SARA Conference Info

 

Hello registered conference attendees,

 

  1. Directions to NRAO
  2. Maps of the NRAO campus
  3. Emergency contact number SCIENCE CENTER PHONE is 304-456-2150
  4. Location to check in for SARA Conference
    1. If you are arriving during the day Sunday August 1 follow the registration signs.  Look for Dennis Farr in the Jansky Lab conference room.  The first presentation, “Radio-Astronomy for Beginners,” will start at 12:30 PM.
    2. If you arrive Monday August 2, look for Dennis Farr in the cafeteria from about 8 am to 9 am, after this time he will be in the Jansky Lab.
  5. Please read Information for Attendees http://www.radio-astronomy.org/node/77 as this will help you make the most of your visit. (Also attached.)
  6. Special dietary requests must be sent to Dennis Farr as soon as possible if they were not included with the registration.  The cafeteria help needs to have this information ahead of time. treas@radio-astronomoy.org.
  7. Hi-Tech Tour- If you plan to participate in the Hi-Tech Tour, you MUST complete a survey. Go to https://info.nrao.edu/oas/dpscompliance and follow the instructions. This applies to full paying attendees as well as guests if they plan to take this tour.  The link is also on the SARA website.
  8. Activities for non-participating guests

 

 

Spouses and guests are welcome to sit in on the technical talks as long as there is room.  The Hi-Tech tour is also open to spouses or guest as long as NRAO is able to accommodate the number of people participating. If we have a limited number of slots available for the Hi-Tech tour, full paying conference attendees/members take priority over guests.

Spouses and guests can use the Drake Lounge (upstairs in the Residence/dorm above the cafeteria. It has air conditioning, kitchen area, couches, tables and chairs.

  1. Lodging at NRAO- Only for those that have made prior arrangement with Dennis Farr
    1. If you are arriving later than 5:00 pm EDST on Sunday July 23, look for Ken Redcap in his room Apartment 101  (same building as the dorm which is the first building on the right as you enter NRAO).
    2. Personal Long Distance Calls: All commercial long distance calls should be paid by the visitor. There are two ways to do this: (1) use a personal telephone credit card (such as AT&T, MCI, SPRINT, etc.); (2) use a pre-paid telephone calling card.  Please do not make direct-dialed long distance calls for personal business, if at all possible.
    3. Payment for lodging should be made, prior to departure to Kristine Sharp in Room 112 of the Jansky Laboratory between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Wednesday. Credit card, check or cash are accepted.
          1. Single Room - $75.00 plus 6% sales tax
          2. Double Room - $90.00 plus 6% sales tax
          3. Apartment - $125.00 plus 6% sales tax
    4. A pool is available (about 2 or so miles from the campus (see map) and is available for guests of NRAO.
  2. Miscellaneous items
    1. Charles Osborne will be doing noise source calibrations. He says “I can do any frequency 10MHz to 1.6 GHz. And above that I can make a fair attempt at NF, gain and ENR if they have a down converter for the desired frequency. My noise source is calibrated up to 26.5 GHz.  Or if it's an LNB I can do them directly up to 1600 MHz IF. They should bring a waveguide adapter and bias tee, or let me know what they need, and I can bring one.”  You can contact Charles at k4cso at charter dot net
    2. We will have a variety of radio astronomy projects set up on the lawn in the evenings starting Sunday. You are welcome to bring your project. Be sure to bring extension cords.
    3. We will have various SARA items for sale such as copies of previous proceedings, CDs, stickers, ball caps etc.  You can pay with cash or check.

 

Driving Directions to Green Bank

  • From Charleston, WV or Roanoke, VA: Via I-77 and I-64 exit at White Sulphur Springs and take Rt. 92 N. Highway 219 off of Interstate 64, up through Marlinton and then on up to Green Bank
  • From Pittsburgh: Via I-79, exit at Weston/Buckhannon, and travel Rt. 33 E. to Elkins. Then take Rt. 92 S.
  • From Washington DC: Via I-66, exit at Strasburg, travel Rt. 55 to Rt. 28 S.
  • From Winchester: Via I-81, exit at Rt. 33 in Harrisonburg, then to Rt. 28 S.
  • From Richmond: Via I-64, exit onto Rt. 250 W. at Staunton, VA. Travel Rt. 250 to Rt. 92 S.
  • From the Greater Pittsburgh International Airport: Go east on route 60 to US 22/30. Follow 22/30 east to Interstate 79. Take I-79 south through Clarksburg, WV to the US 33 exit near Buckhannon, WV. Go east on US 33 through Buckhannon to Elkins, WV. Turn south on US 250/219 to go to Huttonsville. In Huttonsville, take US 250 (route 92) southeast to Bartow. Follow route 92/28 south to Green Bank.
  • From Washington Dulles International Airport: Go south on route 28 to Interstate 66. Take I-66 west to I-81. From here, there are two alternative routes to Green Bank:
    1. Follow I-81 south to the exit for route 55 near Strasburg, VA. Go west on 55 to Moorefield, WV. Turn south on US 220/55, and drive to Petersburg, WV. Go south on route 28/55 to Seneca Rocks. Continue south on 28 through Judy Gap to Bartow. Follow route 92/28 south to Green Bank.
    2. Follow I-81 south to Harrisonburg, VA. Go west on US 33 through Franklin, WV to Judy Gap. Turn south on route 28, and drive to Bartow, WV. Follow route 92/28 south to Green Bank.
  • From Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport: Go east (straight) on Airport Road to US 29. Take 29 south to US 250, and follow 250 west to Interstate 64. Go west on I-64 to Interstate 81 near Staunton, VA. After travelling north on I-81 for about two miles, take the Woodrow Wilson Parkway exit (Route 275). Go west on the parkway to US 250, and follow 250 west to Monterey, VA. In Monterey, turn south on US 220, and shortly thereafter, veer west on route 84 to go to Frost, WV. Follow route 92/28 north to Green Bank.

The entrance to the observatory is about one-half mile north of "downtown" Green Bank on the west side of route 92/28. Look for the Jansky and Reber antennas. They are located on either side of the entrance.

The residence hall is the first building on the right as one enters the observatory. Adequate parking is provided on the west side of the residence hall. The residence hall also houses the Drake Lounge upstairs and the cafeteria on the ground floor.

 

INFORMATION FOR CONFERENCE ATTENDEES

 

  • Digital cameras are not allowed on the NRAO bus tour of the big telescopes. This is because they cause interference. If you want to take pictures, you can bring a non-digital camera or buy one of the disposable cameras in the gift shop. You can use your digital cameras in limited areas.
  • Your cell phones will not work. The area in and around NRAO is an electronic “quiet zone”. If you bring a laptop, plan to turn off the wireless connection. NRAO has a specially shielded room in the Visitors Center where you can use a computer to check e-mails while you are there. The ID and Password for the terminals are written on the whiteboard.

 

  • If you stay in the NRAO dorm, you have hard line internet connection for your computer in your room. If you stay in a NRAO home, there is a single hard line connection. You could bring a port switch like I found here Netgear 5 Port 10/100 Switch and additional cable so more than one person can use the internet in the home
  • You really do get to use the 40’ telescope. You will be walked through the basics of using the telescope Sunday afternoon. You will have the opportunity during the time you are at the conference to use the telescope. Many members bring their own radios and computers to use on the 40’ dish.
  • The Jansky antenna is available to hook up to your Jove or other radio. The antenna cable is run upstairs in the Drake lounge at the dormitory. It is a good idea to bring some antenna connection adapters.
  • Gasoline cars are allowed into the main parking area, but are not allowed beyond the gate to the big telescopes. A limited number of diesel vehicles are available to drive to the big dishes. A limited number of bicycles are available for your use on the grounds as well. You are welcome to bring your own bicycle.
  • Bring closed-toe shoes. They are required if we are able to go on a tour of the big telescopes.
  • You might want to bring a bug spray and lawn chair or blanket for the astronomy on the lawn in the evenings.
  • Contact treas at radio-astronomy dot org for any special diet needs. Please do this at least one week in advance of the conference.