There are only three major radio SETI experiments in the world today. It involves a 58 million-channel receiver connected to the 210 foot diameter Parkes Radio Telescope, plunked down in the sheep country about six hours' drive west of Sydney. Click on the numbers to learn how this search for extraterrestrial life operates. The reason for this power play is simple. By forsaking the idea of looking everywhere, this search can spend more time checking out our stellar neighbors.
More time means more sensitivity.
It's sometimes remarked that the Phoenix equipment could pick up a cell phone on Jupiter, in case that's a concern to you. The number of antennas being used for major SETI searches is two, and the squadron of astronomers involved is so small, there aren't enough to staff a typical car wash. But they never do. Indeed, the federal government stopped funding SETI in 1993. We run on private donations now.