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What is that circle of scorched earth doing right next to the antenna at Project Argus station FN11lh? Has an alien spaceship landed in our Executive Director's back yard? No, the incriminating evidence turns out to be the remains of a traditional Guy Fawkes Day bonfire, built in celebration by SETI League member Muriel Hykes (Dr. Shuch's wife) whilst he was on lecture tour in England last month. SETI League photo

26 December 1998

Sing a Song of SETI, the official songbook of The SETI League Inc., is not wholly without precedent. This piece of sheet music, titled "A Signal From Mars," dates to 1902. The score was on display at last month's Philadelphia Science Fiction Society annual convention, Philcon '98. SETI League photo

19 December 1998

Argus Observatory FN11lh is slowly taking shape at the remote North Central Pennsylvania home of SETI League executive director H. Paul Shuch. Here a 3.7 meter diameter Paraclipse dish has just been installed on its horizon-to-horizon mount (rotated 90 degrees to serve as an elevation rotor). Shuch (second from left) was assisted in raising the antenna by three able-bodied local SETI enthusiasts. SETI League photo

12 December 1998

While visiting Manchester University's Nuffield Laboratory last month, executive director H. Paul Shuch had the opportunity to meet briefly with Sir Bernard Lovell, father of the 250 foot diameter Jodrell Bank radio telescope. Although Sir Bernard believes that microbial life is common throughout the Universe, he said he considers technological civilizations to be extremely rare. Nevertheless, he encourages SETI League members to continue in their quest, stating that the discovery of intelligent extra-terrestrial life would be an event unprecedented in human history. SETI League photo

5 December 1998

Just three weeks ago, nineteen SETI League members converged on Manchester University's Nuffield Radio Astronomy Laboratories at Jodrell Bank, for their first SETI UK meeting. In attendance were our volunteer Regional Coordinators for England (both outgoing and incoming), Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, as well as The SETI League's executive director. In the background is the 250 foot diameter Lovell Radio Telescope, once the world's largest such instrument. SETI League photo

28 November 1998

Third in a group of three images observed by Noel C. Welstead (see the last two Images of the Week). "I have been caught before so I went looking for some sources of RFI just to be sure. I turned the PII/266 system on the workbench off. Voila, the signal dissappeared! I waited for a short time and switched the system on again. The signal re-appeared. This series was especially interesting as it was a very stable drift, No wiggling at all. A very exiting time for about 5 minutes." VK4AYW image

21 November 1998

Second of three computer RFI images recorded by Noel C. Welstead (see last week's Image of the Week). He writes, "By the time I had restarted the system the signal had moved into the middle of the H1 line frequency. The receiver was tuned to 1420.404.50 so the H1 line was at 1.25khz on the FFTDSP display. The signal started to show a slight curve indicating that it was starting to pass overhead???" (To be continued next week.) VK4AYW image

14 November 1998

Noel C. Welstead, SETI League volunteer coordinator for Eastern Australia, has spent the past year chasing down computer-generated interference. Of this first of three images, he says, "We got the first one and noticed it by accident. It has a nice even shift in frequency and looked like a classic signal from a space borne source. It was weak to start with and got stronger as time went by. I started a screen save and the system crashed immediately after saving the file." VK4AYW image

7 November 1998

On October 30, 1938, Martians landed at Grover's Mill NJ in Orson Welles' Mercury Theater production of the H. G. Wells story "War of the Worlds." SETI League executive director H. Paul Shuch marked the 60th anniversary of this famous radio broadcast by visiting the actual site of the Martian invasion, where now stands this monument to human fear and gullibility. The SETI League, seeking radio evidence of our cosmic companions, is little concerned with the possibility of Martian invasion. Victor J. Belanger photo

31 October 1998

Daniel Fox, SETI League software committee chairman, has been experimenting with Doppler mapping of the Milky Way. The frequency of hydrogen line radiation, like that of all interstellar signals, is Doppler shifted by relative motion. This drift-scan graph displays time horizontally, frequency vertically, and signal intensity by colors. It shows the rate at which hydrogen sources at the galactic center are moving toward and away from us. KF9ET image

24 October 1998

This hydrogen line AmpliFilter, built up on a modified Down East Microwave 1420-144 RX converter printed circuit board, will add up to 35 dB of gain to your SETI station while improving rejection of out-of-band interference. Construction details appear here. SETI League photo

17 October 1998

The SETI League has joined the Amateur Radio Web Ring. For a tour of other ham radio related websites, go to our Trophy Shelf, scroll down to the Web Ring logo, and follow the links. Amateur Radio Web Ring image

10 October 1998

Continuing with the aviation theme of last week's featured photo, here's SETI League executive director Dr. H. Paul Shuch's much-modified 1970 Beechcraft Sierra, at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory's private airstrip near Green Bank WV. We are saddened to learn that NRAO will be closing the strip next year, when the 100 meter Green Bank Telescope (visible in background) goes online. SETI League photo

3 October 1998

At Parkes Airport, CSIRO's John Sarkisan takes the controls of a Grumman Tiger owned by SETI League eastern Australia regional coordinator Noel Welstead. Aviation is an interest shared by a surprising number of radio astronomy enthusiasts, including The SETI League's president and executive director. VK4AYW photo

26 September 1998

While preparing to move the donated 60 foot dish from New South Wales to Queensland (see last week's photo), the SETI League's eastern Australia contingent took time out to visit the Parkes 210 foot radio telescope now being used for SETI by the Southern SERENDIP project. VK4AYW photo

19 September 1998

In eastern Australia, SETI League members and supporters prepare to move The Big Dish (featured here on 18 April 1998) from New South Wales to Queensland. Seen here are SETI League regional coordinator Noel Welstead (holding relocation plans for the 60 foot dish), member Bob Lamb, SETI supporter Peter Quinlan, and CSIRO manager Sergio Martinelli. VK4AYW photo

12 September 1998

The SETI League is pleased to welcome the Central States VHF Society as an official affiliate. Hosts to the popular Central States VHF Conference each July, the CSVHFS represents three hundred of the most active VHF, UHF and microwave experimenters in the US and Canada. CSVHFS image

5 September 1998

Dr. Rachel Tortolini (seen here with her two-year-old talking African Grey parrot, Meeka) serves as The SETI League's volunteer Regional Coordinator for Hawaii. With degrees in electrical engineering, mathematics, computer science, philosophy and medicine, Rachel brings to The SETI League great interdisciplinary skills. Her biographical sketch appears here. Rachel Tortolini photo

29 August 1998

The 250 foot diameter Sir Bernard Lovell radio telescope at Jodrell Bank, England, then the world's largest, was the dish Philip Morrison had in mind when he co-authored the article proposing modern SETI in 1959. Soon, Morrison's dream will be realized. When the Project Phoenix targeted search goes online from Arecibo this Fall, Jodrell Bank will be used as its Follow-Up Detection Device (FUDD). DJ0BI photo

22 August 1998

Former Nançay radio telescope operator Elisabeth Piotelat serves as The SETI League's volunteer Regional Coordinator for France. Elisabeth has put together an outstanding French website for The SETI League. Her biographical sketch appears here. Elisabeth Piotelat photo

15 August 1998

From Steve Kostro at Down East Microwave comes an innovative low-cost proportional temperature controller circuit to stabilize crystal oscillators. The circuit, described in this article, employs a Postitive Temperature Coefficient (PTC) thermistor soldered directly to the crystal can. SETI League members have been using the approach in their hydrogen line downconverters to minimize thermally induced frequency drift. AA0DQ photo

8 August 1998

SETI League supporters can now own a piece of history. When the Ohio State University "Big Ear" radio telescope was demolished earlier this year, we salvaged a hundred pieces of its mesh surface. For a suitable contribution, you can obtain a handsome plaque honoring one of the world's great radio telescopes, home to the longest running SETI project ever. See this Press Release for further details. SETI League photo

1 August 1998

Thirteen of the twenty SETI League members in attendance at the 1998 SARA conference pose in front of the world's first amateur radio telescope (and, in fact, the world's first radio telescope!) This 10-meter diameter parabolic antenna was built by Grote Reber, W9GFZ, in 1937. AA0DQ photo

25 July 1998

Armed with a Thunderbolt GPS-Disciplined Clock donated by Trimble Navigation Ltd., SETI League president Richard Factor achieves frequency accuracy approaching that of an atomic clock, from anywhere in the world. See this press release for further details. SETI League photos

18 July 1998

SETI League regional coordinator Michael Fletcher and members of the Artjärvi Telecommunications Society in Finland have just acquired this 13.7 meter dish and radome from the Metsähovi Radio Observatory, and plan to put it into use for amateur Radio Astronomy, EME, SETI, Hydrogen Line analysis, and other amateur projects. When aligned correctly, the surface accuracy is sufficient for use up to 95 GHz. It will take the group several years to get the dish moved and in service. Metsähovi Radio Observatory photo

11 July 1998

From astronomers Andrea and Hrvoje Horvat in Croatia comes word that we have received their Site of the Night Award for 27 June 1998. This award is given "to sites with valuable educational, scientific, technical or inspiring contents, alone or in any combination." Visit our Trophy Shelf to see other honors garnered by The SETI League website.

4 July 1998

SETI League member Jon Lomberg's breathtaking painting "Approaching the Milky Way" first appeared on page 8 of Carl Sagan's 1980 book Cosmos. Photolithographic prints are now available through this website. See also the guest editorial excerpted from Jon's forthcoming book, "Speaking for Earth." painting Copyright © 1998 by Jon Lomberg

27 June 1998

Microwave engineer Michael Fletcher, OH2AUE, serves as The SETI League's volunteer Regional Coordinator for Finland. He is active on ten different Ham Radio bands between 50 MHz and 474 THz, in addition to radio astronomy. His biographical sketch appears here. drawing by R. Bareh

20 June 1998

Eugen Winter reports very good optical seeing conditions, with no light pollution at his location in Coolgardie, Western Australia (some 600 km from Perth), which he exploits with his 10 inch Meade reflector. He has recently acquired this 3 meter dish, and his Project Argus station is now under construction. He will be visiting Georgia (US) next month, and may pick up some equipment from Radio Astronomy Supplies. We hope his radio environment is as favorable as his optical one. Eugen Winter photo

13 June 1998

Dr. Amanda Baker, formerly The SETI League's volunteer Regional Coordinator for France, has accepted appointment as chair of our Membership Services Committee. Her biographical sketch appears here. Photo © 1996 by Gordon W. Brignal

6 June 1998

SETI League member Georgadas Vagelis, SV1CEV (left) has had this three meter dish on line from Athens since 12 April 1998. He uses a cylindrical waveguide feedhorn, a 0.3 dB NF preamp, the SSB Electronic hydrogen line downconverter, and FFTDSP software to achieve impressive SETI performance. SV1CEV photo

30 May 1998

The SETI Store Is Open! Over the past three years, SETI League booths have become a fixture at ham radio and science fiction conventions around the world. This one, at Microwave Update in Hot Springs AR last October, dispensed the usual SETI League memberships, premiums and literature. That's executive director H. Paul Shuch manning the booth. W5ZN photo

23 May 1998

Project Argus participant Don Adams, WA8QZZ, built this cylindrical waveguide feedhorn out of a pair of three pound coffee tins. The aluminum box mounted to the horn is the SETI League GaAs MMIC Low Noise Amplifier. Details of Don's station may be found on his personal website. WA8QZZ photo

16 May 1998

As has become his custom, executive director Dr. H. Paul Shuch ended the 1998 Membership Meeting by introducing his latest SETI song. SETI League photo

9 May 1998

SETI League member Warren Kidd of Ocean Springs, MS USA, with his 10-foot diameter SETI antenna. Warren's station has been online and collecting data 23 hours a day since 10 January 1998. Click here for related photos. Warren Kidd photo

2 May 1998

SETI League's volunteer coordinators for England, Ken Chattenton (l) and Trevor Unsworth (r), received their Bruno trophies last week from SETI League secretary Heather Wood. The presentation was made at a press conference in front of Trevor's antenna in Stockton-on-Tees, on 21 April 1998 (the second anniversary of the launch of our Project Argus search). Click here for related press release. SETI League photo

25 April 1998

This 60-foot dish was originally used by the CSIRO at Parkes Australia for VLBRI and general radio astronomy experiments. It was the prototype for the Australia Telescope array and was used to design all the hardware needed for this project. It has been donated to the Brisbane-based SETI Research & Community Development Institute created by the SETI League's Eastern Australian volunteer coordinator Noel C. Welstead. It will be moved from Parkes later this year to the Boonah shire about 50 mile south of Brisbane where it will join the SETI League's arsenal of radio telescopes for Project Argus. VK4AYW photo

18 April 1998

Caught in the Act: Though it was the dead of winter in North America, January was summery and semi-tropical Down Under, and Dr. and Mrs. SETI found themselves getting distracted from the tasks at hand. Click here for more New Zealand SETI photos. SETI League photo by Ann Thresher

11 April 1998

SETI League secretary A. Heather Wood receives two Bruno Trophies from executive director H. Paul Shuch at last week's Annual Meeting. Heather will personally present the awards to Trevor Unsworth and Ken Chattenton, our England volunteer Regional Coordinators, at a ceremony in Stockton-on-Tees on 21 April 1998, the second anniversary of the launch of our Project Argus search. Click for more Annual Membership Meeting photos. SETI League photo

4 April 1998

This latest packaged version of the SETI League Hydrogen Line Receiver is a pre-production prototype. The enclosure measures 8 by 10 by 2 inches, exclusive of the connectors. On the front panel (left to right) can be seen the +12 VDC power connector, monitor speaker, baseband audio output connector, coaxial input connector, fine-tuning knob and volume control. SETI League photo

28 March 1998

Scholarship member Thomas W. Stone, a student at Weber State College in Utah, has this ten foot dish up, awaiting time and funds to complete his SETI station. Thomas W. Stone photos

21 March 1998

The Three Musketeers: SETI League members Neil Boucher, Noel Welstead and H. Paul Shuch carrying vital equipment between buildings at the SETI in the 21st Century Conference this past January near Sydney, Australia. The SETI League sponsored a reception for the Conference's 100+ attendees. SETI League photos

14 March 1998

SETI League member Allen Tough of Toronto presented a paper titled "Three Alternative SETI Contact Scenarios" at the SETI in the 21st Century Conference near Sydney, Australia in January. Here he is illustrating his concept of a nanotechnology-driven interstellar space probe. More Conference photos are available here. SETI League photo

7 March 1998

Wayne Thresher, the SETI League's volunteer regional coordinator for New Zealand, removed this discarded 7 metre dish from atop a local motel, and is now putting it on the air from his Ashhurst farm in the Pohongina Valley. Click here for more New Zealand amateur SETI photos. SETI League photo

28 February 1998

Many SETI League members first met Joyce Kramer Dover, WB3ECT, at the Dayton Hamvention banquet in 1996, where she ably manned the SETI League booth. Joyce, who was an avid SETI supporter (and also our Executive Director's mother-in-law) lost her lengthy battle with cancer on 16 February 1998. Prior to her death, Joyce had asked her family and friends to consider making memorial gifts to The SETI League in her honor. Link here for a moving tribute to Joyce by her daughter, SETI League member Muriel Hykes. Muriel Hykes photo

21 February 1998

ARRL editor Steve Ford found executive director H. Paul Shuch demonstrating the SETI League Hydrogen Line Receiver prototype at the AMSAT Space Symposium in Toronto, in November, 1997. This photo appeared in QST for December, 1997, and is used here by permission. More photos of the receiver project can be seen here. WB8IMY photo

14 February 1998

SETI League member Will Higgs (r) of Gilsland, Northumberland UK scrounged this 3 meter dish and hauled home in the back of a friend's lorry. He hopes to have the rest of the station acquired and on the air in short order. WIll Higgs photo

7 February 1998

Tom Clark's Totally Accurate Clock project is providing SETI League members with a low-cost precision time and frequency standard. The circuit board shown here interfaces via an RS-232 connection to a personal computer's serial port. The metal box seen mounted above the circuit board is a Garmin GPS, with its patch antenna on top. In addition to providing accurate position information and both Greenwich Mean Sidereal Time (GMST) and Local Mean Sidereal Time (LMST) to atomic-clock accuracy, the unit can be used to slave a precision crystal oscillator to 1e-09 (one part in a thousand million) accuracy. SETI League photo

31 January 1998

SETI League regional coordinator Noel Welstead and his wife Dianne are hosting executive director H. Paul Shuch and his wife Muriel at their Brisbane, Australia home this week. Dr. Shuch is in the middle of a two week "Down Under" lecture tour, in efforts to improve the Southern sky coverage of our Project Argus survey. VK4AYW photo

24 January 1998

A few of the amateur radio astronomers from around Europe, South America and the US who gathered at the Starkenburg observatory in Heppenheim Germany, for the first European Radio Astronomy Congress, September, 1997. Among the conference speakers were author and political scientist Dr. Peter Schenkel (standing, fourth from right), SETI League executive director Dr. H. Paul Shuch (seated, second from left), and Manchester University Prof. Ian Morison (seated, fifth from left). Click here for more conference photos. DJ0BI photo

17 January 1998

Claudio Brasil Leitao Junior, volunteer SETI League Regional Coordinator for Brazil, installed this 3 meter dish on 18 October 1997. Claudio still has more equipment to complete before his Project Argus station is ready to go on the air. For more photos of his SETI station and details of his related astronomy activities, see Claudio's personal web site. Claudio Brasil photo

10 January 1998

Prof. Ian Morison of Manchester University was a distinguished speaker at the European Radio Astronomy Congress last September. He told of plans to involve the Lovell Radio Telescope at Jodrell Bank in SETI activities. He is seen here admiring one of the telescopes at the Starkenburg Observatory in Heppenheim Germany, host facility for the Congress. Click here for more conference photos. SETI League photo

3 January 1998

Click here for lots more pictures.

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