Re: [Utah-astronomy] DesctructiveGear.com
Seth, If it's still available, I'll buy it for $180, battery included. Please let me know quick. I have a star party coming up soon. Thanks, Wayne A. Sumner Math/Physics/Astronomy/Engineering Boy's Tennis Coach Northridge High School Davis School District (801) 402-8610
"Seth Jarvis" <SJarvis@slco.org> 06/13/08 1:22 PM >>> OK, I've completely lost my mind.
I just ordered the 100 mW version of the laser. That means my one-day-old-perfect-condition 75 mW (actually specs at 80) is up for sale for the $180 it cost me, but I'll throw in the $10 battery I put in it yesterday. Seth -----Original Message----- From: utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Seth Jarvis Sent: Friday, June 13, 2008 1:11 PM To: Utah Astronomy Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] DesctructiveGear.com Nope, this will be my first report to the group. My 75mW green laser from DestructiveGear.com arrived yesterday (Thursday), less than a week after I ordered it. Considering it came in an envelope with a Taiwanese postmark, that's pretty impressive. The laser seems to be very well made and came with a bench test report indicating that over its 20 second quality control test it had a mean output of a skosh over 80 mW. This little bugger is _bright_. If you want to do the electrical tape cutting and match lighting, this laser is just _barely_ able to do that. I'd say go for the 100 mW if you're dreaming of a death ray. As a night sky pointer, it's simply incredible. As I told Chuck off-line, a person with a P.A. system and one of these lasers could do a star & constellation ID session for a very large audience. I had my son stand over a hundred feet from my last night in city lighting conditions and the beam still looked like a bright pole of light going right to the star he was pointing at. I wish I'd bought the 100 mW laser, but this little bugger for $180 is still sweet - my favorite new toy. BTW, it uses fairly expensive 123 Lithium camera batteries. The best deal I've found for them is a box of 12 from surefire.com. Delivered they'll run you about $26 for the dozen, compared to about $8-$10 each if bought singly from the local supermarket. It's a blast! Seth Jarvis, Director Clark Planetarium -----Original Message----- From: utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Chuck Hards Sent: Friday, June 13, 2008 12:54 PM To: Utah Astronomy Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] DesctructiveGear.com I got a tracking update that my 100mw has cleared Customs. Should be here in a few days. Seth has reported terrific incendiary news on his 75mw. (Did you report to the group while I was off-line?) _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://gallery.utahastronomy.com Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://gallery.utahastronomy.com Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://gallery.utahastronomy.com Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com
I may end up being glad there are about 100 miles between me and your lasers... ;-) Kim No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 270.3.0/1499 - Release Date: 6/12/2008 7:13 AM
Kim
I am also feeling better about living between your and Chuck's lasers. Erik I may end up being glad there are about 100 miles between me and your
lasers... ;-)
Kim
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I'm going to point the 100mW laser toward various compass directions tonight at 10:00 pm and again at 11:00 pm (MDT). You might glance toward mid-valley and see if you can detect a pencil-thin, green beam. I rather doubt that it will be visible unless you are very close to the beam's axis, but you never know! For anyone at SPOC, I will direct it just to the side of the transmitting tower on top of the Oquirrh mts.
By Golly, I'm in Boston and I saw it!... Okay, I'm lying, but those things sound ridiculously bright! Must be time to order one... (I am in Boston, just did not actually see it...) Quoting Chuck Hards <chuck.hards@gmail.com>:
I'm going to point the 100mW laser toward various compass directions tonight at 10:00 pm and again at 11:00 pm (MDT). You might glance toward mid-valley and see if you can detect a pencil-thin, green beam. I rather doubt that it will be visible unless you are very close to the beam's axis, but you never know! For anyone at SPOC, I will direct it just to the side of the transmitting tower on top of the Oquirrh mts. _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://gallery.utahastronomy.com Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com
Jo: One if by land, two if by sea- three if by starship! I fell asleep and missed my 11:00 attempt. But at 10:00, my daughter was about a mile away, under moderate-to-severe light pollution, and most of her group could not see it. Her BF claimed he could barely detect it. I was aiming at Alcor & Mizar. But- I used to be really impressed with my 20mw. It was very bright to my eye, as such things go. It's going to spend a lot of time sitting on the shelf as a backup from now on. On Sat, Jun 14, 2008 at 10:09 PM, Josephine Grahn <bsi@xmission.com> wrote:
By Golly, I'm in Boston and I saw it!...
Okay, I'm lying, but those things sound ridiculously bright! Must be time to order one... (I am in Boston, just did not actually see it...)
Darn. I wish I had seen your message before leaving for the This Is the Place star party. I would have called you and had you shine it up our way. Speaking of star parties, there was a discussion about TITP vs. SPOC vs. Harmons at tonight's star party and at the "Advanced Training Session" that followed. If we follow the examples of the past couple of years, SLAS will be needing to come up with next year's public star party schedule in the next few months and it would be a good idea to see how those *who actually attend star parties* feel about where public star parties are held before next year's schedule s set. Any thoughts here on the subject? Clear skies! patrick On 14 Jun 2008, at 20:41, Chuck Hards wrote:
I'm going to point the 100mW laser toward various compass directions tonight at 10:00 pm and again at 11:00 pm (MDT). You might glance toward mid-valley and see if you can detect a pencil-thin, green beam. I rather doubt that it will be visible unless you are very close to the beam's axis, but you never know!
I'm not sure about purely SLAS discussions held on an open forum, but here's my 2 cents. While I'm not dead-set against public outreach, I feel that the SPOC is outreach enough. We don't need to turn into John Dobson-style "missionaries" and take the telescope to the streetcorner as an organization, a category I feel TITP & Harmon's parking lots fall into. I partly feel this way because in past years, the "off-site" star-party regulars have voiced complaints about being stretched too thin. Has this situation changed? Let those who want to continue those events do it for "extra credit", and not make it a central pillar of a SLAS mission statement. I like to attend at least a few SPOC star parties a year, so that is my preference. The others are mostly glad-handing and a venue for a couple of folks who really like the social aspects of those parking-lot sessions. SPOC is a long-term commitment "set in concrete", literally. TITP and Harmons events MUST be scheduled based on the word of those who commit to being there. On Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 2:38 AM, Patrick Wiggins <paw@wirelessbeehive.com> wrote:
Speaking of star parties, there was a discussion about TITP vs. SPOC vs. Harmons at tonight's star party and at the "Advanced Training Session" that followed.
If we follow the examples of the past couple of years, SLAS will be needing to come up with next year's public star party schedule in the next few months and it would be a good idea to see how those *who actually attend star parties* feel about where public star parties are held before next year's schedule s set.
Any thoughts here on the subject?
Hi Chuck, TITP is an experiment due to SLAS feedback. Harmons is pretty much set in stone because of their SPOC donations. One does wonder how much outreach outside of Wasatch Front SLAS can support with soaring gas price. I talked with a member who spent $60 on gas for an outreach event. That seems unsustainable. The 2009 SLAS BOD will likely decide the fate of TITP.
Erik I'm not sure about purely SLAS discussions held on an open forum, but
here's my 2 cents.
While I'm not dead-set against public outreach, I feel that the SPOC is outreach enough.
We don't need to turn into John Dobson-style "missionaries" and take the telescope to the streetcorner as an organization, a category I feel TITP & Harmon's parking lots fall into. I partly feel this way because in past years, the "off-site" star-party regulars have voiced complaints about being stretched too thin. Has this situation changed? Let those who want to continue those events do it for "extra credit", and not make it a central pillar of a SLAS mission statement.
I like to attend at least a few SPOC star parties a year, so that is my preference. The others are mostly glad-handing and a venue for a couple of folks who really like the social aspects of those parking-lot sessions.
SPOC is a long-term commitment "set in concrete", literally.
TITP and Harmons events MUST be scheduled based on the word of those who commit to being there.
On Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 2:38 AM, Patrick Wiggins <paw@wirelessbeehive.com> wrote:
Speaking of star parties, there was a discussion about TITP vs. SPOC vs. Harmons at tonight's star party and at the "Advanced Training Session" that followed.
If we follow the examples of the past couple of years, SLAS will be needing to come up with next year's public star party schedule in the next few months and it would be a good idea to see how those *who actually attend star parties* feel about where public star parties are held before next year's schedule s set.
Any thoughts here on the subject?
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Maybe the BOD can investigate the possibility of using a Darkend Trax station at each end of the line for their star parties. That would be cheaper. Of course lugging Daniels 17.5 " Dob on a Trax Train might be a bit much. Quoting erikhansen@TheBlueZone.net:
Hi Chuck, TITP is an experiment due to SLAS feedback. Harmons is pretty much set in stone because of their SPOC donations. One does wonder how much outreach outside of Wasatch Front SLAS can support with soaring gas price. I talked with a member who spent $60 on gas for an outreach event. That seems unsustainable. The 2009 SLAS BOD will likely decide the fate of TITP.
Erik
I'm not sure about purely SLAS discussions held on an open forum, but
here's my 2 cents.
While I'm not dead-set against public outreach, I feel that the SPOC is outreach enough.
We don't need to turn into John Dobson-style "missionaries" and take the telescope to the streetcorner as an organization, a category I feel TITP & Harmon's parking lots fall into. I partly feel this way because in past years, the "off-site" star-party regulars have voiced complaints about being stretched too thin. Has this situation changed? Let those who want to continue those events do it for "extra credit", and not make it a central pillar of a SLAS mission statement.
I like to attend at least a few SPOC star parties a year, so that is my preference. The others are mostly glad-handing and a venue for a couple of folks who really like the social aspects of those parking-lot sessions.
SPOC is a long-term commitment "set in concrete", literally.
TITP and Harmons events MUST be scheduled based on the word of those who commit to being there.
On Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 2:38 AM, Patrick Wiggins <paw@wirelessbeehive.com> wrote:
Speaking of star parties, there was a discussion about TITP vs. SPOC vs. Harmons at tonight's star party and at the "Advanced Training Session" that followed.
If we follow the examples of the past couple of years, SLAS will be needing to come up with next year's public star party schedule in the next few months and it would be a good idea to see how those *who actually attend star parties* feel about where public star parties are held before next year's schedule s set.
Any thoughts here on the subject?
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We could ask for Telescope racks.
Maybe the BOD can investigate the possibility of using a Darkend Trax
station at each end of the line for their star parties. That would be cheaper. Of course lugging Daniels 17.5 " Dob on a Trax Train might be a bit much.
Quoting erikhansen@TheBlueZone.net:
Hi Chuck, TITP is an experiment due to SLAS feedback. Harmons is pretty much set in stone because of their SPOC donations. One does wonder how much outreach outside of Wasatch Front SLAS can support with soaring gas price. I talked with a member who spent $60 on gas for an outreach event. That seems unsustainable. The 2009 SLAS BOD will likely decide the fate of TITP.
Erik
I'm not sure about purely SLAS discussions held on an open forum, but
here's my 2 cents.
While I'm not dead-set against public outreach, I feel that the SPOC is outreach enough.
We don't need to turn into John Dobson-style "missionaries" and take the telescope to the streetcorner as an organization, a category I feel TITP & Harmon's parking lots fall into. I partly feel this way because in past years, the "off-site" star-party regulars have voiced complaints about being stretched too thin. Has this situation changed? Let those who want to continue those events do it for "extra credit", and not make it a central pillar of a SLAS mission statement.
I like to attend at least a few SPOC star parties a year, so that is my preference. The others are mostly glad-handing and a venue for a couple of folks who really like the social aspects of those parking-lot sessions.
SPOC is a long-term commitment "set in concrete", literally.
TITP and Harmons events MUST be scheduled based on the word of those who commit to being there.
On Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 2:38 AM, Patrick Wiggins <paw@wirelessbeehive.com> wrote:
Speaking of star parties, there was a discussion about TITP vs. SPOC vs. Harmons at tonight's star party and at the "Advanced Training Session" that followed.
If we follow the examples of the past couple of years, SLAS will be needing to come up with next year's public star party schedule in the next few months and it would be a good idea to see how those *who actually attend star parties* feel about where public star parties are held before next year's schedule s set.
Any thoughts here on the subject?
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And when they turn it down, I can actually picture certain members filing a law suit for descrimination. Quoting erikhansen@TheBlueZone.net:
We could ask for Telescope racks.
Maybe the BOD can investigate the possibility of using a Darkend Trax
station at each end of the line for their star parties. That would be cheaper. Of course lugging Daniels 17.5 " Dob on a Trax Train might be a bit much.
Quoting erikhansen@TheBlueZone.net:
Hi Chuck, TITP is an experiment due to SLAS feedback. Harmons is pretty much set in stone because of their SPOC donations. One does wonder how much outreach outside of Wasatch Front SLAS can support with soaring gas price. I talked with a member who spent $60 on gas for an outreach event. That seems unsustainable. The 2009 SLAS BOD will likely decide the fate of TITP.
Erik
I'm not sure about purely SLAS discussions held on an open forum, but
here's my 2 cents.
While I'm not dead-set against public outreach, I feel that the SPOC is outreach enough.
We don't need to turn into John Dobson-style "missionaries" and take the telescope to the streetcorner as an organization, a category I feel TITP & Harmon's parking lots fall into. I partly feel this way because in past years, the "off-site" star-party regulars have voiced complaints about being stretched too thin. Has this situation changed? Let those who want to continue those events do it for "extra credit", and not make it a central pillar of a SLAS mission statement.
I like to attend at least a few SPOC star parties a year, so that is my preference. The others are mostly glad-handing and a venue for a couple of folks who really like the social aspects of those parking-lot sessions.
SPOC is a long-term commitment "set in concrete", literally.
TITP and Harmons events MUST be scheduled based on the word of those who commit to being there.
On Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 2:38 AM, Patrick Wiggins <paw@wirelessbeehive.com> wrote:
Speaking of star parties, there was a discussion about TITP vs. SPOC vs. Harmons at tonight's star party and at the "Advanced Training Session" that followed.
If we follow the examples of the past couple of years, SLAS will be needing to come up with next year's public star party schedule in the next few months and it would be a good idea to see how those *who actually attend star parties* feel about where public star parties are held before next year's schedule s set.
Any thoughts here on the subject?
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The law guarantees that discrimination will not be allowed based on race, gender, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, physical handicaps, and marital status. You can discriminate based on hobbies all you want. On Mon, Jun 16, 2008 at 9:12 AM, <diveboss@xmission.com> wrote:
And when they turn it down, I can actually picture certain members filing a law suit for descrimination.
I believe in some circles, all those things you listed could, with the right ACLU attorney, be argued as a basis for a law suit. But I will yield to your expertise. ;) Quoting Chuck Hards <chuck.hards@gmail.com>:
The law guarantees that discrimination will not be allowed based on race, gender, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, physical handicaps, and marital status.
You can discriminate based on hobbies all you want.
On Mon, Jun 16, 2008 at 9:12 AM, <diveboss@xmission.com> wrote:
And when they turn it down, I can actually picture certain members filing a law suit for descrimination.
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I'm just telling you what they told me in management school reguarding hiring practices and accomodations in the workplace. I yield to your familiarity with the ACLU. ;) On Mon, Jun 16, 2008 at 9:40 AM, <diveboss@xmission.com> wrote:
I believe in some circles, all those things you listed could, with the right ACLU attorney, be argued as a basis for a law suit. But I will yield to your expertise. ;)
And if your lucky you will get your day in court in 2-3 years.
I'm just telling you what they told me in management school reguarding
hiring practices and accomodations in the workplace.
I yield to your familiarity with the ACLU. ;)
On Mon, Jun 16, 2008 at 9:40 AM, <diveboss@xmission.com> wrote:
I believe in some circles, all those things you listed could, with the right ACLU attorney, be argued as a basis for a law suit. But I will yield to your expertise. ;)
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I'd have to wait until appeal for that to happen. That adds another 6-7 years, not mention travel expenses, and they would probably have to recuse themselves anyway.
I'm hoping the judge is a girl I went to high-school with! (No kidding!)
On Mon, Jun 16, 2008 at 10:51 AM, <erikhansen@thebluezone.net> wrote:
And if your lucky you will get your day in court in 2-3 years.
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True story: There used to be a fellow named Ralph, who was active in club events back when we were building the first incarnation of SPOC in the '70's. One day he informed Bruce that an attorney friend of his advised him that if anyone was injured while using club facilities or at a club function, individual members could be held responsible and ruined financially. Ralph immediately withdrew from the club and was never seen again!
How many bags of cement did it take to cover him? Quoting Chuck Hards <chuck.hards@gmail.com>:
True story:
There used to be a fellow named Ralph, who was active in club events back when we were building the first incarnation of SPOC in the '70's. One day he informed Bruce that an attorney friend of his advised him that if anyone was injured while using club facilities or at a club function, individual members could be held responsible and ruined financially. Ralph immediately withdrew from the club and was never seen again! _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://gallery.utahastronomy.com Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com
Guy, its on a need to know basis otherwise known as plausible denyability.
How many bags of cement did it take to cover him?
Quoting Chuck Hards <chuck.hards@gmail.com>:
True story:
There used to be a fellow named Ralph, who was active in club events back when we were building the first incarnation of SPOC in the '70's. One day he informed Bruce that an attorney friend of his advised him that if anyone was injured while using club facilities or at a club function, individual members could be held responsible and ruined financially. Ralph immediately withdrew from the club and was never seen again! _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://gallery.utahastronomy.com Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com
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Attorney's on our list might choose to chime in on this, seems there are a few.
Seems individual negligence would be hard to pin on the club. Our liability exists but Ralph's point of view seems extreme. We do have insurance, I wonder if this does not increase our chance of being sued, if this becomes common knowledge. If a member, lost their temper and assaulted people, at a Star Party, we may have a problem. Board Members probably have a greater burden on this matter. I also get nervous when ladders and darkness are combined. Bruce does an outstanding job of taking reasonable proactive measures to facilitate safety at SPOC. Negligence does not exist at SPOC. Erik True story:
There used to be a fellow named Ralph, who was active in club events back when we were building the first incarnation of SPOC in the '70's. One day he informed Bruce that an attorney friend of his advised him that if anyone was injured while using club facilities or at a club function, individual members could be held responsible and ruined financially. Ralph immediately withdrew from the club and was never seen again! _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://gallery.utahastronomy.com Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com
What better venue than the internet to announce that? Good job Erick! Quoting erikhansen@TheBlueZone.net:
We do have insurance, I wonder if this does not increase our chance of being sued, if this becomes common knowledge.
Erik
The limited venue that this list is, not quite the whole internet.
What better venue than the internet to announce that? Good job Erick!
Quoting erikhansen@TheBlueZone.net:
We do have insurance, I wonder if this does not increase our chance of being sued, if this becomes common knowledge.
Erik
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Bringing things like this under a bright light is a good thing. Perhaps it does need to be discussed further (it has been, in the past- no new ground here, Guy). For not just SPOC, but off-site star-parties as well. On Mon, Jun 16, 2008 at 1:01 PM, <diveboss@xmission.com> wrote:
What better venue than the internet to announce that? Good job Erick!
Erik, you are exactly right. SPOC is well-maintained and everyone involved goes far beyond the letter of the law to insure user and guest safety. Nobody took Ralph seriously back then. We thought his reaction was considerably extreme. Nobody else followed his example. On Mon, Jun 16, 2008 at 12:54 PM, <erikhansen@thebluezone.net> wrote:
Attorney's on our list might choose to chime in on this, seems there are a few.
Seems individual negligence would be hard to pin on the club. Our liability exists but Ralph's point of view seems extreme. We do have insurance, I wonder if this does not increase our chance of being sued, if this becomes common knowledge.
If a member, lost their temper and assaulted people, at a Star Party, we may have a problem. Board Members probably have a greater burden on this matter. I also get nervous when ladders and darkness are combined.
Bruce does an outstanding job of taking reasonable proactive measures to facilitate safety at SPOC. Negligence does not exist at SPOC.
The ease of those court challenges is greatly exaggerated. If we had better access to courts the ACLU would go away. Divorce cases clog the courts. They are sometimes the only option, unfortunately. Tort reform is needed but I am sure we disagree on what reform.
Your Best bet is personal injury, if you want to profit. Civil Rights suits rarely result in a big cash payment. It takes a fortune to prevail in these as there are many bills to pay. And if you work for Wall Mart they will get all anyway. Erik I believe in some circles, all those things you listed could, with the
right ACLU attorney, be argued as a basis for a law suit. But I will yield to your expertise. ;)
Quoting Chuck Hards <chuck.hards@gmail.com>:
The law guarantees that discrimination will not be allowed based on race, gender, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, physical handicaps, and marital status.
You can discriminate based on hobbies all you want.
On Mon, Jun 16, 2008 at 9:12 AM, <diveboss@xmission.com> wrote:
And when they turn it down, I can actually picture certain members filing a law suit for descrimination.
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Aperture Discrimination? I propose and Amendment the Right to Bear Telescopes. I doubt even the ACLU would take that one on. I understand TRAX is planning real estate development by their stations. There could be interesting options for Star or Sun Parties. At least from a high traffic standpoint and I could see myself living in a Condo a block from a TRAX line.
And when they turn it down, I can actually picture certain members
filing a law suit for descrimination.
Quoting erikhansen@TheBlueZone.net:
We could ask for Telescope racks.
Maybe the BOD can investigate the possibility of using a Darkend Trax
station at each end of the line for their star parties. That would be cheaper. Of course lugging Daniels 17.5 " Dob on a Trax Train might be a bit much.
Quoting erikhansen@TheBlueZone.net:
Hi Chuck, TITP is an experiment due to SLAS feedback. Harmons is pretty much set in stone because of their SPOC donations. One does wonder how much outreach outside of Wasatch Front SLAS can support with soaring gas price. I talked with a member who spent $60 on gas for an outreach event. That seems unsustainable. The 2009 SLAS BOD will likely decide the fate of TITP.
Erik
I'm not sure about purely SLAS discussions held on an open forum, but
here's my 2 cents.
While I'm not dead-set against public outreach, I feel that the SPOC is outreach enough.
We don't need to turn into John Dobson-style "missionaries" and take the telescope to the streetcorner as an organization, a category I feel TITP & Harmon's parking lots fall into. I partly feel this way because in past years, the "off-site" star-party regulars have voiced complaints about being stretched too thin. Has this situation changed? Let those who want to continue those events do it for "extra credit", and not make it a central pillar of a SLAS mission statement.
I like to attend at least a few SPOC star parties a year, so that is my preference. The others are mostly glad-handing and a venue for a couple of folks who really like the social aspects of those parking-lot sessions.
SPOC is a long-term commitment "set in concrete", literally.
TITP and Harmons events MUST be scheduled based on the word of those who commit to being there.
On Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 2:38 AM, Patrick Wiggins <paw@wirelessbeehive.com> wrote:
Speaking of star parties, there was a discussion about TITP vs. SPOC vs. Harmons at tonight's star party and at the "Advanced Training Session" that followed.
If we follow the examples of the past couple of years, SLAS will be needing to come up with next year's public star party schedule in the next few months and it would be a good idea to see how those *who actually attend star parties* feel about where public star parties are held before next year's schedule s set.
Any thoughts here on the subject?
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Erik, I had not even considered the price of fuel. That alone would is going to play a key part in the discussion, I'm sure. On Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 4:35 PM, <erikhansen@thebluezone.net> wrote:
Hi Chuck, TITP is an experiment due to SLAS feedback. Harmons is pretty much set in stone because of their SPOC donations. One does wonder how much outreach outside of Wasatch Front SLAS can support with soaring gas price. I talked with a member who spent $60 on gas for an outreach event. That seems unsustainable. The 2009 SLAS BOD will likely decide the fate of TITP.
On 15 Jun 2008, at 15:59, Chuck Hards wrote:
I'm not sure about purely SLAS discussions held on an open forum, but here's my 2 cents.
No worries there. I'm not looking just for SLASer input. I'd also like to know what non-SLAS members think of the various sites. I have some definite feelings but I'd like to see how others feel. Any other thoughts out there? patrick
OK, I see. But I do agree with you- it's the participants themselves who will determine if TITP and other "have telescope, will travel" star-parties continue. On Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 10:46 PM, Patrick Wiggins <paw@wirelessbeehive.com> wrote:
On 15 Jun 2008, at 15:59, Chuck Hards wrote:
I'm not sure about purely SLAS discussions held on an open forum, but here's my 2 cents.
No worries there. I'm not looking just for SLASer input. I'd also like to know what non-SLAS members think of the various sites.
I have some definite feelings but I'd like to see how others feel.
Any other thoughts out there?
Patrick, I would love to repeat the visibility test Ann House and I performed a couple of years ago. If you or anyone else is ever up for a line-of-sight, long-distance laser "event", let me know and we can organize one. I mentioned to Seth off-line that I would like to try an experiment with NASA's blessing, of trying to see if the crew of either the ISS or shuttle could spot several of us targeting them with our lasers from the ground, as they passed over northern Utah. At orbital distances, there would be absolutely no danger to the eyesight of any astronauts. Want to pitch the idea to NASA? On Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 2:38 AM, Patrick Wiggins <paw@wirelessbeehive.com> wrote:
Darn. I wish I had seen your message before leaving for the This Is the Place star party. I would have called you and had you shine it up our way.
Hi Chuck, On 15 Jun 2008, at 16:07, Chuck Hards wrote:
Patrick, I would love to repeat the visibility test Ann House and I performed a couple of years ago. If you or anyone else is ever up for a line-of-sight, long-distance laser "event", let me know and we can organize one.
Next new Moon what's say I get you on the phone late one night and have you aim your laser skyward in the azimuth of SPOC and I'll see if I can see the beam from here. We could also try seeing it from TITP next time.
I mentioned to Seth off-line that I would like to try an experiment with NASA's blessing, of trying to see if the crew of either the ISS or shuttle could spot several of us targeting them with our lasers from the ground, as they passed over northern Utah.
That reminds me to an event during John Glenn's first flight when the city of Perth, Australia arranged to flash the city's lights Glenn passed over. I just checked the web and I see they did it again during Glenn's second flight. In both cases he said he could see the change.
Want to pitch the idea to NASA?
Sure, I'll just ring my good buddy Mike (NASA Administrator Michael Griffin) and see what he says. I've been meaning to talk to him about my finally catching a ride on the shuttle. <grin> Cheers, patrick
Hi Friends, I wanted to show off my latest astrophoto, basically a quick-and-dirty set of shots to test my new autoguider. I took it early Saturday morning, shooting from Little Mountain. First the moon put out such intense light that I waited for it to set, after 2 a.m., before looking for a target. But the change turned out to be slight, as Salt Lake City's light pollution was horrendous -- worse than it was years ago from the site. I could not see any galaxies except M31, and it was hard to spot any nebulae. I took this view while aiming in the direction of M8, but I'm not certain it is the Lagoon. It might be a close-up of an adjacent NGC object -- can anyone distinguish part of the Lagoon in it? Don? I saw Don's fabulous overall view of the Lagoon when I was uploading this pic. Anyway, let me know if you can ID it for sure. Also, I wanted to say that my Orion autoguider worked well except for the times it lost the guide star because of light pollution. I can't wait to try it in clear, dark skies. Here's the URL for the pic on my Utah Astronomy album: http://www.utahastronomy.com/main.php?g2_itemId=11551 Best wishes, Joe
I'm pretty sure it won't be visible. I tried this in the neighborhood again, and the kids only a few blocks away could just BARELY see the beam when directed over their location. But it's worth a try! It would be the brightest thing in the valley if seen on-axis from TITP. When Ann's laser was sweeping around, trying to target me, it was ghostly, errie. Like a scene from ALIEN. On Sun, Jun 15, 2008 at 10:40 PM, Patrick Wiggins <paw@wirelessbeehive.com> wrote:
Next new Moon what's say I get you on the phone late one night and have you aim your laser skyward in the azimuth of SPOC and I'll see if I can see the beam from here.
We could also try seeing it from TITP next time.
Wayne, It's yours. I'll have it at work with me beginning Monday. Thanks! Seth -----Original Message----- From: utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com on behalf of Wayne Sumner Sent: Fri 6/13/2008 5:25 PM To: utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] DesctructiveGear.com Seth, If it's still available, I'll buy it for $180, battery included. Please let me know quick. I have a star party coming up soon. Thanks, Wayne A. Sumner Math/Physics/Astronomy/Engineering Boy's Tennis Coach Northridge High School Davis School District (801) 402-8610
"Seth Jarvis" <SJarvis@slco.org> 06/13/08 1:22 PM >>> OK, I've completely lost my mind.
I just ordered the 100 mW version of the laser. That means my one-day-old-perfect-condition 75 mW (actually specs at 80) is up for sale for the $180 it cost me, but I'll throw in the $10 battery I put in it yesterday. Seth -----Original Message----- From: utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Seth Jarvis Sent: Friday, June 13, 2008 1:11 PM To: Utah Astronomy Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] DesctructiveGear.com Nope, this will be my first report to the group. My 75mW green laser from DestructiveGear.com arrived yesterday (Thursday), less than a week after I ordered it. Considering it came in an envelope with a Taiwanese postmark, that's pretty impressive. The laser seems to be very well made and came with a bench test report indicating that over its 20 second quality control test it had a mean output of a skosh over 80 mW. This little bugger is _bright_. If you want to do the electrical tape cutting and match lighting, this laser is just _barely_ able to do that. I'd say go for the 100 mW if you're dreaming of a death ray. As a night sky pointer, it's simply incredible. As I told Chuck off-line, a person with a P.A. system and one of these lasers could do a star & constellation ID session for a very large audience. I had my son stand over a hundred feet from my last night in city lighting conditions and the beam still looked like a bright pole of light going right to the star he was pointing at. I wish I'd bought the 100 mW laser, but this little bugger for $180 is still sweet - my favorite new toy. BTW, it uses fairly expensive 123 Lithium camera batteries. The best deal I've found for them is a box of 12 from surefire.com. Delivered they'll run you about $26 for the dozen, compared to about $8-$10 each if bought singly from the local supermarket. It's a blast! Seth Jarvis, Director Clark Planetarium -----Original Message----- From: utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Chuck Hards Sent: Friday, June 13, 2008 12:54 PM To: Utah Astronomy Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] DesctructiveGear.com I got a tracking update that my 100mw has cleared Customs. Should be here in a few days. Seth has reported terrific incendiary news on his 75mw. (Did you report to the group while I was off-line?) _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://gallery.utahastronomy.com Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://gallery.utahastronomy.com Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://gallery.utahastronomy.com Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://gallery.utahastronomy.com Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com
participants (9)
-
Chuck Hards -
diveboss＠xmission.com -
erikhansen＠TheBlueZone.net -
Joe Bauman -
Josephine Grahn -
Kim -
Patrick Wiggins -
Seth Jarvis -
Wayne Sumner