TalkToAliens.com is a company that will beam any message you want into outer space, so that you can 'talk to the aliens.' The way it works is that you call their 1-900 number (it'll cost you $3.99 a minute). The phone line is hooked up directly to a parabolic antenna that beams your voice into space, live, as you talk. This sounds similar to
Endless Echoes which also beams recorded messages into space (they advertise it as a way to contact the dearly departed). What I find interesting is TalkToAliens' response to the question: What proof do we have that you are indeed transmitting?
We are working to provide live "proof" -- such as a live Web cam with views of our transmitter and our parabolic dish antenna. But we've just launched the service, which is financed with our own private funds. Now that the transmitter is up and running, our attention will focus on some of the more interactive opportunities, like the Web cam.
Why would a webcam image of an antenna prove anything? In fact, I can't think of any good way they could prove that they're really doing what they claim to be doing. But then again, does it really matter. It's just a gimmick anyway.
New Scientist has more info about the company. (via
Home Town Tales)
Comments
End Transmission.
Cordless phones, wireless computer operating, and long-distance calls via sattelite also send radio signals of one sort or another. So do automatic garage door openers, for Pete's sake.
Of course, we have no proof that any of these signals come within range of any extraterrestrials capable receiving or understanding them, but then, that's also true of the messages you could pay "Talktoaliens.com" $4 per hour to send.
There's no way in hell that they would believe us if we said "we come in peace" right after they just watched the latest broadcast of an "Aliens" marathon.
And all it takes for some nut to broadcast is a ham radio, cell phone, etc. This is just another way to separate a fool and his money.
The antenna is just an older style satellite TV receiving dish. You can probably get them free for the asking from someone's backyard where there are plenty taking up space (no pun intended) these days. They can be used for transmitting, you just need a transmitter in the feedhorn at the focus point. The gain at their operating freq (2.4GHz) would not be too great for that size of dish but it would still work.
They say they use the maximum power allowed by FCC Part 15 rules. Part 15 mainly deals with interference generated by the said device. I assume they are using an unlicensed low power transmitter to avoid the hassle of more stringent FCC regs. That means they are probably using a common wireless access point or cordless telephone for a transmitter, something that will not attract attention from the FCC.
Some ham radio operators who operate on that band could verify they are transmitting. Those hams that play with bouncing signals off the moon could tell if they are putting out a significant amount of power (when TalkToAliens is pointed that way) but I don't think they are.
They say they point at the Milky Way and since the Milky Way goes 360 deg around the earth it would require no tracking, but that's a huge area for a spot specially chosen by 'astronomy consultants'.
Anyway it's just a gimmick like Alex says. Funny how they try to dress it up by saying it was done by 'experienced business leaders and technical professionals' and that they have been working on it for 5 years!
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