and a PRC-1000 (bottom). He writes, "one (the R-8500) has the AGC defeated (with 2.5vdc on the AGC out connector) and the other (the PCR-1000) has the AGC enabled. These spectra were taken simultaneously and you clearly see the benefits of disabling the AGC." Greger Gimseus images

17 May 2003

Eastern Australia regional coordinator Noel Welstead sends us this picture of the Boonah Observatory's new optical observatory building, now nearly ready for installation of the planned 14" Schmidt optical SETI telescope. VK4AYW photo

10 May 2003

Prof. Allen Tough accepts the second annual Orville Greene Service Award at the SETICon03 Awards Banquet last weekend. The Giordano Bruno Memorial Award went to Prof. Philip Morrison (who accepted via audio teleconference), and Phylis Morrison (in memoriam). Details about our award recipients may be found in this press release. More SETICon photos are posted here. SETI League photo

3 May 2003

Now Available: Proceedings of SETICon03, a collection of papers submitted for The SETI League's 2003 Technical Symposium, published by the American Radio Relay League. Must reading for every serious SETIzen. ISBN 0-87259-896-9. Suggested Contribution: $20 postpaid in US, $25 postpaid elsewhere. SETI League photo

26 April 2003

SETI League members find the flea market at the annual Central States VHF Conference a good source of microwave components for their Project Argus stations. Don't miss this year's event, in Tulsa OK USA, July 24-27 2003. W9FZ photos

19 April 2003

Executive director H. Paul Shuch chats with Canadian member Bob Morton, VE3BFM, at last summer's Central States VHF Conference in Milwaukee. This year's event will be held in Tulsa OK USA, over July 24-27 2003. W9FZ photo

12 April 2003

Tom Hutter writes: "I see this ladder effect occasionally at 1575.42 Mhz, and have pinned it down to GPS-BIIA-18. Has any of you ever seen the pattern, or can anyone offer reason for the effect?" Richard Tyndall replies: "It looks very similar to the GPS modulation pattern that I saw on my very first false alarm years ago. The main difference that I see on Tom Hutter's image is the lack of heavy Doppler that would normally be seen on a GPS bird." Marko Cebokli adds: "The C/A code length is around 1ms, therefore spectral components spaced 1kHz (the left one at 500Hz looks different because of stretched frequency scale). The width of the lines matches quite well the 50bps data modulation. So I guess in this case there were strings of zeros or ones in the data." Tom Hutter image

5 April 2003

From Tulsa OK USA, Ray Shank WA5RAY is operating on 1420 MHz. Argus Station EM26bd consists of a 12-foot diameter TVRO dish, SETI League cylindrical waveguide feedhorn with choke ring, Radio Astronomy Supplies preamplifier and SpectraCyber receiver. WA5RAY photo

29 March 2003

This spectacular image of the Arecibo Radio Observatory in Puerto Rico was taken from Earth orbit, at an altitude of 400 km, by Space Imaging's IKONOS satellite, at 1-meter resolution. Caution: the high-resolution image is a HUGE file, which will consume considerable bandwidth and take excessive time to download with anything but a wideband connection. Space Imaging

22 March 2003

Sumio Nakane, JH3BJN, The SETI League's volunteer Regional Coordinator for Japan, visited the Very Small Array in Pennsylvania this weekend, on his way home from a workshop at the Arecibo Observatory. JH3BJN photo

15 March 2003

Pieter Ibelings' DSP board (see last week's featured photo) produces this waterfall display in its highest resolution mode. With a 512 k point Fast Fourier Transform and 100 kHz of spectral bandwidth, individual bins are less than 0.2 Hz wide -- about as good as the best professional SETI processors. N4IP image

8 March 2003

Pieter Ibelings, N4IP, is working on a new high-end digital signal processing board. He writes, "This hardware uses a 67 MHz ADC followed by a Digital downconverter that uses a Digital NCO. It is very similar to a direct conversion receiver that uses a Sin and Cos oscillator. We are doing the mixing and NCO in the digital domain after the ADC. The output of the mixer has a completely configurable Digital LPF. The memory onboard has also been increased to store 524288 samples. This sets the maximum FFT size. The NCO can be tuned in steps of less than 1Hz. The software right now supports three bandwidths: 100KHz, 2MHz and 30MHz. The FFT size can be adjusted between 4K and 512K. At 512K, the resolution in a 100KHz bandwidth is less than 1Hz. The hardware also has provisions for a 10.7 MHz, 144 MHz, 0-30MHz and a bypassed input for max flexibility." N4IP photo

1 March 2003

From New Zealand, Graham Vincent reports: "I am seeing a signal at about 1420.475 MHz that comes and goes on an irregular basis. It doesn't matter where I point the dish so I'm picking it as either external interference from a terrestrial source or signs of trouble with my equipment. On the positive side the other brighter zones are in Sagittarius so I think I've discovered the Milky Way!" Graham Vincent image

22 February 2003

Space limitations and zoning restrictions prevent many a potential Argonaut from erecting a suitable dish antenna for amateur SETI observations. One obvious solution is a portable antenna that can be set outside on a deck, patio or balcony, pointed straight up for drift-scan observations, and then hauled indoors when not in use. Here Dr. SETI demonstrates his SETI Horn of Plenty, an Argus Antenna Alternative which will be presented at SETICon03 in April. The inexpensive horn antenna, patterned after the one used by Harold Ewen in 1951 to first detect hydrogen line emissions, produces in excess of +20 dBi of gain across the 1.2 to 1.7 GHz band. N6TX photo

15 February 2003

From Virginia, USA, Project Argus participant Allan Robbins sends along this photo of his automobile's license plate. He says, "just one alien having fun trying to find other aliens!" Allan Robbins photo

8 February 2003

Argonaut Tom Hutter (station FN20ut) received the W2ETI moonbounce beacon via the direct path during last October's ARRL EME contest. In this waterfall display, one can see the one minute of unmodulated carrier, and almost read the two repetitions of the station callsign on slow-speed CW. Tom Hutter image

1 February 2003

Roger Weeks, KC9BDL, examines one of his brother Frank's dishes at the Mediacast show in London last May. Frank runs DH Satellite, manufacturers of solid spun aluminum parabolic reflectors in a variety of sizes. KC9BDL photo

25 January 2003

While searching for our W2ETI moonbounce beacon signal on 1296.000 MHz, Argonaut Tom Hutter (station FN20ut) stumbled across what looks like a Frequency Shift Keyed signal on 1296.007 MHz. Though certainly of terrestrial origin (it remained in the beam of his drift-scan antenna as the Earth continued to turn), it was his first detection of digital modulation in the 23 cm ham band. Tom Hutter image

18 January 2003

Here's the exact same NOAA-16 signal as depicted last week, this time analyzed by Peter Cheasley, VE2TPR, at Project Argus station FN35dm. Note that different software analysis tools bring out different signal features. Peter and Tom continue to collaborate in candidate signal analysis. VE2TPR image

11 January 2003

Argonaut Tom Hutter (station FN20ut) received this spectacular signal from the NOAA-16 weather satellite at 1544.5 MHz. He was scanning Dec +46.5 from longitude 74.3 West when the polar orbiter passed directly overhead on 19 October 2002, at 1826 UTC. Tom Hutter image

4 January 2003

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