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#11
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Serious question about spending money
"Chuck Taylor" wrote:
PS what's a lunatic like you doing in a solar group? I'm here because the Sun fits the school day better than the planets (and its warmer...) BTW, you are going to show these kids that the moon is the best thing up there, aren't you? Moon is irresistable - don't think I'll need to show the kids that.... ----------------------------- Martin Frey http://www.hadastro.org.uk N 51 01 52.2 E 0 47 21.1 ----------------------------- |
#12
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Serious question about spending money
"Chuck Taylor" wrote:
The main targets are the school but its huge (by English standards) 2000+ students 11-18. The 16+s should be able to do serious work as astrophysics is on the curriculum. Nice to have a school with that curriculum! Only a handful take it. Last year in England 545,000 15/16 year olds were in school and took public exams. 458 of them took an astronomy exam. Pitiful So some serious aperture would be nice. I live on the west (US) coast near Puget Sound (Washington) and rarely see a night without dew. Half the time I feel like I'm swimming out there. So part of your budget needs to include dew heaters etc. Have you seen the Dewbuster? It's at http://www.gbronline.com/ronkeating/default.htm along with a review by Rod. It looks like it would be perfect for nights when the scope operator has his or her hands full and needs automatic dew heating. Thanks Nice! Will you be able to use a school classroom during a night session? Yes - and the coffee machine Your idea of an SCT would go well with a smaller dome. You could build it with a room beneath and add an extension to the room later. Maybe stage one is build the dome. Stage two is add an additional room with a temporary roof and stage three is to put a slide off roof on that section for scopes acquired later? Must investigate the problems of isolating the scope pier from activity in the building - or is this a counsel of perfection. I had to go and covert. I came up with 10k pounds = $17,233 US. That's still a good start. The dome makes sense from the school's viewpoint and it would be a constant advertisement to attract interest. You converted uk pounds into dollars - no need. The astro market is smaller in the uk and Meade and Celestron have it well stitched up. by the time it reaches market a scope can well cost more in pounds than you pay in dollars. It is a constant source of anguish and brits come back from trips to the states with refractors stuffed down their trouser legs, their pockets full of eps. Something like this: http://www.astromart.com/viewad.asp?cid=228421 ? That might leave you short for the rest of the stuff, but if the clubs could build the dome etc... See what I mean - stripped down (new) 16 inch scts cost uk pounds 17,000 - 14 inch is 5,000, the max we are likely to achieve. If you do go after a 16" SCT, Sol Robbins on the Chinese Refractor list spent quite a lot of time setting up two or three of them. I believe it was for a university. He's usually very helpful. I think always is a better word for Sol's helpfulness. It's a shame the solar max is past. Have you thought of a Ha system with video camera? It may be past max but very lively - and some. Video camera is high on the list - provide some feed to PCs to give those waiting for ep time something to look at. The Coronado PST is launching at just the right time - a low price H-a in a rugged looking unit with very little fragile stuff sticking out of it. Got to get something together for the transit in June. I'm thinking 2,000 sets of eclipse glasses for children to catch some real photons and a camera plus video feed for live coverage throughtout the school. I've been watching the sun a little lately (Baader filter) and dropped in to lurk and pick up some pointers. And as you said, it's a lot warmer during the day :-) My wife has been drawing the Sun through my 125/1000 refractor and Baader for a couple of years - the collection is such a pleasure to look through on rainy days and nights. There something about eyepiece drawing that can't be beaten. Many thanks for your advice - anything that occurs - please let me know (on or off group: snip the snip to reach me). ----------------------------- Martin Frey http://www.hadastro.org.uk N 51 01 52.2 E 0 47 21.1 ----------------------------- |
#13
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Serious question about spending money
"Chuck Taylor" wrote:
The main targets are the school but its huge (by English standards) 2000+ students 11-18. The 16+s should be able to do serious work as astrophysics is on the curriculum. Nice to have a school with that curriculum! Only a handful take it. Last year in England 545,000 15/16 year olds were in school and took public exams. 458 of them took an astronomy exam. Pitiful So some serious aperture would be nice. I live on the west (US) coast near Puget Sound (Washington) and rarely see a night without dew. Half the time I feel like I'm swimming out there. So part of your budget needs to include dew heaters etc. Have you seen the Dewbuster? It's at http://www.gbronline.com/ronkeating/default.htm along with a review by Rod. It looks like it would be perfect for nights when the scope operator has his or her hands full and needs automatic dew heating. Thanks Nice! Will you be able to use a school classroom during a night session? Yes - and the coffee machine Your idea of an SCT would go well with a smaller dome. You could build it with a room beneath and add an extension to the room later. Maybe stage one is build the dome. Stage two is add an additional room with a temporary roof and stage three is to put a slide off roof on that section for scopes acquired later? Must investigate the problems of isolating the scope pier from activity in the building - or is this a counsel of perfection. I had to go and covert. I came up with 10k pounds = $17,233 US. That's still a good start. The dome makes sense from the school's viewpoint and it would be a constant advertisement to attract interest. You converted uk pounds into dollars - no need. The astro market is smaller in the uk and Meade and Celestron have it well stitched up. by the time it reaches market a scope can well cost more in pounds than you pay in dollars. It is a constant source of anguish and brits come back from trips to the states with refractors stuffed down their trouser legs, their pockets full of eps. Something like this: http://www.astromart.com/viewad.asp?cid=228421 ? That might leave you short for the rest of the stuff, but if the clubs could build the dome etc... See what I mean - stripped down (new) 16 inch scts cost uk pounds 17,000 - 14 inch is 5,000, the max we are likely to achieve. If you do go after a 16" SCT, Sol Robbins on the Chinese Refractor list spent quite a lot of time setting up two or three of them. I believe it was for a university. He's usually very helpful. I think always is a better word for Sol's helpfulness. It's a shame the solar max is past. Have you thought of a Ha system with video camera? It may be past max but very lively - and some. Video camera is high on the list - provide some feed to PCs to give those waiting for ep time something to look at. The Coronado PST is launching at just the right time - a low price H-a in a rugged looking unit with very little fragile stuff sticking out of it. Got to get something together for the transit in June. I'm thinking 2,000 sets of eclipse glasses for children to catch some real photons and a camera plus video feed for live coverage throughtout the school. I've been watching the sun a little lately (Baader filter) and dropped in to lurk and pick up some pointers. And as you said, it's a lot warmer during the day :-) My wife has been drawing the Sun through my 125/1000 refractor and Baader for a couple of years - the collection is such a pleasure to look through on rainy days and nights. There something about eyepiece drawing that can't be beaten. Many thanks for your advice - anything that occurs - please let me know (on or off group: snip the snip to reach me). ----------------------------- Martin Frey http://www.hadastro.org.uk N 51 01 52.2 E 0 47 21.1 ----------------------------- |
#14
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Serious question about spending money
-- {:-) Happy Holidays http://LNGIFTS.home.insightbb.com http://www.QuickInfo247.com/8306069 http://www.GiftWorldNet.com/LNGIFTS http://www.MalakYAH.FreeStoreClub.com http://www.MalakYAH.WebStoreClub.com http://www.Hop.ClickBank.net/?MalakYAH/Surveys2 https://www.paypal.com/mrb/pal=YESQNAXYEGZGE "Martin Frey" wrote in message ... "Chuck Taylor" wrote: PS what's a lunatic like you doing in a solar group? I'm here because the Sun fits the school day better than the planets (and its warmer...) BTW, you are going to show these kids that the moon is the best thing up there, aren't you? Moon is irresistable - don't think I'll need to show the kids that.... ----------------------------- Martin Frey http://www.hadastro.org.uk N 51 01 52.2 E 0 47 21.1 ----------------------------- --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.545 / Virus Database: 339 - Release Date: 11/27/2003 |
#15
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Serious question about spending money
-- {:-) Happy Holidays http://LNGIFTS.home.insightbb.com http://www.QuickInfo247.com/8306069 http://www.GiftWorldNet.com/LNGIFTS http://www.MalakYAH.FreeStoreClub.com http://www.MalakYAH.WebStoreClub.com http://www.Hop.ClickBank.net/?MalakYAH/Surveys2 https://www.paypal.com/mrb/pal=YESQNAXYEGZGE "Martin Frey" wrote in message ... "Chuck Taylor" wrote: PS what's a lunatic like you doing in a solar group? I'm here because the Sun fits the school day better than the planets (and its warmer...) BTW, you are going to show these kids that the moon is the best thing up there, aren't you? Moon is irresistable - don't think I'll need to show the kids that.... ----------------------------- Martin Frey http://www.hadastro.org.uk N 51 01 52.2 E 0 47 21.1 ----------------------------- --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.545 / Virus Database: 339 - Release Date: 11/27/2003 |
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