STEPHENS PROJECT TO WIND DOWN Word has come through the grapevine that the Hay River Site and its SETI operation is being dealt the ultimate blow. It seems the developers are looking for a site for high-rise luxury apartments and the only place left seems to be Hay River, NWT. With the sale of the land and the immanent destruction of the 60-foot reflectors, BOB STEPHENS is seeking to sell off his electronic equipment in order to return to the less isolated world of common drudgery. It is difficult to appreciate what BOB accomplished on his own out there, and more difficult yet to foresee where he will settle in again to continue his search for signals from intelligent civilizations over our horizon of intelligence. Everyone at NAAPO sends regards to BOB and wish we had the ability to underwrite all moving and shakedown expenses. Unfortunately, our coffers are nearly as bare as his and our volunteers are unable to get away long enough to help load the trucks in Hay River. Anyone who has the means and the desire to give BOB a physical or financial boost will be sure to receive a heart-felt welcome from him and his many friends around the world. He can be reached for a while at: Hay River Radio Observatory P. O. Box 420 Hay River, N. W. T. CANADA XOE-ORO

THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF ENERGY DETECTED SO FAR BY MODERN GROUND-BASED RADIO TELESCOPES IS LESS THAN THAT OF A SINGLE SNOWFLAKE HITTING THE EARTH. Does anyone wish to contest this statement? Write NAAP0.

Items of Note: NEXT WORKING SESSION AT BIG EAR --- May 7, 10:00 am Ground hogs are busily at work undermining much of the area around the radio observatory. A commission on varmint control is being organized. Contact NAAPO with suggestions short of dynamite or large interactive bull-dozers. Our friendly golf course neighbors have installed along-side the radio telescope a golf driving range. Stray hooks will end up on the ground plane. Regular workers on the site are warned to keep in mind the age-old rule -- "A golf ball is not LOST until it stops rolling!" We do not want observers with a three iron pushed the through the ears.

VAN HORNE & BARNHART REPRESENT NAAPO AT MARCON XXIII Time has returned for the annual zaniness of Central Ohio's Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention. MARCON is taken from MARch CONvention which is why it meets on April 29 and May 1. This may explain why BARNHART was invited to sit on a couple of panels. This convention covers a wide range of serious and not-so-serious topics and thus brings together many interesting people with many diverse abilities and ideas. We find it to be a fertile recruiting ground for volunteers on the radio observatory projects. TOM van HORNE first learned of the opportunities provided by NAAPO after hearing BOB DIXON describe the SETI program at an earlier MARCON assembly. (It didn't meet in March, either!} For those who wonder what possible contributions the radio observatory could possibly make to a SCI-FI SCI-FAN convention, the topics of the panel discussions in which BARNHART will participate are: "The Search For Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence in Central Ohio" (with Tom van Horne, at least), "The Search for Non-Human Intelligence, AI, Cetacea. Simi, etc." and "Astrophysics: Just for the Hell of it". There is promise of plenty of water at the speakers table. A full summary of the convention will be prepared for the next issue of NAAPOnews by Tom van Horne, an intrepid member of the MARCON genus.

A Special Illustration From Phil Barnhart

NAAPO APPOINTS OBSERVATORY TOUR DIRECTORS TO HANDLE FIELD TRIPS In light of the increase in the number of requests for large group field trips to the radio observatory NAAPO has established a clearing house for such field trips. TOM HAIN offered to lead such field trips and will be one of the tour directors when his schedule will allow. To make appointments for field trips and tours of the observatory interested parties should contact DICK and RICK HELWIG. They are on electronic mail at the RADOBS address and have an answering machine on their phone in the office at Sunbury. To reach them, use either the RADOBS mm @HELWIG-R or call (614) 965-2819. They will make the arrangements and set up the tour with a guide (or guides).

COORDINATOR'S CORNER The arrival of spring brings with it all those jobs that were put off because the weather was not cooperating and the boss says "this needs to be done by then". This means there are many jobs left over to be done when spring calls us to do all sorts of fun things that we don't feel like doing when it is not spring. I can. assure you I have not found time to do the fun things. Otterbein is searching for a new Dean. My term on the Personnel Committee ends this spring, but before it ends our task as a search comrnittee must be wound up. I have mentioned many times the past few weeks that if I never see another candidate for Academic Vice President it will be too soon. Until this week (April 25 - 30) I have not had a single hour to relax or to sit down to pressing tasks that are part of my job description. Thus, the six week gap in NAAPOnews. We have some hope. John Ayotte has expressed an interest in applying his special talents to editing and publishing this newsletter. If we can get the ball rolling in a timely fashion, this may be the last issue I will have the responsibility to produce on my own. I look forward to thus possibility with great anticipation and deep felt relief. While the affairs of the radio observatory move on much as they have for the past few years, - work getting done as quickly as possible (usually very slowly, problems being faced as they arise, and steadily declining financial base, - a few bright spots continue to appear. There remains always at or just under the surface, a feeling that what we are about is worth while. Many people give us much moral support and encouragement. Volunteers continue to come forward to offer a variety of services. To make full use of those that offer their talent and influence we are in great need of a full time administrator/director. It. is with this in mind that I set out to write the proposals for foundation support this summer. We need to take advantage of all the opportunities that present themselves to us. I hope that things will settle in with favorable response from funding agencies before long.

WORKING SESSIONS, etc. 16 April 1988 Those Attending: Backus, Barnhart-P, Bolinger, Huck, Mitchell, van Horne, Ayotte-J, Ayotte-K. Announcements: 1. BOLINGER reported that DIXON has word that BOB STEPHENS has had the Hay River Observatory site sold out from under him. This means he will need to vacate the site and presumably return to less isolated territories. There was some suggestion that we try to obtain some of the useful equipment that he might be ready to part with. Without a substantial budget we may not have much bidding power. 2. A request was made for a handy way to convert Right Ascension and Declination to Galactic coordinates for use in the focus room. This will be handily included when we get a micro-computer in the focus room, but until that time a table out of Kraus' "Radio Astronomy, 2nd Edition" will have to do. 3. DIXON-R reports serious phone line disturbances that keep him from programming the 11/23 from home. This will have to be cleared up soon. REPORTS: Dreese Lab: BOLINGER reports the radio camera works well on zero bandwidth. He now needs to get it to go with broadband noise. Site: Weeds are being attacked. The next problem of grounds keeping concern are the groundhogs. They are devious little rascals. The suggestion has been made to douse their burrows with moth crystals to send them looking for alternative living quarters. van Horne tested the security system quite effectively when he fumbled the second lock into the focus room and did not get the alarm disarmed in time. After a short discussion with the security person on the phone he welcomed the sheriff's deputy at the door and explained who and what he was. There seems to be a need to train Chief Observers more thoroughly in the routine of entering the inner sanctum. Now we have to contact the security people to wee why they have not been sending monthly bills to the organization. Some concrete deterioration has been noted in pier areas exposing reinforcement bars. This would seem to indicate cause for some concern about the need for some repair. HEADQUARTERS: For those planning to interface floppy discs to 11/23 for data transfer, it is noted that there are source code listings on microfiche for the 11/23 system. We may very well be able to perform effective transfer to other systems and formats for data analysis. van Horne reports some progress on finding a way into the Compuserve network. We need wait only a few weeks for clarification. NEW BUSINESS: The concerns about declination setting for negative declinations seems to be settling down. As long as we are aware of what the vernier reads and what the setting actually is (including the extra degree further south because of the elevated horn location) we should have no trouble in the future. Trash removal from the site needs to be addressed soon. The new janitorial service needs to be informed. Observatory tours will be handled in the future by the Helwigs and Tom Hain. As requests come in please direct the inquiry to Dick or Rick Helwig (P.O. Box 616, 23 S. Columbus St, Sunbury, Ohio (614) 965 2319) for scheduling. The Helwigs will coordinate with Tom Hain for tour guiding scheduling. Inquiries sent to Headquarters will be forwarded to Dick and Tom. A proposal was made to re-institute our running wish list. This will begin soon. John Ayotte has volunteered to edit and publish the newsletter. Negotiations are under way to institute this change with the next news letter. (There may be some suggested name changes that will be submitted to the interested parties, i.e., all readers of NAAPOnews.) A logo for the observatory is being designed. It too will appear in the next newsletter. NEXT MEETING - - MAY 7, 1988 AT BIG EAR - - 10 AM.

WISH LIST: IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE IF WE COULD! There is no priority order to this list. 1. LNA refrigeration system, Peltier preferred. 2. IBM or compatible PCs for off line work. 3. 1400 MHz calibration signal generator for calibration of receiver. 4. FFT analyser for 1400 - 1700 MHz range. 5. Engineering study of telescope and site. 6. Volunteers.

ORGANIZATIONAL NAME CHANGE? Our Public Relations Officer (volunteer) suggests a more soothing acronym/name to replace NAAPO. With only the one disadvantage of losing the current name recognition he suggests trying a combination acronym and name to accompany the new logo. Suggested for consideration is the title: NASTAR Unfortunately, this combination of letters is already spoken for in the NAtional STAndards Race. Thus we need a new suggestion to maintain the spirit of the North American Astrophysical Observatory and what it is we are about. Comments from the interested parties will be welcome. We intend to discuss this matter over the next few months. The proposed logo follows: YOUR RESPONSE IS VALUED. PLEASE SEND COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS TO: NAAPO HEADQUARTERS ATTN. P. E. BARNHART DEPT. of PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY OTTERBEIN COLLEGE WESTERVILLE, OHIO 43081 This will also involve a re-design of the letterhead. Send us you ideas and opinions. If we get no response the change will likely occur without further notice.

LET US HAVE SOME LETTERS TO THE EDITOR! We are interested in knowing what our readers are thinking. There are undoubtedly questions you would like to explore and there are certainly suggestions you might make to help us along.