The SETI League, Inc., a membership-supported, non-profit {501(c)(3)}, educational and scientific organization Searching for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence

SETI League EME (Moonbounce) Station

Technical Specifications

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Because the beacon system is evolutionary, and numerous upgrades are planned, it (like the moon) is a moving target. Nevertheless, technical details as of 13 March 2006 are described below:

  • Location: Kinnelon NJ USA, Grid Square FN21ta
  • Station Trustee: Richard Factor, WA2IKL
  • Transmitter: currently 350 watts CW output (nominal)
  • Frequency: 1296.000 MHz
  • Accuracy: better than +- 2 Hz
  • Feedline: 60 feet of 5/8 inch Cellwave hardline (estimated loss 3 dB)
  • Antenna: quad helix array, RHCP uplink; gain +24 dBi
  • Tracking Hardware: Kansas City Tracker driving Yaesu az/el rotors
  • Tracking Sortware: NOVA for Windows
  • EIRP: estimated at +76 dBm
  • Path Loss: nominally 271 dB (round-trip isotropic propagation plus lunar reflective losses) [1]
  • Incident Isotropic Power: -195 dBm nominal
  • Sensitivity of typical Project Argus radio telescope:(assuming 12 foot dish, 50% efficiency, 200 K system noise temperature, 10 second integration) = -207 dBm [2]
  • Potential Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR): +12 dB (including DSP and integration gain)

References:

  1. MacCleur, Chuck, W8MQW, A Pathloss Primer, Symposium 99 Proceedings, Syracuse EME Symposium, August 1999.
  2. Shuch, H. Paul, N6TX, SETI sensitivity: calibrating on a Wow! signal. Proceedings of the AMSAT-NA Fourteenth Space Symposium: 130-141, American Radio Relay League, November 1996.



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