[CMAS] [CMAS-Board] Stellafane

Joshua Zukerman hawk82 at gmail.com
Mon Aug 5 10:52:50 EDT 2019 

I take it the weather was great? Were there any offers or interest on the
club equipment for sale?

On Mon, Aug 5, 2019 at 8:07 AM Colin Caissie <cscmachinedesign at gmail.com>
wrote:

> 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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