Date: April 19-20, 1969
Attendance: 135
| Telescope Makers
Conference By Clifford W. Holmes Conference Chairman President, Riverside Astronomical Society Vice President, Western Amateur Astronomers |
A telescope makers conference was held in Riverside, California, at Riverside City College. The conference, open to all Southern California Astronomical Societies and clubs, was attended by approximately one huncred and thirty five persons with sixteen societies represented.
Those attending were asked to bring their telescopes and or related equipment for demonstration and display.
Six speakers for the conference were invited to attend.
Registration of those attending, and set up of displays and telescopes was accomplished between 12:00 Noon and 3:00 P.M., Saturday, April 19.
The conference was called to order by Clifford Holmes, President of the Riverside Astronomical Society at 3:00 P.M.
Robert T. Dixon, Riverside City College Planetarium Director, welcomed the delegates to the college campus.
The first of the Saturday afternoon speakers was:
1. Thomas R. Cave of Cave Optical Company, Long Beach, California, whose subject was "Amateur Telescopes and Their Improvements." He discussed the mechanical and optical changes in telescopes through the years.
2. Arthur Leonard of the University of California at Davis and Sacramento discussed high performance telescopes, tilted mirror optics and the unobstructed reflector.
3. The third speaker was Richard Buchroder who is an optical designer from the University of Arizona, Tucson. His subject was "Off Axis Telescopes."
Later that same evening, the College Planetarium housing a Spitz A-4 projector was demostrated by Robert T. Dixon - director. Three programs were given to accomodate those attending the conference. During the same hours, the many telescopes brought by those attending the conference were used to observe the celestial objects visible: the Crescent Moon, Orion, Jupiter, and Uranus.
The telescopes ranged in size from Jack Eastman's 1-1/2" reflector with clock drive, to Clifford Holmes' 12-1/2" reflector mounted on a "nostalgic Porter Split-ring."
Others attending of special interest were Gerald Fifer of Riverside with his F/4, 10 inch reflector, who received first place for optics at Stellafane in 1966, and Norman James of Panorama City, California, who received first place in mechanics at Stellafane '66 for a Sphere Watermount.
George Carroll from Tujunga, California and Stony Ridge Observatory displayed his solar coronagraph and many enjoyed observing the sun before the morning session on Sunday. Some were lucky enough to witness a small flare.
The morning session convened at 9: A.M. with the first speaker, Doctor Robert Chambers of Pomona Collee, California describing photo-electric photometry with amateur telescopes.
Robert Goff of the Perkin Elmer Corporation discussed "Making Large Astronomical Optics." He included a movie showing the figuring and testing of the 88" mirror for the Hawaiian Observatory.
Charles Capen from the Table Mountain Observatory, Wrightwood, California was the final speaker whose topic involved what the amateur astronomer can see as well as special aids for photography with amateur telescopes. He also showed color slides of Jupiter and Mars taken within the last month with the 82" telescope at the Mac Donald Observatory.
Several group discussions and individual seminars were conducted after the scheduled conference sessions with the speakers discussing optical design and mechanics.
Other participants of special interest included Mr. Ed Byers of Barstow, California who displayed his telescope drive systems, and representatives of Citrus College Optical classes who provided a display of mirrors, lenses, and related optical equipment.
The conference was a success and those in attendance felt that the ideas and suggestions exchanged by amateurs as well as professional astronomers in the field of telescope making and otpics will continue to satisfy a real need for a workshop such as this to continue. "SEE YOU NEXT YEAR." |
