Green Bank National Radio Astronomy Observatory

This year's vacation had some radio related stops.  We headed out to Green Bank West Virginia and visited the National Radio Observatory.  The site is way out in the sticks of northeast West Virginia.  It is surrounded by a 20 mile "no transmit" zone.  Even cellular phones are prohibited.

	GREEN BANK TELESCOPE The largest of them all is 100 meters in diameter and the dish can be adjusted in shape for focus of different frequencies of radio waves. Try to remember when I took this photo (telephoto) I was still over a mile away! To see a full screen image, click on desired photo.
The 85 foot telescope (above and on the right side of the frame) is in the foreground is much closer.  As you can see the 100 meter structure (center) towers over the trees. Its scale is easier to see in the full sized image - all full sized images are in JPG format and load quickly. Here is the 20 meter telescope (right). It was built for the US Naval Observatory to determine highly accurate time and to measure the earth's motion. For instance it can measure the wobble of the Earth on its axis and the amount its rotation is slowing down.
As you will be able to see from the next photo, it was active while I was there.  It turned several directions, and it is really fast too! The first photo above and the one to the right are only a few seconds apart. This antenna can turn 360° in 34 seconds..

FCC's Gettysburg PA Compliance and Public Information Bureau

We also stopped and visited at the FCC's "Gettysburg Address".  This facility is larger inside than out!  Below is a picture of the outside, the printer that spits out the Amateur Radio (and other) licenses, one of the processing areas and K4ZDH - "the ENFORCER" Mr Riley Hollingsworth himself.  He was very cordial and we talked about the Green Bank facility, digital cameras and radio in general.

	K4ZDH - Riley Hollingsworth

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