Announcing the SFXC Software Correlator workshop
Hands-on workshop of interest to anyone working on VLBI
correlation using SFXC (via the DiFX users group).
Neil Smith
(appearing with Prof Hannah Fry on BBC2 TV 8pm
23 April. Already on iPlayer!
)
tel: +44 7555 212984
web: g4dbn.uk
email: neil@...
SFXC VLBI Software Correlator Workshop
September 22/23, 2025
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Apologies if
you receive this announcement multiple times
- and feel free to forward it to anyone who
you believe might be interested.
This workshop is aimed at individuals
interested in using the Super FX Correlator
("SFXC") for software correlation of data
from their own VLBI instruments (or other
long-ish baseline radio interferometers), as
well as scientists who want to exploit
SFXC's advanced features by doing their own
correlation.
Workshop Overview
The workshop will take place over
two days, mixing theory and
practical hands-on sessions at
JIVE's host institute ASTRON in
Dwingeloo, The Netherlands. There
will also be room for discussion
about future developments of SFXC
(including GPU-based correlation)
and suggestions for improving the
SFXC documentation.
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Limited Participation
The number of participants is limited to
twenty (20) to enable a useful
teacher-to-student ratio for the practical
sessions. If we receive more than 20
registrations by the registration deadline
of May 25th 2025, we will select
participants based on the survey in the
registration form (see link at the bottom of
this page).
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Selected
participants will receive
confirmation before June 6th 2025.
Please hold off making travel
arrangements until your
participation has been confirmed!
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Course Content
Lectures will
be delivered by the SFXC developers, JIVE's
in-house experts, and external users already
using SFXC for their own data processing.
Topics will include:
- Correlator
models
- Correlation
preparation
- Mixed-bandwidth
correlation
- Geodetic
correlation
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- Real-time
correlation
- Post-processing
of correlator output
- Using
SFXC for space science
- Using
SFXC for FRB localization
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Prerequisites
We expect each participant to:
- Bring a
laptop with an ssh client
installed
- Have
experience with radio
interferometry
- Be
familiar with a UNIX/Linux shell
command-line environment
- Have
programming experience in Python
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Practical Information
The workshop is offered free of charge, but
no travel, lodging, sustenance, or other
form of financial support will be available.
A block booking of hotel rooms at the nearby??has
been made and bicycles will be provided to
commute between the hotel and ASTRON's
premises.
Code of Conduct
JIVE and ASTRON are dedicated to
providing an inclusive and safe
environment for everyone: employees
and visitors; therefore this
workshop is covered by the?.
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H-line observations & Munon Detector - Now on Line
Radio Astronomy Section Zoom Friday April 4th 2025
?
H-line observations and remote access at Green Bank - Dr Andrew Thornett
?
Muon detector - Richard Knott Video is now on YouTube?
You can find links to previous meeting videos and associated materials?
?
Kind Regards
John B
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Re: References for SID monitoring
That sounds brilliant idea Andrew – can you send me your email address to
andrew@... and I will send you the link for the meeting 14 April and also put you on mailing list for future meetings.
Andy
?
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
From: [email protected] <[email protected]>
On Behalf Of Andrew SUTKOWSKI via groups.io
Sent: 05 April 2025 18:16
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [baa-rag] References for SID monitoring
?
Andrew,
?
At the Norwich Astronomical Society I am running some H line observations so wondered if I should tag along to your H line group.
?
Thanks, Andrew
?
?
Some brilliant stuff here:
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Re: References for SID monitoring
Andrew, ? At the Norwich Astronomical Society I am running some H line observations so wondered if I should tag along to your H line group. ? Thanks, Andrew ?
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
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References for SID monitoring
Some brilliant stuff here:
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To encourage BAA RAG members to start SID monitoring......
Sudden Ionospheric Disturbances are changes in power level of very low frequency signals detected with simple equipment in our houses that take up very little space and represent the changes in the atmosphere of Earth in response to solar
flare events on the sun.
?
Here is a recent trace from LRO – if you have never monitored SIDs then I can highly recommend it – cheap, easy, very effective and does not require Einsteinian intellectual abilities to understand (at least not the way I understand it,
anyway!
?
Andy
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Re: Next BAA RAZoom April 4th 19:30 BST H-line and muons
The link for this meeting has been sent out.? If you did not receive it or want to be added to the distribution list please contact me.
--
???? Paul Hearn? ???? ? paul@...? ???? ?RA Section Director? ???
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Solar cooker parabolic dish showing 2 petals where Mylar coating removed
Hi All,
I have tried peeling off the Mylar coating on two of the petals on my solar cooker parabolic reflector – and they do come off easily as per attached photos.
Andy
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toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Aperture Fever
Andrew Thornett
For radio astronomers everywhere
We started small, a modest dish,
A meter wide—fulfilled the wish
To scan the skies and hear the sound
Of whispers faint, yet so profound.
But soon enough, that would not do,
The hiss was soft, but signals few.
"A larger dish!" we cried in glee,
And bolted steel to PVC.
A garden lost, a lawn replaced
By mesh and beams—oh, what a waste!
Neighbours gawked, their patience frayed,
As concrete footings poured and stayed.
Yet still, the noise, the cursed din,
A cosmic murmur, weak and thin!
Aperture grows, but so does need,
The hunger swells, a beast to feed.
A thousand dishes, phased in line,
Their shadows stretch, a grand design.
The town petitioned, courts decreed:
"Remove the menace!"—Would we heed?
Oh no, dear friends, for stars still call,
From voids beyond this mortal thrall.
To fainter whispers we aspire,
And so, the aperture grows… still wider.
And when at last the Earth is tiled
With metal plates in fashion wild,
We’ll turn our sights, with bold delight,
To building one upon the Moon…
good night.
|
Re: For the members of the H-line group....The Last Transmission
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
The Last Transmission
Andrew Thornett
For the members of the BAA H-line group
They sit in sheds with wires and screens,
Tracking signals, chasing dreams.
Not for aliens, not for fun—
Just mapping gas ‘round a dying sun.
Dishes wobble, creak, and groan,
Old and rusted, overgrown.
Neighbours whisper, eyes askance—
"They haven't moved in months, perchance?"
At 1420 megahertz,
The cosmos hums, the signal spurts.
A spectral line so cold, so thin,
Like ghostly whispers creeping in.
Through hiss and pop, through static's moan,
They plot the Galaxy—starved, alone.
A labour born of love and terrible dread,
For stars will die, but the dish needs to be fed.
One by one, they drop like flies,
Under silent, watchful and reproachful skies.
No one comes, no one calls,
Just a dish that listens… and never falls.
Years will pass, the metal might rust,
J2000 charts dissolve to cosmic dust.
But still: The Milky Way drifts by,
Above the graves of those who tried.
A little grim, but fittingly poetic for the relentless, lonely pursuit of the universe!
|
Aperture Fever
Andrew Thornett
For radio astronomers everywhere
We started small, a modest dish,
A meter wide—fulfilled the wish
To scan the skies and hear the sound
Of whispers faint, yet so profound.
But soon enough, that would not do,
The hiss was soft, but signals few.
"A larger dish!" we cried in glee,
And bolted steel to PVC.
A garden lost, a lawn replaced
By mesh and beams—oh, what a waste!
Neighbours gawked, their patience frayed,
As concrete footings poured and stayed.
Yet still, the noise, the cursed din,
A cosmic murmur, weak and thin!
Aperture grows, but so does need,
The hunger swells, a beast to feed.
A thousand dishes, phased in line,
Their shadows stretch, a grand design.
The town petitioned, courts decreed:
"Remove the menace!"—Would we heed?
Oh no, dear friends, for stars still call,
From voids beyond this mortal thrall.
To fainter whispers we aspire,
And so, the aperture grows… still wider.
And when at last the Earth is tiled
With metal plates in fashion wild,
We’ll turn our sights, with bold delight,
To building one upon the Moon…
good night.
|
For the members of the H-line group....The Last Transmission
The Last Transmission
Andrew Thornett
For the members of the BAA H-line group
They sit in sheds with wires and screens,
Tracking signals, chasing dreams.
Not for aliens, not for fun—
Just mapping gas ‘round a dying sun.
Dishes wobble, creak, and groan,
Old and rusted, overgrown.
Neighbours whisper, eyes askance—
"They haven't moved in months, perchance?"
At 1420 megahertz,
The cosmos hums, the signal spurts.
A spectral line so cold, so thin,
Like ghostly whispers creeping in.
Through hiss and pop, through static's moan,
They plot the Galaxy—starved, alone.
A labour born of love and terrible dread,
For stars will die, but the dish needs to be fed.
One by one, they drop like flies,
Under silent, watchful and reproachful skies.
No one comes, no one calls,
Just a dish that listens… and never falls.
Years will pass, the metal might rust,
J2000 charts dissolve to cosmic dust.
But still: The Milky Way drifts by,
Above the graves of those who tried.
A little grim, but fittingly poetic for the relentless, lonely pursuit of the universe!
|
Thanks Mike,? I’ll try and remember how to write a letter.? I’ll let you know how I get on.. ?
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Mike via groups.io
Sent: 26 March 2025 12:52
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [baa-rag] Jeff Lashley? Hi Paul
Jeff has the radio amateur call-sign 2E0ODF. Have looked on QRZ.com and it has given an address as:
33 Goodes Avenue, Syston, Leicestershire, LE7 2JH
No other details - hope that helps.
Best wishes
Mike
On 26/03/2025 09:01, Paul Hearn via groups.io wrote: Does anyone have contact details for Jeff Lashley I'm trying to contact him - thanks.
???? Paul Hearn? ???? ?paul@...? ???? ?RA Section Director? ???
? --
???? Paul Hearn? ???? ? paul@...? ???? ?RA Section Director? ???
|
Hi Paul
Jeff has the radio amateur call-sign 2E0ODF. Have looked on
QRZ.com and it has given an address as:
33 Goodes Avenue, Syston, Leicestershire, LE7 2JH
No other details - hope that helps.
Best wishes
Mike
On 26/03/2025 09:01, Paul Hearn via
groups.io wrote:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Does anyone have contact details for Jeff Lashley I'm trying
to contact him - thanks.
--
???? Paul Hearn? ???? ? paul@...? ???? ?RA
Section Director? ???
|
Does anyone have contact details for Jeff Lashley I'm trying to contact him - thanks.
--
???? Paul Hearn? ???? ? paul@...? ???? ?RA Section Director? ???
|
Next BAA RAZoom April 4th 19:30 BST H-line and muons
Andrew Thornett will present his home observatory including H-line observations and remote access at Green Bank.
Richard Knott will present Muon detector... – the next step forward.? This will include instrumentation and software for data analysis and presentation.
????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?
If you are not on the distribution list, please contact me for the Zoom link.
--
???? Paul Hearn? ???? ? paul@...? ???? ?RA Section Director? ???
|
Some interesting echoes this morning.? The UK Meteor Radar project has now started recording the full bandwidth data from all the receivers in the network for development and research purposes.
An archive of these recordings can be found at
Brian
|
I've tries doing something about it but unfortunately I don't seem able to do so.
Sent from
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Andrew,
?
The audio from the other attendees is very low, they are hard to hear. Your audio is fine.
?
There is a persistent background “hum” which is quite audible, try listening to the middle, and?end of the video.
?
Video resolution and quality is fine.
?
Jonathan
?
?
Can you tell me more about the problem you had watching the video from the group? I have gone onto Youtube and the video is smooth and seems easy to view and
hear. Isn’t that the case for you?
Andy
?
?
Thanks Norman. I'll have a look at that recording to see what you mean.....
Hi Andrew
Not spoken for a long time, have you taken to poetry now as well as .....?
I saw the first 15 mins or so of your new Group re 1420 MHz.? Viewing the recorded version this morninng, maybe I did not login correctly though what I saw was hard work, meaning Noisey and lack of resolution in the
picture, so when Lunchtime was announced I switched off !
Incidentally,?Paul and Heather attend our local Amateur Radio club, near Hereford. Heather played a big part in writing?the code for 4m meteor?detection receiver, where the time of signal transmission is embedded in
the transmitted signal. Very convenient for working out time of flight and calculating distance.
Co-axial cable Impedance.? Matching impedance is not too critical when you are not transmitting POWER. where out of phase reflections can cause much higher voltages to be created often referred?to as Meltdown
especially where semiconductors are used. In days of old when Valves were the norm, Flashovers or 'arcing' (across air spaced capacitors) were common.? Especially when It was common to have a few hundred volts (or more) in the PA stage of a transmitter.? That
takes me back to a time when I was a young trainee engineer, now a very long time ago.
If using various cables for a Receiver's input, it is the integrity of the co-axial cables inner and outer and their isolation from Ground that matter.? as well being able to carry a radio signal at the frequency of
interest.? Also the avoidance of interference or noise? 'QRM',? ?this latter term is from amateur radio and/or HM forces.?
?
On Sun, Mar 9, 2025 at 11:33?PM Andrew Thornett via
<andrew=[email protected]> wrote:
The Hidden Wonders of the Sky
Andrew Thornett, March 2025
?
Why, oh why, can they not see –
The wonder of a starry sky –
Seen with starlight not visible without,
The wonders of the modern world.
Beacons blink in cosmic song,
Billions whisper all night long,
Between the voids where giants spin,
Bringing secrets deep within.
Celestial signals, faint yet bright,
Calling from the edge of sight,
Caught by aerials tuned with care,
Cracking codes from distant air.
Daring pulses race through space,
Dancing waves in endless chase,
Drifting, shifting, bending light,
Drawing minds to scale their height.
Echoes trace a past unknown,
Eons speaking, softly shown,
Eager ears and patient hands
Extract what deep time still demands.
Far beyond the eye’s own reach,
Frequencies in silent speech
Find their way to those who dare
Follow trails through frozen air.
Gazing upward, lost in thought,
Galaxies with wonder fraught,
Grains of truth in static lie—
Grasp them, question, ask them why!
Would they listen? Would they care?
Why, oh why, don’t they just stare?
What is lost if minds stay blind
When the universe calls—unkind?
?
--
|
Andrew, ? The audio from the other attendees is very low, they are hard to hear. Your audio is fine. ? There is a persistent background “hum” which is quite audible, try listening to the middle, and?end of the video. ? Video resolution and quality is fine. ? Jonathan ?
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Andrew Thornett via groups.io
Sent: Friday, March 21, 2025 4:18 PM
To: '[email protected]' <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [baa-rag] Why, oh why?? Can you tell me more about the problem you had watching the video from the group? I have gone onto Youtube and the video is smooth and seems easy to view and hear. Isn’t that the case for you? Andy ? ? Thanks Norman. I'll have a look at that recording to see what you mean.....
Hi Andrew Not spoken for a long time, have you taken to poetry now as well as .....? I saw the first 15 mins or so of your new Group re 1420 MHz.? Viewing the recorded version this morninng, maybe I did not login correctly though what I saw was hard work, meaning Noisey and lack of resolution in the picture, so when Lunchtime was announced I switched off ! Incidentally,?Paul and Heather attend our local Amateur Radio club, near Hereford. Heather played a big part in writing?the code for 4m meteor?detection receiver, where the time of signal transmission is embedded in the transmitted signal. Very convenient for working out time of flight and calculating distance. Co-axial cable Impedance.? Matching impedance is not too critical when you are not transmitting POWER. where out of phase reflections can cause much higher voltages to be created often referred?to as Meltdown especially where semiconductors are used. In days of old when Valves were the norm, Flashovers or 'arcing' (across air spaced capacitors) were common.? Especially when It was common to have a few hundred volts (or more) in the PA stage of a transmitter.? That takes me back to a time when I was a young trainee engineer, now a very long time ago. If using various cables for a Receiver's input, it is the integrity of the co-axial cables inner and outer and their isolation from Ground that matter.? as well being able to carry a radio signal at the frequency of interest.? Also the avoidance of interference or noise? 'QRM',? ?this latter term is from amateur radio and/or HM forces.? ? On Sun, Mar 9, 2025 at 11:33?PM Andrew Thornett via <andrew=[email protected]> wrote: The Hidden Wonders of the Sky Andrew Thornett, March 2025 ? Why, oh why, can they not see –
The wonder of a starry sky –
Seen with starlight not visible without,
The wonders of the modern world. Beacons blink in cosmic song,
Billions whisper all night long,
Between the voids where giants spin,
Bringing secrets deep within. Celestial signals, faint yet bright,
Calling from the edge of sight,
Caught by aerials tuned with care,
Cracking codes from distant air. Daring pulses race through space,
Dancing waves in endless chase,
Drifting, shifting, bending light,
Drawing minds to scale their height. Echoes trace a past unknown,
Eons speaking, softly shown,
Eager ears and patient hands
Extract what deep time still demands. Far beyond the eye’s own reach,
Frequencies in silent speech
Find their way to those who dare
Follow trails through frozen air. Gazing upward, lost in thought,
Galaxies with wonder fraught,
Grains of truth in static lie—
Grasp them, question, ask them why! Would they listen? Would they care?
Why, oh why, don’t they just stare?
What is lost if minds stay blind
When the universe calls—unkind? ?
--
|
Can you tell me more about the problem you had watching the video from the group? I have gone onto Youtube and the video is smooth and seems easy
to view and hear. Isn’t that the case for you?
Andy
?
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
From: [email protected] <[email protected]>
On Behalf Of Andrew Thornett via groups.io
Sent: 21 March 2025 21:11
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [baa-rag] Why, oh why?
?
Thanks Norman. I'll have a look at that recording to see what you mean.....
Hi Andrew
Not spoken for a long time, have you taken to poetry now as well as .....?
I saw the first 15 mins or so of your new Group re 1420 MHz.? Viewing the recorded version this morninng, maybe I did not login correctly though what I saw was hard work, meaning Noisey and lack of resolution in the picture, so when Lunchtime
was announced I switched off !
Incidentally,?Paul and Heather attend our local Amateur Radio club, near Hereford. Heather played a big part in writing?the code for 4m meteor?detection receiver, where the time of signal transmission is embedded in the transmitted signal.
Very convenient for working out time of flight and calculating distance.
Co-axial cable Impedance.? Matching impedance is not too critical when you are not transmitting POWER. where out of phase reflections can cause much higher voltages to be created often referred?to as Meltdown especially where semiconductors
are used. In days of old when Valves were the norm, Flashovers or 'arcing' (across air spaced capacitors) were common.? Especially when It was common to have a few hundred volts (or more) in the PA stage of a transmitter.? That takes me back to a time when
I was a young trainee engineer, now a very long time ago.
If using various cables for a Receiver's input, it is the integrity of the co-axial cables inner and outer and their isolation from Ground that matter.? as well being able to carry a radio signal at the frequency of interest.? Also the
avoidance of interference or noise? 'QRM',? ?this latter term is from amateur radio and/or HM forces.?
?
On Sun, Mar 9, 2025 at 11:33?PM Andrew Thornett via
<andrew=[email protected]> wrote:
The Hidden Wonders of the Sky
Andrew Thornett, March 2025
?
Why, oh why, can they not see –
The wonder of a starry sky –
Seen with starlight not visible without,
The wonders of the modern world.
Beacons blink in cosmic song,
Billions whisper all night long,
Between the voids where giants spin,
Bringing secrets deep within.
Celestial signals, faint yet bright,
Calling from the edge of sight,
Caught by aerials tuned with care,
Cracking codes from distant air.
Daring pulses race through space,
Dancing waves in endless chase,
Drifting, shifting, bending light,
Drawing minds to scale their height.
Echoes trace a past unknown,
Eons speaking, softly shown,
Eager ears and patient hands
Extract what deep time still demands.
Far beyond the eye’s own reach,
Frequencies in silent speech
Find their way to those who dare
Follow trails through frozen air.
Gazing upward, lost in thought,
Galaxies with wonder fraught,
Grains of truth in static lie—
Grasp them, question, ask them why!
Would they listen? Would they care?
Why, oh why, don’t they just stare?
What is lost if minds stay blind
When the universe calls—unkind?
?
--
|
Paul Hearn
