Amateur SETI Pioneers

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Abel Mendez

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Mar 23, 2026, 12:16:02 PM (10 days ago) Mar 23
to Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers
Dear friends,

I am researching the history of the first amateur SETI observations and am seeking physical or digital copies of Delta-Vee Inc.’s CQ-ET newsletter and AstroSearch journal issues from the 1980s. Do you happen to have access to any of these?

My current list of amateur SETI pioneers (prior to 1985) includes Robert Gray, Robert Stephen, James Brown, and Karl Lind. Are there others from that period whom I should include? Any way to contact them today? I know that Robert Gray died in 2021, but I don’t know the whereabouts of the others.

Thank you for any guidance.
-Abel.

************************************************
Prof. Abel Méndez, Director

Planetary Habitability Laboratory
University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo
Arecibo, PR 00613
email: abel....@upr.edu
Tel: (787) 379-2363 Fax: (787) 880-4972
Web: phl.upr.edu X/BSky: ProfAbelMendez

************************************************

 

Marcus D. Leech

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Mar 23, 2026, 12:43:33 PM (10 days ago) Mar 23
to sara...@googlegroups.com
On 2026-03-23 12:15, 'Abel Mendez' via Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers wrote:
Dear friends,

I am researching the history of the first amateur SETI observations and am seeking physical or digital copies of Delta-Vee Inc.’s CQ-ET newsletter and AstroSearch journal issues from the 1980s. Do you happen to have access to any of these?

My current list of amateur SETI pioneers (prior to 1985) includes Robert Gray, Robert Stephen, James Brown, and Karl Lind. Are there others from that period whom I should include? Any way to contact them today? I know that Robert Gray died in 2021, but I don’t know the whereabouts of the others.

Thank you for any guidance.
-Abel.
I haven't spoken to Robert ("Bob") Stephens in many years. Last I heard, he was living in Shelburne, Ontario, north of Toronto, operating the
  "Area 31 Observatory".    No idea how to get in touch with him.  He wasn't really much into "the whole Internet thing" the last time I spoke with him,
  which was probably 20 years ago.  He had serious mobility issues back then, and I don't know if they resolved or not.




************************************************
Prof. Abel Méndez, Director

Planetary Habitability Laboratory
University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo
Arecibo, PR 00613
email: abel....@upr.edu
Tel: (787) 379-2363 Fax: (787) 880-4972
Web: phl.upr.edu X/BSky: ProfAbelMendez

************************************************

 

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Marcus D. Leech

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Mar 23, 2026, 12:49:13 PM (10 days ago) Mar 23
to sara...@googlegroups.com
On 2026-03-23 12:15, 'Abel Mendez' via Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers wrote:
Dear friends,

I am researching the history of the first amateur SETI observations and am seeking physical or digital copies of Delta-Vee Inc.’s CQ-ET newsletter and AstroSearch journal issues from the 1980s. Do you happen to have access to any of these?

My current list of amateur SETI pioneers (prior to 1985) includes Robert Gray, Robert Stephen, James Brown, and Karl Lind. Are there others from that period whom I should include? Any way to contact them today? I know that Robert Gray died in 2021, but I don’t know the whereabouts of the others.

Thank you for any guidance.
-Abel.

You might try:

in...@area31.org

I don't know whether it's still "active".  Certainly the corresponding website has been in a "coming soon" state for many years.


************************************************
Prof. Abel Méndez, Director

Planetary Habitability Laboratory
University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo
Arecibo, PR 00613
email: abel....@upr.edu
Tel: (787) 379-2363 Fax: (787) 880-4972
Web: phl.upr.edu X/BSky: ProfAbelMendez

************************************************

 

--

Abel Mendez

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Mar 23, 2026, 9:25:26 PM (10 days ago) Mar 23
to sara...@googlegroups.com
Thanks!

I’m writing a book about the Wow! Signal and the Big Ear history in the 1970s and 1980s, and I would like to include photographs as well. Through the SARA newsletter archives, I recently learned that the first SARA symposium in 1983 was held at the Big Ear. I would love to include additional details about this event, as well as any available photos, in the book.

************************************************
Prof. Abel Méndez, Director

Planetary Habitability Laboratory
University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo
Arecibo, PR 00613
email: abel....@upr.edu
Tel: (787) 379-2363 Fax: (787) 880-4972
Web: phl.upr.edu X/BSky: ProfAbelMendez

************************************************

 

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