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As a bit of trivia, Myself and a friend have most of the Electronic Equipment used in the Apollo 11 Mission that was at Parkes........
I have spent a heap of time there over the years and have even played cricket on the dish!!
Back before the latest upgrades, and even the upgrades before that, the mesh on the dish was not as sensitive as it is now, and it wasn't an unusual site to see Radio astronomers, Telescope drivers and techo's having a wack about when it was in the "stowed" position....
The acuracy of the curve in the dish is amazing to say the least, with much of it being built in the shade of dugouts to stabilise the temperature while welding....a work of art to be sure.
It is still a real atmosphere of new discovery out there, as every day could be the one they "hear" something new.
I even have a photo somewhere of me stuck in the centre access port at the centre of the dish!
The aerial cabin is very different these days.
The old one could only hold one reciever, and if the needed to change to a new frequency, they would tilt her over and lower the old one down, and winch the new one up off the back of a truck...
Now the new, much larger cabin can hold two recievers that are shifted side to side to change freq's.....much quicker and less down time. although it is still a slow bumpy ride up the eleviator in one of the tripod legs to get to the top.......and a very long way back down when you choose to walk down one of the other legs via the stairs...
I have been rebuilding one of the old conrac B/W monitors which first Pictures from Apollo 11 came through on. I am setting up an office display of the relics of those times, even though I was only 6 at the time.
cheers
John
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