Hah! I remember Moree. One of the folks in the helicopter (Aerospatiale
Ecureuil -- very nice machine) had a friend who lived there, and we
stopped there to refuel. After we took off, the fellow with the friend
gave the pilot regular car-driving-type directions ("go down three
blocks and turn left. . .") as we followed the road at a low altitude.
When we got to the friend's farmhouse, we circled to make sure there
were no hazards, and landed in the farmer's front yard. You should have
seen the look on his kids' faces! We went in for coffee, came back out
in a few minutes, and continued our trip. As a funny-talking Yank, I was
the novelty of the group.

Anyway, the dish I saw wasn't directly on our path, but off to one side
a bit. I'll have to dig out my notes and see if it might have been the
one at Moree. I might be able to estimate the diameter if I can find the
picture. Small world!

Roy Lewallen, W7EL

Bob Bob wrote:
Hi Roy

Yep that was probably it. It is some way north out of Parkes near a
place called Alectown.

If you go to http://topoweb.lpi.nsw.gov.au/run.htm and zoom up on about
148.2639E 32.9975S, thats where the dish is. Its about 300km WNW of
Sydney so it isnt exactly in line with a trip to Charleville.

There is a smaller comms dish in a place called Moree. About 400km NNW
of Sydney. Nowhere near as big as Parkes tho. I think the only other big
dishes are south of Canberra. There is however one or two Mills Cross
arrays out there but they of course arent disk shaped!

Amd there is another dish array (6 of 22m dia) at a place called Narrabri.

http://www.parkes.atnf.csiro.au/ is the dishes actual website c/w
pictures to check out.

Cheers Bob

Roy Lewallen wrote:

Is that the dish that's northwest of Sydney, oh, a couple hundred
miles or so? About 20 years ago I snapped a picture of a very
impressive dish from a helicopter I was riding between Sydney and
Charleville (west of Brisbane, in Qld.) Never knew what it was for,
but sure looks like a radiotelescope.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL