Ohio State University Radio Observatory

The SERENDIP Project

By Bob Dixon
With Additions By Herb Johnson

SERENDIP
Computer System

SERENDIP Computer

SERENDIP Display

In 1995 a new four-million channel spectrum analyzer was built for us by the folks at the University of California at Berkeley. Named SERENDIP III, it is the third of a series of SETI receivers previously moved around the world onto "host" telescopes which were conducting astrophysical research: hence, a "serendipitous" SETI program. Ours is the first permanent installation. Our SERENDIP III receiver increases the sensitivity of the telescope to intelligent, narrow-band, signals by a factor of 300 over LOBES. It must take turns with the LOBES program as it requires that the telescope be operated differently from LOBES. While LOBES switches between the two horn beams 73 times a second to subtract out local interference, SERENDIP looks at one beam each second.

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