APL Astronomy Club Meeting July 17, 2013

Agenda Welcome new officers: –Dan Smith, Mark Kochte, Helen Hart, Dave Tillman Treasurer’s report Equipment acquisition / 2014 budget Upcoming Events Observing reports: –Star Quest X: Mark Kochte –others?

APL Astronomy Club Treasury July 17, 2013 Dues income for CY members have paid dues (16 paid in 2012) - New members: Tim Bultman (MP6), Uday Shankar (200) $ Recent Expenditures $ to Steve Conard for AstroTrac repair $ to Steve Conard for AstroTrac repair $ Credit Union balance (17 July 2013) $ Rec Office Balance (FY 2013) $1870 was granted $1870 was granted All items in original budget have been purchased. All items in original budget have been purchased. $ 0.00

Budget Info Typical appropriation is average of previous three years of grants adjusted by CPI – $3109 – $3182 – $2138 – $2726 – $2451 – $ but is also related to membership –Nominal 80/20 split between APLRinc and membership dues e.g., 20 $25 = $500 ~ APLRinc grant of $2000

FY 2013 Purchases Solar observing –Solar Telescope -> CaK Lunt 70 mm Lunt case Dovetail mounting plate Meade DS2000 mount Sun finder –Meade DS2000 mount for our H-alpha Lunt –Sun finder for our H-alpha Lunt Imaging –3 x Orion Starshoot Solar System Imaging Camera IV

FY 2012 Purchases Solar Observing –Solar telescope -> H-alpha Lunt 60 mm (LS60T) Zoom eyepiece ( mm) Narrow bandpass filter (Dougle Stack 50F 0.5 Angstrom filter Dovetail mounting plate –Solar filters ETX-90 (white light) StellarVue 102mm (white light) Meade 7" Maksutov (white light) Orion 8" Dob (white light) Books –3 x The Sun & How to Observe It (Astronomer's Observing Guides) –The Science and Art of Using Telescopes (Patrick Moore's Practical Astronomy Series)

FY 2011 Purchases Equatorial platform for Orion 8" Dob StellarVue F2 Finder mounting base system Ultrawide 31 mm Celestron Axiom eyepiece MallinCam VSS+ video camera Eclipse Glasses (x100) Star and Planet Locator (x2) Dew Management equipment (Dew-not) –Controller and various heating bands

FY 2010 Purchases AstroTrac equatorial tracking kit –Manfrotto tripod –Ball head and alt-az head –AstroTrac with polar alignment scope iOptron mini-tower Pro tripod and Alt-Az GoTo (use with StellarVue, for example) StarDust Observing Chair Books, atlases, manuals ($300)

FY 2009 Purchases StellarVue 102ED Semi-APO Refractor Telescope –2" Diagonal mirror –Astrotech Voyager Alt-Az mount Orion 8" XTi Intelliscope Push-To Dobsonian

FY 2008 Purchases Meade Lightbridge 16" Dobsonian telescope Accessories for Meade 12" SCT –Dew shield –Equatorial wedge –Focal reducer (f/6.3) –CCD Camera (Meade DSI Pro II) 16 bit Monochrome ~500k pixels

Equipment Acquisition Strategy Look at check-out records - who borrows what and how often? What is not getting borrowed and why? – –Weight / awkwardness / size – –Appropriateness for light skies / dark skies – –Expertise required – –Completeness of set for desired observing Analyze what is covered – –Light bucket / dark sky (Meade Lightbridge 16" and 12" SCT) – –High end Solar H-alpha and Calcium-K – –Entry solar - Coronado PST – –Refractor / planetary (StellarVue / iOptron) – –"Beginner" scope (Orion?) – –Stable Alt-Az - Meade 7" Mak / LX200 – –Ultraportable - Questar – –Webcam cameras (but paired with what scope / mount?) – –DSLR photography (AstroTrac kit) Pair books with scopes as part of kit (Turn left at..., etc.) Major factors – –Portability – –Utility in light-polluted skies?

Suggestions for 2014 budget request Meade 16" Lightbridge usability – –Telrad (for when the JMI push-to won't perform and for low observing angles) $40 – –Telrad finder book (spiral bound; directions for finding using Telrad) – –JMI counterweight set (offset weight of Telrad and 2" lenses) ($80) – –Az bearing fix – –Illuminated reticle eyepiece (alignment) ($100) – –Transport options / ramp ?? Orion 8" Dob – –Illuminated reticle eyepiece (alignment) Questar – –Portable pier (see AstroTrac package) Orion Sirius EQ-G GoTo GEM ($ lb load) / Celestron GEM (VX - $720, CGEM - $1350) – –Astrophotography – –Alternate mount for Stellarvue – –(GEM is lighter than dual-fork; should be more portable; should provide sufficient stability for vid cam usage) – –Consider pairing with manageable newtonian (f7 or faster) for astrophotography

Suggestions for 2014 budget request - continued Binoculars – –8 x 56 Celestron SkyMaster ($210) – –15 x 70 Celestron ($90) – –Binocular counter-balance Obsession 12.5" f/5 ($4000 base - add telrad and push-to $$$) Lunt H-alpha –Sky-Watcher AllView Mount: $399 Lunt Ca-K –Lunt Zoom Eyepiece ( mm): $149

Upcoming Events – APL Club Friends and Family Star Party October 11, 2013 Solar Observing - August 20???

Upcoming Events - Regional Spoutwood Summer Solstice Star Party - July 19, 2013 (this Friday) HAL Public Star Party – August 10, Alpha Ridge Park (Persied Meteor Shower) Stellafane ConventionStellafane Convention - August 8-11, Springfield, VT Telescope Makers Annual Convention Stellafane Convention NOVAC AHSPNOVAC AHSP - Sept. 6-10, Spruce Knob, WV NOVAC AHSP Black Forest Star PartyBlack Forest Star Party - Sept. 6-8, Central Pennsylvania Observers - Cherry Springs State Park, Potter County, PA Black Forest Star Party Chaos Fall Star PartyChaos Fall Star Party - October 1-6, Staunton River State Park - Near Scottsburg, Virginia Staunton River State Park Chaos Fall Star PartyStaunton River State Park No Frills XVIIINo Frills XVIII - TBD Delmarva Star Gazers Tuckahoe State Park's Equestrian Center, Queen Anne, MD No Frills XVIII

Observing Reports