Hate to rain on the SETI parade, but...
Recent scientific research done by some SETI physicists indicates that radio and TV signals suffer from attenuation caused by gravitic lensing, interference from solar wind, and cosmic radiation.
Put in a nutshell, electromagnetic signals merge into the cosmic background noise about two light-years beyond the edge of our solar system, becoming so diffuse as to be indistinguishable from that background noise.
There is a slim hope that signals in the X-ray part of the spectrum may be detectable if they're powerful enough since the X-ray beams from pulsars and quasars do indeed reach Earth from many hundereds of light-years away.
Then again, those are highly energetic stars that pack somewhat more punch than a manufactured transmitter.
Other signal sources that might also be viable are modulated neutrino beams, modulated quantum shift doppler, or conventional radio waves tunneled through a wormhole originating at the alien world and opening out into our solar system.
Unfortunately, except for the 'wormhole transmitter', we do not have the technology to detect such signals at this time, including any "Star Trek" style 'subspace' radios.
Looks like SETI's budget should be used instead to develop warp drive so we can go out there and find these "little green men" in person like real men should!
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Still sailing the high seas, hunting convoys with those who join me.
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