Calling Occupants...

[waitingman]

With this, I can either receive every satellite TV channel in the world, or try, in vain, to find intelligent life... because any aliens out there have been receiving TV signals for years & have undoubtedly decided we're best avoided

Even if they showed up now, we'd put them in quarantine for 14 days before they could get out & see anything... & who has enough holiday leave for that??

Comments

[basefinder]

Is this an ancient (1970s?) household unit, or something different?

[waitingman]

It's a telecommunications dish belonging to Optus - one of three tucked away in a fenced enclosure, down a dirt road near the national park about 20 minutes from home. Given the state they're in, I'm not sure if they're still in use... If they are, it would explain the (lack of) reception quality on their network!

[basefinder]

Doesn't look like today's state of the art.

But speaking of dishes, you did visit the Very Large Array in New Mexico, right?

[waitingman]

New Mexico is on the list of states we haven't made it to, or through... yet, so no - haven't seen the VLA, except on astronomy documentaries

We have a quite large 'compact' array in northern New South Wales, but even though that covers a few square kilometres, it's nothing like New Mexico!!