How to make a light-tight red-light sign box for star parties
http://members.csolutions.net/fisherka/astronote/atm/sprlbx/MakeStarPartySig... This website contains construction plans for a light-tight box to display red-light signs at star parties. The signs are laser-printed transparencies. The box is designed to screw onto a standard camera tripod mount. Using such a sign, it is possible to set-up an informational sign in front of a telescope at a star party that displays the type of object currently in the telescope. The intent is to have several of these signs in a line of telescopes pointed at different types of objects. Using a handout describing the major celestial objects (e.g. - double stars, dark clouds, open clusters, globulars, planetary nebula, several types of galaxies), the public can browse a line of scopes for an orrey of objects. Attention was given to making the red-light box light-tight for white light. Generic transparencies are provided. This red-light box will be of interest to intermediate amateur astronomers and to astronomy clubs. - Canopus56 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
Good idea, Kurt. One of the neater variations I've seen for this purpose was one of those programmable, scrolling LED signs, using only red LEDs. Just a couple of keyboard strokes to change what was displayed. One could carry it a step further, and interface the display with a GoTo telescope & on-board library- then everyone could see what was in the eyepiece at the moment, along with whatever the library entry had on-file about it. Even better than the text display, use a laptop. Many of these libraries have detailed graphics, photos, even animations on-file. Could save a lot of time preparing, swapping, and keeping track of transparencies. One possible fly in the ointment is that most star-party scopes don't stay on a single object for long anyway- everyone in the telescope "line-up" should stick to the "script" if using a hand-out. Patchy clouds could render the scripted smorgasborg moot, as folks slewed to targets of opportunity. But it is a good organizational excercise, perhaps best suited to large groups such as schools, scouts, or seniors. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
--- Chuck Hards <chuckhards@yahoo.com> wrote:
Good idea, Kurt.
Probably overdone. A simple alternative to this sign display box is to purchase a variable red-LED flashlight from Rigel Systems or Orion Telescopes for $20-$30. Place paper signs on a clipboard. Hang the clipboard either from your telescope tripod legs or from a separate camera tripod. I decided to throw the box together to head-off the inevitable star party "turn off that light" complaint that might arise from the clipboard method. This duct tape and scissors "atm" project was an outgrowth from a suggestion at a SLAS meeting earlier this year. Some general public members at star parties complained that all the scope owners choose one or two targets of opporunity. All the scopes are looking at the same thing. At a SLAS meeting earlier this year, an AstroLeague education handout was circulated that contained a brief blurb on common objects - galaxies, pn's, globs, oc's, dkn's, etc. Bill Kennedy suggested that somekind of sign in front of each scope would allow the general public to browse between various object types. It also makes it easy between scope owners to quickly survey what each scope is pointing at, so we are not duplicating each other. Any who, that is the general idea. Just a suggestion, not a prescription. - Canopus56 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
Question, with a bit of explanation up-front: When I was a star-party regular (and plan to be again one day), pleasing the general public wasn't the main point behind the club holding them. The club was a magnet for like-minded people, not really a public relations device. Most of us went to look through our own telescopes, maybe take some pictures, BS with fellow clubbers and see what the other atm's had been up to. If it was convenient for a stranger to take a look, and they were polite about asking, they got their look. If "star party" now means "educational outreach for the general public", is the type of participant I outlined above not welcome anymore? Or are there two distinct types of star-party now? Can I go to a star party without asking strangers "What do you know about astronomy? Would you like to know more?" ;) I suppose public outreach goes along with A.L. affiliation. --- Canopus56 <canopus56@yahoo.com> wrote:
Some general public members at star parties complained that all the scope owners choose one or two targets of opporunity. All the scopes are looking at the same thing.
At a SLAS meeting earlier this year, an AstroLeague education handout was circulated that contained a brief blurb on common objects - galaxies, pn's, globs, oc's, dkn's, etc. Bill Kennedy suggested that somekind of sign in front of each scope would allow the general public to browse between various object types.
It also makes it easy between scope owners to quickly survey what each scope is pointing at, so we are not duplicating each other.
Any who, that is the general idea. Just a suggestion, not a prescription.
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--- Chuck Hards <chuckhards@yahoo.com> wrote: <snip>
When I was a star-party regular (and plan to be again one day), pleasing the general public wasn't the main point behind the club holding them. <snip> If "star party" now means "educational outreach for the general public", is the type of participant I outlined above not welcome anymore? Or are there two distinct types of star-party now?
My impression is that there are two types of star parties now. SLAS prints up several thousand public star party calendars a year. For a few of the warm summer public parties that I have attended, the SPOC parking lot overflows and it is packed with kids and parents. When the weather is bad, these tend to be lower keyed assembly of celestially like-minded individuals. The more frequent private star parties are an equal if not more predominate part of the club. Private star parties are either announced for SPOC on the calendar or are more typically are "the meet and peak at the Gravel Pit" affairs. The public star parties are a public outreach effort. As I understand it, it was part of the quid pro quo for the private financing of SPOC's construction. In the winter SLAS meetings, there was some discussion of the aging of the club membership and the need to attract new younger members. That was context within which improving the public star parties was discussed, and within which, Lowell has been holding the last series of meetings since January at different locations, e.g. - the U of U, SL Community College - and advocating partnerships with the planetarium. As I understand it, the intent was outreach to attract newer and younger members. But the bulk of real club activity is still the type of like-minded individuals getting together that you described above. The two are not mutually exclusive. By way of full disclosure, I have not extensively participated in the private or the public star parties. Mostly I have attended the monthly general meetings and taken training. I have only recently gotten my gear together to the point where I can do the star parties, and hope to be a more frequent attendee this season. Now if the weather would cooperate. -:) - Canopus56 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
Thanks, Kurt, I had a feeling it was something like that. My problem isn't lack of equipment, but lack of time and zero interest on the part of the rest of the family. "Telescope night" just isn't an option for family recreational time. I'm just at a phase of my life where hobbies have to take a back seat. Even what little on-line time I have is taken up with email almost exclusively- I don't "surf" and only rarely look at Websites, even the ones posted here unfortunately. And even then there sometimes isn't time for that- I had to click the "no mail" list option for a month and a half recently due to workload and family responsibilities. Weeknight meetings are almost impossible for me to attend unless I'm on vacation and it's not a school night for the kid. But things are slowly changing and coming years will see more free time as my daughter gets older. I figure once she gets a driver's license, I'll only see her when she needs money, so I might get a major portion of my time back! ;) I'm still trying to get the heavy-duty parallelogram finished- that's only a 40 or 50 hour project, but I've had almost zero workshop time for weeks now. After that, I have about decided to bypass the 12.5" scope that I have optics for, and go straight to the 17.5" (had the optics since 1987) with a no-frills visual scope approach, just to be able to look through the darn thing. A myriad of other half-completed projects could conceivably keep me busy for years- and I hope they do one day! I really am passionate about this hobby, as I approach my 40th year of amateur astronomy (2008!), and hope to be much more involved again, one of these days. --- Canopus56 <canopus56@yahoo.com> wrote:
My impression is that there are two types of star parties now.
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--- Chuck Hards <chuckhards@yahoo.com> wrote:
After that, I have about decided to bypass the 12.5" scope that I have optics for, and go straight to the 17.5" (had the optics since 1987) with a no-frills visual scope approach, just to be able to look through the darn thing.
Your'r way past where I am. I just got the homemade camera support bar bolted on to the Orion 10" newt.
"Telescope night" just isn't an option for family recreational time.
Well, if you ever need an "emergency" call to the workshop for cover, I'm sure a number of people here can help you out. -:) - Canopus56 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
Deja vu'- I did this on my own 10" Dob back in '94, when I used a video camera to record the Shoemaker-Levy 9 impact with Jupiter. Got some incredible images. BTW, if anyone has frame-grabbing software and an 8mm video deck, or otherwise knows how to transfer the images from tape to digital media, please let me know! --- Canopus56 <canopus56@yahoo.com> wrote:
I just got the homemade camera support bar bolted on to the Orion 10" newt.
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Chuck Hards wrote:
BTW, if anyone has frame-grabbing software and an 8mm video deck, or otherwise knows how to transfer the images from tape to digital media, please let me know!
If you can find something with a "Video Out" that will play your tapes I have the hardware to convert the analog signal to digital. Patrick
I have an 8mm video camera with video out, which I need to convert to digital. Is that what you mean? Wade
"Patrick Wiggins" <paw@wirelessbeehive.com> 05/30/06 1:42 PM >>>
Chuck Hards wrote:
BTW, if anyone has frame-grabbing software and an 8mm video deck, or otherwise knows how to transfer the images from tape to digital media, please let me know!
If you can find something with a "Video Out" that will play your tapes I have the hardware to convert the analog signal to digital. Patrick _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.utahastronomy.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wade Starks wrote:
I have an 8mm video camera with video out, which I need to convert to digital. Is that what you mean?
Wade
Hi, I'm not sure if your question was meant for Chuck or me, but I'll take a stab at it. If what you have will play Chuck's old (circa 1994) 8mm video tapes it could be used to produce a video signal that my converter will convert to a digital signal which could then be stored on computer and posted to the web. Patrick
Patrick, I fired-up my camera tonight- and it works! Perhaps we can digitize a SL-9/Jupiter impact clip when I come out to seal the walls on refractor house? Maybe this weekend, if you'll be around? I noticed that the first couple of minutes footage are the sharpest, before the ground started giving-up the heat it accumulated during the day. Two large impact sites are clearly visible. --- Patrick Wiggins <paw@wirelessbeehive.com> wrote:
Wade Starks wrote:
I have an 8mm video camera with video out, which I need to convert to digital. Is that what you mean?
Wade
Hi,
I'm not sure if your question was meant for Chuck or me, but I'll take a stab at it.
If what you have will play Chuck's old (circa 1994) 8mm video tapes it could be used to produce a video signal that my converter will convert to a digital signal which could then be stored on computer and posted to the web.
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Evening Chuck, Chuck Hards wrote:
Patrick, I fired-up my camera tonight- and it works! Perhaps we can digitize a SL-9/Jupiter impact clip when I come out to seal the walls on refractor house? Maybe this weekend, if you'll be around?
I'm volunteering at Element 11 (the local Burning Man festivities at Bonneville Seabase, http://www.utahburn.org/ ) this Saturday but should be around on Sunday. Patrick
I also have an analogue to digital converter. It takes S-video RCA inputs and plugs into a USB port. With Windoze and the internet, it will find the driver automatically. - C --- Chuck Hards <chuckhards@yahoo.com> wrote:
Patrick, I fired-up my camera tonight- and it works!
Perhaps we can digitize a SL-9/Jupiter impact clip when I come out to seal the walls on refractor house? Maybe this weekend, if you'll be around?
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My old 8mm cam-corder no longer works, thanks to my daughter...so I need to borrow either an 8mm cam-corder or 8mm VCR. It must be regular 8mm, not hi-8. 8mm decks will play hi-8, but hi-8 tapes will not play in regular 8mm units. If we could get your camera, my tape, and Patrick's analog-to-digital equipment all in the same room, we can convert my old SL-9 footage. BTW, there are still a lot of 8mm decks about. I've been watching some on eBay from time-to-time, but never purchased one...yet. --- Wade Starks <StarksWC@ldschurch.org> wrote:
I have an 8mm video camera with video out, which I need to convert to digital. Is that what you mean?
Wade
"Patrick Wiggins" <paw@wirelessbeehive.com> 05/30/06 1:42 PM >>>
Chuck Hards wrote:
BTW, if anyone has frame-grabbing software and an 8mm video deck, or otherwise knows how to transfer the images from tape to digital media, please let me know!
If you can find something with a "Video Out" that will play your tapes I have the hardware to convert the analog signal to digital.
Patrick
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Chuck Hards wrote:
One of the neater variations I've seen for this purpose was one of those programmable, scrolling LED signs, using only red LEDs.
You mean like this? http://www.liquidationconnect.com/storefrontprofiles/processfeed.aspx?sfid=9... I kind of liked this one. :) http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=LED-HAT&cat=GDT
Exactly. And it appears that prices have dropped considerably last time I checked. They used to sell for around $200 & up. --- Patrick Wiggins <paw@wirelessbeehive.com> wrote:
Chuck Hards wrote:
One of the neater variations I've seen for this purpose was one of those programmable, scrolling LED signs, using only red LEDs.
You mean like this?
http://www.liquidationconnect.com/storefrontprofiles/processfeed.aspx?sfid=9...
I kind of liked this one. :)
http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=LED-HAT&cat=GDT __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
--- Patrick Wiggins <paw@wirelessbeehive.com> wrote:
I kind of liked this one. :)
http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=LED-HAT&cat=GDT I think Chuck meant something like this - http://www.vialta.com/vistaframe100.htm Must be an ATMer. $200 solution for a $20 problem. -:) - Canopus56 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
Actually, Patrick's post was what I was talking about. We've used the scrolling displays here at work on some of our products in the past, but it's been literally years since I've seen one close-up. And you have me backwards as an ATM- I purchase as little as possible- I'm the $2 solution for a $2000 problem guy. I have literally gone "dumpster diving" for telescope materials! ;) BTW, that Geeks.com site is where I bought my "cheap" ($42) green laser last year. Bruce and I were comparing it with my Beta pointer at SPOC some weeks ago. While noticeably dimmer than the Beta pointer, the Geek unit was still perfectly useable as a pointer, for less than half the price. --- Canopus56 <canopus56@yahoo.com> wrote:
--- Patrick Wiggins <paw@wirelessbeehive.com> wrote:
I kind of liked this one. :)
http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=LED-HAT&cat=GDT
I think Chuck meant something like this -
http://www.vialta.com/vistaframe100.htm
Must be an ATMer. $200 solution for a $20 problem. -:)
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Since most of the go to scopes at our star parties have this feature, I would be very interested in having such a sign informing the party goers what they can expect if they kick or otherwise disturb the tripod. ;) Quoting Canopus56 <canopus56@yahoo.com>:
http://members.csolutions.net/fisherka/astronote/atm/sprlbx/MakeStarPartySig...
This website contains construction plans for a light-tight box to display red-light signs at star parties. The signs are laser-printed transparencies. The box is designed to screw onto a standard camera tripod mount. Using such a sign, it is possible to set-up an informational sign in front of a telescope at a star party that displays the type of object currently in the telescope. The intent is to have several of these signs in a line of telescopes pointed at different types of objects. Using a handout describing the major celestial objects (e.g. - double stars, dark clouds, open clusters, globulars, planetary nebula, several types of galaxies), the public can browse a line of scopes for an orrey of objects.
Attention was given to making the red-light box light-tight for white light.
Generic transparencies are provided.
This red-light box will be of interest to intermediate amateur astronomers and to astronomy clubs.
- Canopus56
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So, the skull on a pole isn't working for you anymore? --- diveboss@xmission.com wrote:
Since most of the go to scopes at our star parties have this feature, I would be very interested in having such a sign informing the party goers what they can expect if they kick or otherwise disturb the tripod. ;)
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participants (5)
-
Canopus56 -
Chuck Hards -
diveboss＠xmission.com -
Patrick Wiggins -
Wade Starks