May 8th 2012 Meeting

Visit to the Arecibo Radio telescope

Interest began from an article in QST

A Radio Telescope in Puerto Rico would be used for EME (Earth-Moon-Earth) communication

Interest began from an article in QST

A Radio Telescope in Puerto Rico would be used for EME (Earth-Moon-Earth) communication

Interest grew stronger when XYL said I want to go someplace warm this Spring.
Checked the web, and found the Arecibo Amateur Radio Club

Interest grew stronger when XYL said I want to go someplace warm this Spring.
Checked the web, and found the Arecibo Amateur Radio Club Found their Club President, Angel Vazaquez

Interest grew stronger when XYL said I want to go someplace warm this Spring.
Wrote Angel an email asking about group tours and logistics.

Interest grew stronger when XYL said I want to go someplace warm this Spring.
Wrote Angel an email asking about group tours and logistics. He replied rent a car and come see me when you arrive.

Interest grew stronger when XYL said I want to go someplace warm this Spring.
Wrote Angel an email asking about group tours and logistics. He replied rent a car and come see me when you arrive. Signed Manager, Telescope Operations and RFI Spectrum Manager

Holy Cow--he runs the place!

Holy Cow--he runs the place!

So we bought a small gift and we knew we were in for a treat.

Arecibo Observatory
Closest town is Arecibo, PR. About 1.5 hour drive from San Juan Built in a volcanic crater Yes, right in the middle of noplace!

Meeting Angel

Meeting Angel
OK, lets see this thing!

Meeting Angel
OK, lets see this thing!

The Focus

Going up to the Dome

Inside the dome

1 Megawatt radar

Liquid Helium-cooled receivers

Reflecting surface

Adjustment screw

Inside tour:

SERENDIP

By the numbers:

Reflecting surface:
Weighs 300 tons 1,000 feet across 167 ft. deep 38,778 3ft. X 6 ft. panels

By the numbers:

Suspended platform:
Weighs 900 tons Azmuth arm is 328 ft. long

1 Megawatt transmitter
Supported by 18 cables from the 3 support towers Operates from 50 MHz to 10,000 MHz
6 meters through 3 cm

By the numbers:

Operated by the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center

Works with National Science Foundation Additional support from NASA and Cornell University Staff size 150down to 125 due to budget cuts

Areas of research:

Radio Astronomy
Faint emissions from other galaxies Discovered fastest known pulsar

Atmospheric Science

Measure composition, temperature, densities of the ionosphere

Radar Astronomy

Studies planets, asteroids, comets, and the Moon

Back to EME and the QST article:

Angel literally found the part he needed to make this happen in the Dayton HamVention fleamarket! He attends HamVention every year He worked with his good friend Joe Taylor, K1JT
We remember Joe (who won a Nobel Prize in Physics) due to his weak-signal software

QUESTIONS?