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SETI
- Allen Telescope Array
- Optical SETI
- Interstellar Message Construction
- Project Phoenix 1995-2004
- Background Science
- History of SETI
- Center for SETI Research Team
- Other people doing SETI
- Hollywood's View of SETI
Field Report from Arecibo
by Peter Backus - Manager, SETI Observing Programs
This is our first "real" night on the telescope. We've been working at Arecibo and Jodrell Bank for over a week checking equipment, fixing problems. Sometimes we get some time to test with the telescope before observations, but it's never enough. Since we only observe twice a year, there are bound to be changes in some of the observatory systems. A signal cable may get disconnected during telescope maintenance. We have had more than one case of equipment receiving "insufficient power" because its power cord was unplugged. It's all part of system testing in the week before observing.
Of course we are using our New Search System too. Although it debuted in November, we've been improving the software. That job is never finished. There is a constant battle between the desire to add new features and the need to have a reliable system for observing. In retiring the old Targeted Search System, we've had to reconfigure the way we feed the radio signal from the observatory to our system. Lots of changes, all must be tested. We have people working in three different time zones that span eight hours, typically putting in 12+ hour days in the week before observing. All that work, just to be ready for this night. Naturally I'm a little nervous as we start the software to link our system to the two observatories control computers. We've tested all the pieces, now everything has to work together.
At Jodrell Bank we start by asking the telescope operator to throw the "SETI switch" which connects us to the receiver on the telescope. The control computers link up and exchange a "handshake." At Arecibo we type a few commands on an observatory workstation to start that side of the interface. More software handshakes and we're almost ready. Check the power levels at several points in the signal processing. After a few adjustments, Tom Kilsdonk types "start" and the telescopes are moving.
Now I can breathe.