Christmas is coming, and with it – gifts! The Institute of Astronomy recently got a long-awaited shipment from The Netherlands – a huge crate with the test antennas for our future LOFAR-BG station 🙂
The large crate sent by ASTRON. We had to unmount a couple of doors… 
The contents 🙂
After carefully unwrapping and checking the contents for damage, we delivered them to Assoc. Prof. Peter Petkov from the Radiocommunications Dept. of the Technical University-Sofia, for testing and preparing the measurement system. Our main goal is to measure the levels of radio noise (background) in the spectral bands of the low-frequency (10-90 MHz) and high-frequency (110-250 MHz) antennas of LOFAR at the pre-selected possible sites for the LOFAR-BG station.
The high-frequency (HBA) spider-like antenna at the lab. 
Checking the system components at the lab; the low-frequency (LBA) antenna is at foreground.
After making sure the components were in order and assembling the test system, it was time for some real measurements! A great first place to start is always the parking lot in front of the University 🙂
IANAO PhD student Mohamed Nedal and Assoc. Prof. Peter Petkov from TU-Sofia taking measurements
The initial tests were successful, and very soon we will begin measurements on site. More news to come!