January 2005 - Utah-Astronomy - mailman.xmission.com

Charity Astro Auction
by Chuck Hards 25 Jan '05

25 Jan '05

Barney's question was timely. Rob Ratkowski and I have been tossing around ideas for a utah-astronomy charity auction, proceeds to go to a recognized tsunami relief organization. Cynthia has already given her permission to use the forum for this purpose (thanks again, Cyn!). Unfortunately I lack the skills to pull this off properly and we could use some help, both technical and otherwise. I'm starting school soon and will have very little email time after Feb. 10th, for about four months. We would like to solicit donated items from list members, maybe auction them off individually or in lots, whatever makes the most sense. I'd like to see donors send off the items to the winners themselves, and donate the shipping charges to the cause. I'm hoping folks will see this as more of an opportunity to express some compassion rather than strictly a chance to pick up a bargain, but you never know, maybe both motivations can be served. The donation phase should be fast, so the actual auctions could be held and the proceeds donated to a charity quickly; there is a great, immediate need. Comments? Suggestions? Volunteers? Thanks everybody, this list has some fine people on it. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - You care about security. So do we. http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Dark sky friendly porch lights
by Canopus56 24 Jan '05

24 Jan '05

The "GlareBuster" fixture also looked interesting. It has a product endorsement by comet hunter David Levy and can use a high-efficiency long-life bulb. http://www.theglarebuster.com/ http://www.darksky.org/fixtures/motsensec.html One "GlareBuster" model has a motion detector cut-off: http://www.darksky.org/fixtures/motsensec.html This is the type of motion-detector light, that I own: http://12.153.20.71/heath/mainProduct.asp?page=security&type=Motion+Sensing… A simple clip-on shield to an existing light can cut-down on glare from these older units - although I have not seen these locally in Utah: http://www.parshield.com/index.html http://www.darksky.org/fixtures/mods.html (see 1/2 way down the page) If anyone knows where these clip-on shields might be available in Utah, I'd like to hear from you. - Canopus56 __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - 250MB free storage. Do more. Manage less. http://info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Dark sky friendly porch lights
by Canopus56 24 Jan '05

24 Jan '05

P.S. - The RAB Electric Manufacturing, Inc. Model: WP1C Series looks particularly interesting. It has an adjustable shield - a nice feature I have not seen before. http://www.darksky.org/fixtures/wallutil.html Personally, I just use security lights with built-in daylight/infra-red sensors. These IR detecting security lights are always in "zero-light pollution" mode unless there is someone on the doorstep, although they look ugly for a front-porch application. Such security lights cost about $25 each on sale, when I bought them about six years ago. IR detecting security lights are a nuisance when trying to observe from your front porch. The security lights can be forced into zero-light-pollution "off" mode, when setting up a small refractor for a few minutes of relaxing post-work lunar viewing, by directing a red pointing laser into the light's daylight detector. The security light's daytime sensor is triggerd by pointing the red laser into the daylight detector-switch. Rubber-band a laser red construction level ($19 at K-Mart/Smiths) to a camera tripod. The red-laser construction levels have the convenient feature of a positive on/off switch. Ordinary red laser pointers with a push-button spring-loaded switch can be rubber-banded to a camera tripod and held in "on" mode with an $2 spring clamp (available at K-Mart/Smiths or any hardware store). - Canopus56 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Dark sky friendly porch lights
by Canopus56 24 Jan '05

24 Jan '05

See ISDA sample fixtures with links to manufacturer representatives at: http://www.darksky.org/fixtures/fixtures.html - Canopus56 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

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Re: Signal sender?
by Chuck Hards 24 Jan '05

24 Jan '05

Patrick, don't sell it. Buy a battery-powered TV camera, connect it to the signal sender, and put it in a tree over by the car-wash when the weather gets warm again! ;) __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Read only the mail you want - Yahoo! Mail SpamGuard. http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail

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Looking to buy..
by Jon Christensen 24 Jan '05

24 Jan '05

I am in the market for an extremely powerful Atmospheric Pressure and Weather Regulator. If any of you are, or are in contact with, an evil genius with access to a well tested model please contact me. I request that it not be connected with any previous world domination plots. I just finished watching the weather and the forecast for the next week was, "Grey with a chance of Light grey followed by a slight chance of going to Park City where it is not grey".

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COSMOS on-sale
by Chuck Hards 23 Jan '05

23 Jan '05

Available from Daedalus Books, www.salebooks.com Cosmos: 7 volume boxed set, VHS 13 hrs, Updated and digitally remastered, re-released in 2000. On-sale now, $29.98 Item #50404 __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - 250MB free storage. Do more. Manage less. http://info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250

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Signal sender?
by Patrick Wiggins 23 Jan '05

23 Jan '05

I've reorganized my observatory and find I no longer need the signal sender I bought to transmit audio and video from the observatory into the house. Here's a description: http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=&… I think I spent about $80 for it but I'd be willing to part with it for much less than that. Anyone interested? Patrick

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Auction sites.
by B. Bettilyon 23 Jan '05

23 Jan '05

Other than E Bay, does anyone have some good astronomy auction sites to visit? Barney

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Ad Astra, Johnny Carson
by Chuck Hards 23 Jan '05

23 Jan '05

Johnny Carson died this morning. He had an interest in astronomy, owned a Celestron, IIRC. (As did comedian Charlie Callas...is Callas still living? Vfft-vfft...) Today he's conversing with Carl Sagan, once again... __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Helps protect you from nasty viruses. http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail

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