SearchLites - Vol 01 No 2

Magazine Overview

SearchLites, Volume 1, Number 2, Summer 1995, is the quarterly newsletter of The SETI League, Inc. It is a membership-supported, non-profit, educational, and scientific corporation dedicated to the electromagnetic Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence. The newsletter covers news, technical features, and organizational updates.

SETI League Finds New Home

In June 1995, The SETI League, Inc. relocated to new, spacious headquarters at 433 Liberty Street, Little Ferry, NJ 07643. These facilities, including offices, a laboratory, and a SETI library, were provided at no cost by Eventide Inc., a long-time supporter. Orville Greene, Eventide's major stockholder, stated that privatization was essential after Congress terminated NASA's SETI funding, and that Eventide's support helps expand the frontiers of human knowledge.

Sproul Brothers Donate Dish

Two Central New Jersey radio amateurs, Mark (KB2ICI) and Keith (WU2Z) Sproul, have donated a commercial-grade 5-meter diameter Comtech parabolic antenna with a dual feedhorn and mount to The SETI League. This antenna, weighing over 1500 pounds, is too heavy for the headquarters' roof, and engineers are working on a ground mounting scheme. The donation was inspired by a talk given by Executive Director H. Paul Shuch. Shuch noted that the antenna's low sidelobes and high surface accuracy would provide a negligible antenna noise temperature, enhancing receiver performance.

Technical Feature: How Many Dishes?

By H. Paul Shuch, Executive Director

Shuch addresses the challenge of limited radiotelescope time and sky coverage. He explains that a typical research-grade radiotelescope can only observe a tiny fraction of the sky at any given time, leading to a high probability of missing an extraterrestrial signal. To achieve full sky coverage, a million such telescopes would be needed, which is not feasible. The SETI League's approach is to create a coordinated network of five thousand amateur experimenters using typical satellite TV dishes, each covering a portion of the sky, to achieve real-time full sky coverage.

He acknowledges the trade-off: while these smaller antennas see more sky, they have less sensitivity. An amateur SETI station might detect a signal at 500 light years, compared to 100,000 light years for a major radiotelescope. This means amateur SETI will focus on strong, nearby, and intermittent signals, like the Ohio State 'Wow!' signal. Shuch argues that having an antenna with high gain is useless if it's not pointed in the right direction when a signal arrives.

SETI League Vision and Mission Statements

The Vision Statement outlines The SETI League's goal of a worldwide network of advanced experimenters hastening humanity's entry into the galactic community. The Mission Statement details its objectives: attracting amateurs, developing SETI technologies, disseminating designs, coordinating sky surveys, facilitating communication, operating telescopes, publicizing spin-off applications, encouraging NASA SETI funding, and raising public consciousness. The organization is described as a membership-supported, non-profit, educational, and scientific corporation.

Who's Who in The SETI League

This section lists the key personnel of The SETI League, including Founder and President Richard C. Factor, Executive Director H. Paul Shuch, Secretary Diana Davidson, Treasurer Martin Schreiber, and Registered Agent Marc Arnold. It also lists the Trustees (Marc Arnold, Richard Factor, Martin Schreiber) and the Advisory Board members (Anthony Agnello, Poul Anderson, Robert S. Dixon, Bernard M. Oliver, Malcolm I. Raff, Clifford Stoll).

Conference Calendar

The newsletter provides a calendar of upcoming conferences relevant to SETI and amateur radio from August 1995 to September 1997. These include events like Intersection/Worldcon, Eastern VHF/UHF Conference, AMSAT Space Symposium, Microwave Update '95, Philcon '95, Winter Solstice Regional Gathering, Arisia '96, Optical SETI Conference at Photonics West, AAAS, Dayton Hamvention, International Space Development Conference, and Worldcons.

Recent Publications

A list of articles published in SETIQuest, Vol. 1, No. 3 is provided. These include "1999: The International SETI Year" by Larry Klaes, "META I and II Status Reports" by Guillermo LeMarchand, "A History of the Ohio State SETI Program" by Robert Dixon, and others covering various SETI projects and community news.

Software Corner: DSP and Spectral Analysis

This section reviews two software options for digital signal processing (DSP) for amateur SETI enthusiasts lacking government funding. Spectra Plus Version 3.0 (Professional Edition) is a high-end Windows-based product performing FFT on receiver audio, capable of detecting signals 20 dB below the noise, priced at $395. FFTDSP version 3 is a DOS-based shareware program optimized for weak CW signals, offering a 2 Hz resolution spectrum for $20. The article encourages supporting software developers by registering copies.

Editorial: Is Amateur SETI Even Possible?

By H. Paul Shuch, Executive Director

Shuch discusses the limitations of amateur SETI stations in communicating with counterparts at interstellar distances, citing calculations that even the strongest possible ETI signal might be undetectable. He references Dr. Bernard M. Oliver's analogy of needing a 10,000-foot bridge to cross the Golden Gate, implying that small, one-foot bridges (amateur efforts) are insufficient. However, Shuch remains optimistic, suggesting that SETI could be a parallel enterprise and that the definition of 'strongest signal' is unknown. He posits that if ETI possesses large antenna arrays (like Arecibo or Cyclops), their signals could be detectable by amateur SETI over greater distances. He concludes that amateur SETI is a "no lose scenario" due to the potential for spin-off technologies and the innovation fostered by digital signal processing experimenters.

Our Members Write

Nick Marshall from Sebastopol, CA, expresses hope for the success of SETI messages and shares his personal project, "Starquest." He mentions having a 12-foot TVRO dish with a motorized polar mount and a 65K LNA for 3.7 to 4.2 GHz. He also suggests exploring SETI signals in other wavelengths (UV, IR, Cosmic, X-ray, Gravity) and pioneering amateur SETI searches in areas not covered by professional facilities.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of SearchLites are the advancement and accessibility of amateur SETI, the importance of community and collaboration, and the exploration of technological solutions to overcome the limitations of professional SETI endeavors. The editorial stance, particularly in H. Paul Shuch's articles, is one of determined optimism, emphasizing innovation, resourcefulness, and the potential for significant discoveries even with limited resources. There is a strong focus on empowering individuals and fostering a global network of experimenters to collectively pursue the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence.