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APL Astronomy Club Meeting

APL Astronomy Club Meeting. July 17, 2013. Agenda. Welcome new officers: Dan Smith, Mark Kochte , Helen Hart, Dave Tillman Treasurer’s report Equipment acquisition / 2014 budget Upcoming Events Observing reports: Star Quest X: Mark Kochte others?.

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APL Astronomy Club Meeting

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  1. APL Astronomy Club Meeting July 17, 2013

  2. Agenda • Welcome new officers: • Dan Smith, Mark Kochte, Helen Hart, Dave Tillman • Treasurer’s report • Equipment acquisition / 2014 budget • Upcoming Events • Observing reports: • Star Quest X: Mark Kochte • others?

  3. APL Astronomy Club TreasuryJuly 17, 2013

  4. Budget Info • Typical appropriation is average of previous three years of grants adjusted by CPI • 2008 - $3109 • 2009 - $3182 • 2010 - $2138 • 2011 - $2726 • 2012 - $2451 • 2013 - $1870 • ... but is also related to membership • Nominal 80/20 split between APLRinc and membership dues • e.g., 20 members @ $25 = $500 ~ APLRinc grant of $2000

  5. FY 2013 Purchases • Solar observing • Solar Telescope -> CaK Lunt 70 mm • Lunt case • Dovetail mounting plate • Meade DS2000 mount • Sun finder • Meade DS2000 mount for our H-alpha Lunt • Sun finder for our H-alpha Lunt • Imaging • 3 x Orion Starshoot Solar System Imaging Camera IV

  6. FY 2012 Purchases • Solar Observing • Solar telescope -> H-alpha Lunt 60 mm (LS60T) • Zoom eyepiece (7.2 - 21.5mm) • Narrow bandpass filter (Dougle Stack 50F 0.5 Angstrom filter • Dovetail mounting plate • Solar filters • ETX-90 (white light) • StellarVue 102mm (white light) • Meade 7" Maksutov (white light) • Orion 8" Dob (white light) • Books • 3 x The Sun & How to Observe It (Astronomer's Observing Guides) • The Science and Art of Using Telescopes (Patrick Moore's Practical Astronomy Series)

  7. FY 2011 Purchases • Equatorial platform for Orion 8" Dob • StellarVue F2 Finder mounting base system • Ultrawide 31 mm Celestron Axiom eyepiece • MallinCam VSS+ video camera • Eclipse Glasses (x100) • Star and Planet Locator (x2) • Dew Management equipment (Dew-not) • Controller and various heating bands

  8. FY 2010 Purchases • AstroTrac equatorial tracking kit • Manfrotto tripod • Ball head and alt-az head • AstroTrac with polar alignment scope • iOptron mini-tower Pro tripod and Alt-Az GoTo (use with StellarVue, for example) • StarDust Observing Chair • Books, atlases, manuals ($300)

  9. FY 2009 Purchases • StellarVue 102ED Semi-APO Refractor Telescope • 2" Diagonal mirror • Astrotech Voyager Alt-Az mount • Orion 8" XTi Intelliscope Push-To Dobsonian

  10. FY 2008 Purchases • Meade Lightbridge 16" Dobsonian telescope • Accessories for Meade 12" SCT • Dew shield • Equatorial wedge • Focal reducer (f/6.3) • CCD Camera (Meade DSI Pro II) • 16 bit • Monochrome • ~500k pixels

  11. Equipment Acquisition Strategy • Look at check-out records - who borrows what and how often? • What is not getting borrowed and why? • Weight / awkwardness / size • Appropriateness for light skies / dark skies • Expertise required • Completeness of set for desired observing • Analyze what is covered • Light bucket / dark sky (Meade Lightbridge 16" and 12" SCT) • High end Solar H-alpha and Calcium-K • Entry solar - Coronado PST • Refractor / planetary (StellarVue / iOptron) • "Beginner" scope (Orion?) • Stable Alt-Az - Meade 7" Mak / LX200 • Ultraportable - Questar • Webcam cameras (but paired with what scope / mount?) • DSLR photography (AstroTrac kit) • Pair books with scopes as part of kit (Turn left at ..., etc.) • Major factors • Portability • Utility in light-polluted skies?

  12. Suggestions for 2014 budget request • Meade 16" Lightbridge usability • Telrad (for when the JMI push-to won't perform and for low observing angles) $40 • Telrad finder book (spiral bound; directions for finding using Telrad) • JMI counterweight set (offset weight of Telrad and 2" lenses) ($80) • Az bearing fix • Illuminated reticle eyepiece (alignment) ($100) • Transport options / ramp ?? • Orion 8" Dob • Illuminated reticle eyepiece (alignment) • Questar • Portable pier (see AstroTrac package) • Orion Sirius EQ-G GoTo GEM ($1200 - 30 lb load) / Celestron GEM (VX - $720, CGEM - $1350) • Astrophotography • Alternate mount for Stellarvue • (GEM is lighter than dual-fork; should be more portable; should provide sufficient stability for vid cam usage) • Consider pairing with manageable newtonian (f7 or faster) for astrophotography

  13. Suggestions for 2014 budget request - continued • Binoculars • 8 x 56 CelestronSkyMaster ($210) • 15 x 70 Celestron ($90) • Binocular counter-balance • Obsession 12.5" f/5 ($4000 base - add telrad and push-to $$$) • Lunt H-alpha • Sky-Watcher AllViewMount: $399 • Lunt Ca-K • Lunt Zoom Eyepiece (7.2-21.5mm): $149

  14. Upcoming Events – APL Club • Friends and Family Star Party October 11, 2013 • Solar Observing - August 20???

  15. Upcoming Events - Regional • Spoutwood Summer Solstice Star Party - July 19, 2013 (this Friday) • HAL Public Star Party – August 10, 2013 - Alpha Ridge Park (Persied Meteor Shower) • Stellafane Convention - August 8-11, 2013 - Springfield, VT Telescope Makers Annual Convention • NOVAC AHSP - Sept. 6-10, 2013 - Spruce Knob, WV • Black Forest Star Party - Sept. 6-8, 2013 - Central Pennsylvania Observers - Cherry Springs State Park, Potter County, PA • Chaos Fall Star Party - October 1-6, 2013 - Staunton River State Park - Near Scottsburg, Virginia • No Frills XVIII - TBD 2013 - Delmarva Star GazersTuckahoe State Park's Equestrian Center, Queen Anne, MD

  16. Observing Reports

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