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J. Eder, T. Ghosh (NAIC), D. D. Kocevski (NAIC-UMich)
As light pollution is the scourge of optical astronomy, radio frequency interference (RFI) can hinder the detection of faint astronomical radio sources. Given the present radio environment in Puerto Rico, constant vigilance is needed over the entire frequency range covered by the Arecibo Telescope. To this end, spectrum monitoring is done for the radio emissions due to existing systems both at the observatory and around the island. Round-the-clock spectrum monitoring covering up to 10 GHz is carried out from a hill-top on the Observatory grounds. In addition, we are monitoring the radio environment from the Gregorian dome using the newly built NAIC autocorrelation spectrometer and the available receivers. To study the RFI environment as seen by the Gregorian L-band receiver, we have analyzed the drift scan data taken for a total of 15 nights between November and April and spanning the entire frequency range covered by the receiver, 1360 - 1685 MHz. We have characterized the RFI in various ways: 1) the RMS and Average per channel over the daily observing period have been calculated and plotted, 2) the worst offenders are listed and 3) their occupancy rate or the fraction of nights during which the RFI frequencies are present are given. It is hoped that this RFI information will help observers plan their observational strategies at L band. Similar observations between 423.5 and 437.5 MHz have helped to identify interference generated due to some equipment in the Gregorian dome. This led to the installation of the RFI-shielded box in the feed-turret room, which houses most of the electronic equipment at present.