Detecting the HDTV for the Google Lunar X Prize, applications tothe SETI search.

On Jun 16, 9:43*pm, Jim Lux wrote:
...

Look up LOFAR or the SKA (Square Kilometer Array) for a fairly well
funded scheme.

LOFAR.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LOFAR

LOFAR like my proposal is to use many separate dipoles to detect long
wavelength radio waves. However, it is to have only 10,000 dipoles
whereas mine at the end will have ca. 1 billion dipoles.

The progenitors of the LOFAR project have argued in papers that it
could be used for the SETI search. However, this article by well known
SETI search scientist Seth Shostak argues LOFAR will be too weak to
detect Earth type radio transmissions at a distance of say 55 light-
years by a factor of 1 million:

Listening for ET’s Television.
November 9, 2006
by Seth Shostak, Senior Astronomer
http://www.seti.org/Page.aspx?pid=917

Then since my proposal will be about 100,000 times more sensitive
than LOFAR, it could detect Earth-like radio transmissions to about
1/3 the distance of 55 lightyears, or to about 18 lightyears way.
There are several star systems in that range. The Shostak article
notes you could get several hundred times better sensitivity by
listening to certain stars over months or years. Then my proposal
could detect such transmissions out to even 55 lightyears and further.


Bob Clark