Chuck and Bruce Grim are some of those hardcore oldtimers. The 32" Grim is truly an ATM project. I built 3 or 4 and stopped, I have the astro equipment that I need and can afford. Perhaps I will build one similar to Bob's someday. I think that the hobby has become profitable for vendors and there are many excellent scopes ready to buy, I think this is why ATMing has waned a little, at least among SLAS. I think this list attests that the photographic aspect of hobby has not suffered. I remember the 90's at Riverside when amateurs present their ATM projects that become commercial projects shortly there after. The Obsession is a prime example. Erik --- chuck.hards@gmail.com wrote: From: "Chuck Hards" <chuck.hards@gmail.com> To: "Utah Astronomy" <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Utah-Astronomy Digest, Vol 71, Issue 18 Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2009 18:00:41 -0700 There are more hard-core ATM's alive today than at any time in history. They are a smaller percentage of all amateur astronomers, however, and tend to be more high-end than they were a generation or two ago. Most are engineers and professionals in other fields. Most work independently. ATMing as the standard entree into the hobby is an anachronism, for the reason Bob noted. Those are the ones he and Erik are remembering. On Wed, Jan 7, 2009 at 3:21 PM, Robert Taylor <robtaylor3661@comcast.net>wrote:
I think cheap telescopes with good optics has taken it's toll on telescope making.
Bob
Message: 4 Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2009 12:53:56 -0800 From: <zaurak@digis.net> Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] 13.1 inch Coulter Carcass, free To: "Utah Astronomy" <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Message-ID: <20090107125356.A97D6D63@resin09.mta.everyone.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
dinosaur carcass to boot. Seriously SLAS used to have a good number of people building telescopes. What happened to that? I wonder if Amateur Telescope Making is on the decline.
Erik
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