[CMAS] [CMAS-Board] Stellafane

Mon Aug 5 08:06:59 EDT 2019

Stellafane Report:

Arrived Friday mid-day to meet Wade and Donna Smith, Peter Serrada and
Lenny camping near the MacGregor Schupmann telescope.  I had 4 mirrors
tested, one was undercorrected, others were very good.  Planned to sell the
Schiefspeigler (s) and was persuaded to enter the Norman Meyer unit in
optical judging.  I had to fib that I made the mirrors to get it into
competition...dunno if it won a ribbon, as I left to visit my father in
Worcester before the judging was announced Saturday p.m.  It was the only
TCT scope in the competition, so we may have a ribbon...dedicated to Norman
Meyer.

Sold a lot of miscellaneous stuff at the swap, but NO big ticket club
items...$80 in club proceeds from grit, glass and lens, polish.  So we
still have a Schief (2), A 14" Meade LX200 OTA, 8"f/8 Treckerscope.  Bought
a pristine old 6" f/8 Edmund Newtonian for $30, a beautiful 6" f/12 mirror
for $10, and a 12.5" Pyrex mirror blank for $10.  Stuff was going
cheap....I discovered 4 great swimming holes where I spent considerable
time.

Normand Fullum exhibited one of his finely crafted sculpted Newtonians, but
I was more enamored of his hand made 000-18 Martin copy parlor
guitar...exquisite craftsmanship and I really enjoyed playing it.  Glad I
have hobbies that include several senses.  If I go blind or deaf, I'm still
good.

The view of Jupiter through the 13" Schupmann was the best I've ever
seen...ever.

Need to meet with Lenny to xfer big stuff back to the dome...He did the
heavy hauling.  I made the entire 550 mile RT on ~11 gallons of Biodiesel,
a low carbon trip.

C

On Thu, Aug 1, 2019 at 10:23 PM Joshua Zukerman <hawk82 at gmail.com> wrote:

> I won't be attending Stellafane this year as much as I would like to go.
> Best of luck selling the club equipment and clear skies. I hope Alan
> Stern's talk about the New Horizons mission is inciteful. One of you better
> bring home some Televue prizes ;)
>
> On Wed, Jul 31, 2019, 3:45 PM Colin Caissie <cscmachinedesign at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> I'm not selling the Black C8, as I agree it could be a fine loaner or
>> starparty unit.   I intend to correct and coat the secondary on the old
>> Staiano LX3...more of an optical project, but it needed recoating.   Should
>> excel, then sell it.The current LX90 in the Brower belongs to my friend
>> Tony.
>>
>> I am going to S'fane, Leaving Friday p.m. arriving to do some
>> observing....the weather/seeing forecast looks EXCELLENT....should be tops
>> for doing the ladders on the 30" scopes and the Schupmann should be superb.
>>
>> We're hauling the:
>> Trecker 8" Newtonian
>> 14" Meade
>> jaegers
>> and as much as I can stuff in my car.
>>
>> the 4.25 Schief, glass, polish, grit, the 6" Mak-Newt
>> I'll bring a few mirrors for testing
>> I expect to be back Saturday unless the weather again promises super
>> viewing.
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Jul 31, 2019 at 12:50 PM Jon Silverman <jonsilverman at me.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> I’m thinking a Torrance-made PowerStar is a far better portable
>>> telescope than its dollar value is worth. And (my pac-ratism aside), is it
>>> both historically interesting and a bit better than the average bear, with
>>> its Buyers drive, which was designed for portable astrophotography. I could
>>> take it on loan and store it in my basement, or perhaps even buy it. My gut
>>> is to keep it. Colin is right that we are buried in telescopes, but this
>>> one is truly useable, fits easily in a car, and (like Chuck Ebert’s f/15
>>> Mak) is a good, high-magnification foil to the faster Dobs so commonly in
>>> use.
>>>
>>> If I recall, the LX90 is the one Mrs. Staiano donated from her husband’s
>>> estate, that had badly tarnished mirrors. Could be fixed, but better to
>>> sell, if it’s worth anything. Do we have two 20” SCTs, one mounted in the
>>> small dome, and another in storage?
>>>
>>> Jon Silverman
>>> jonsilverman at me.com
>>>
>>> <><><><><>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> > On Jul 31, 2019, at 12:28 PM, Colin Caissie <
>>> cscmachinedesign at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> >
>>> > Well if you think members could use it, then we should keep it.  We'd
>>> never get much for it.
>>> > I offered it to Greg, but he chose the dob.
>>> > Now to store it.....
>>> >
>>> > I have to fight the urge to hang onto stuff, myself.
>>> >
>>> > On Tue, Jul 30, 2019 at 3:16 PM Brian Murphy <
>>> bmurphy.hallowell at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> > I would say to sell it. Possibly offer it to club members if we don't
>>> want to haul it out to Vermont. There are some new members that might be
>>> interested, as well as possibly 175 facebook group members that might be
>>> interested.
>>> >
>>> > B
>>> >
>>> > On Tue, Jul 30, 2019, 12:49 PM Colin Caissie <
>>> cscmachinedesign at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> > You got time for the shootout?  We have an 8" LX3 SCT (needs repairs)
>>>  and a 12" LX200 (needs to be used).    If we decide to hang on to it for
>>> whatever reason, it contributes to clutter.
>>> >
>>> > so,Will we build/buy a storage shed for all this stuff?
>>> > or, Will we sell the unused equipment?
>>> > Will we use the scopes/equipment we have?  A nice Skyshed with a 12"
>>> LX200 that I used once just to check its operation?
>>> > Stockpiling equipment is not productive.
>>> >
>>> > I say we offer it at Stellafane.....what's a good price?  If not met,
>>> we can put it back in the pile at Brower.
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > On Tue, Jul 30, 2019 at 12:36 PM Jon Silverman <jonsilverman at me.com>
>>> wrote:
>>> >> Should we sell the recent 8" Celestron black tube scope we just
>>> received?  We have enough SCT's right?
>>> >
>>> > How about a shoot-out with star testing first? We may well have too
>>> many classic SCTs, but as an aficionado of their history, the recent black
>>> tube is likely to be the best one we have: old enough to be from the
>>> advanced stages of American manufacture, just before the Halley's Comet
>>> craze trashed quality, and everything moved to China. Since no old SCTs are
>>> especially valuable on the used market, but some are actually quite
>>> excellent, it would make sense to keep the best.
>>> >
>>> > The trends in quality from various periods can be overwhelmed by the
>>> particular quality of a specific SCT. I could be interested in the black
>>> tube, if it proved to be as good or better than the orange tubes I already
>>> have. It certainly has a better drive, with worms by Ed Byers, instead of
>>> spur gears.
>>> >
>>> > <><><><><>
>>> >
>>> > Jon Silverman
>>> >
>>> > <><><><><>
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > On Jul 30, 2019, at 8:11 AM, Colin Caissie <cscmachinedesign at gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>> >
>>> >> Let me work up a list of stuff today.  So far Friday/Saturday looks
>>> ok.     If it's a big list/weather ok, I might personally go.  Should know
>>> by end of day today, Tuesday.
>>> >>
>>> >> Lenny, are you willing to do the swap if you're the only one going?
>>> Is Wednesday mid-day ok if you pick up stuff here?
>>> >>
>>> >> I'm thinking the 6/5"Jaegers ota, the 8f8 Trecker Newtonian, the 14"
>>> Meade.  That's a load for just Lenny.  If there's much more I'd have to
>>> take my truck and include more stuff.
>>> >>
>>> >> If I go, I'd be hauling some of the club stuff, my 4.25" Edmund, the
>>> 6" Mak-Newt, some glass and atm stuff, grit, polish, misc.
>>> >> Should we sell the recent 8" Celestron black tube scope we just
>>> received?  We have enough SCT's right?
>>> >>
>>> >> I'll present a list of club stuff tonight so we can weigh in on it.
>>> >>
>>> >> On Mon, Jul 29, 2019 at 1:36 PM satillite1965 <
>>> satillite1965 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> >> I have some room so I should be able to take something. When is it a
>>> good time to come over this aftetnoon, tonight, or maybe tomorrow let me
>>> know.
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >> Sent from my U.S. Cellular® Smartphone
>>> >>
>>> >> -------- Original message --------
>>> >> From: Colin Caissie <cscmachinedesign at gmail.com>
>>> >> Date: 7/29/19 11:31 AM (GMT-05:00)
>>> >> To: Joshua Zukerman <hawk82 at gmail.com>, Lenny Arsenault <
>>> satillite1965 at gmail.com>, Jon Silverman <jonsilverman at me.com>
>>> >> Subject: Re: [CMAS] Stellafane
>>> >>
>>> >> But HEY!  NOAA forecasts 25% cloud cover on Friday!     Right.
>>> Forecasts resolve to a statistic, and statistically you could say there's a
>>> 25% chance of cloud cover on any night.
>>> >> My hesitation is financial...it would cost me $100 to do the
>>> trip...$45 to register at the gate & gas, chow, for even my one chosen
>>> day...the swap.
>>> >>
>>> >> Worth it to sell my old gear?  Probably not.  To help sell the club's
>>> gear, now that's better....to include a visit to St. Gauden's National
>>> historic Park in Cornish, NH...getting better....tour the Whites, now we're
>>> talkin' ....Do a climb in the Presidentials...Bingo.
>>> >>
>>> >> but we'll see.   I'm also in need of home time...paint house, fix
>>> stuff...
>>> >>
>>> >> On Sun, Jul 28, 2019 at 12:27 PM Joshua Zukerman <hawk82 at gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>> >> I haven't yet decided if I am going. I'm looking at weather forecasts
>>> and my schedule.
>>> >>
>>> >> -- Josh Z.
>>> >>
>>> >> On Sun, Jul 28, 2019, 11:20 AM Colin Caissie <
>>> cscmachinedesign at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> >> I personally am not planning to attend, but I wonder who is planning
>>> it, and whether this another opportunity to sell club gear.
>>> >>
>>> >> Let me know if attendees would consider doing the swap meet and
>>> flogging stuff for the club?
>>> >>
>>> >> We have: 8" f/8 Trekerscope Newtonian...worth 5-600
>>> >> 14" Meade LX200...we asked $1800 no takers on CN/Astromart
>>> >> 8" Celestron complete...must be worth $300
>>> >>
>>> >> Lots more if interested.
>>> >> Anyone else from the membership going?
>>> >>
>>> >> Colin
>>> >>
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