Now, in association with Amazon.com, purchase these books online! Amazon can even do a search of used-book sellers for out-of-print books. If you would prefer to do your own searches for out-of-print books, I suggest the Advanced Book Exchange.(Click on the appropriate links below.)
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Advanced Telescope Making Techniques, 2 Volumes Allan Mackintosh, ed. William Charles Communications, 1977 Republished by Willmann-Bell, Inc., 1986 ISBN: 0943396115 (volume 1) and 0943396123 (volume 2) |
| Comment: A smattering of everything pre-Dobson, but does not attempt to cover basic TM information needed by those making a first scope. ATMT is a collection of articles from "The Maksutav Circulars." (dis)Organized along the lines of the origional ATM series, the articles tend to be somewhat shorter, and mostly appear to be of 1950s or 60s vintage. Aptly named, there is almost no information on "basic" ATM techniques or theory, but lots of information along more esoteric lines: tile tools, advanced testing techniques, 2-3 articles on interferometers, spherometers, a spectrohelioscope, mirror making machines, etc. Vol. II (mechanical) will likely be fairly frustrating for those lacking access to a machine shop, or at least a lathe....but a true joy for those "machine enabled." There are many references to ATM articles...to the point that some of the articles are hard to follow unless one has access to ATM. In spite of this (debatable) fault, the volumes are still a treasure. ATMT is will not show anyone how to make a telescope, but for those already bitten by the bug, it will certainly fuel the imagination. Definitly not the first or even second book for a new ATM's collection, but surely among the first dozen. | |
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All about telescopes Sam Brown Edmund Scientific Co. ISBN: 0-933346-20-4 |
| Comment: First published in 1967, this 208 page book has more than half of its content as pen and ink illustrations or hand printed tables. While it may be at first glace be dismissed as a glorified comic book, it has managed to boil down optical theory, telescope use, astrophotograhy and ATM techiques to a concise and usable all purpose reference. No information on Dobsonian mounts or CCD's. Also, available from Willmann-Bell. At least some list members believe this to be one of the best beginner ATM books. | |
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Amateur Telescope Making, 3 volumes Albert G. Ingalls, ed. Scientific American (out of print) Re-published by Willman-Bell, 1996 ISBN for Willmann-Bell editions: 0-943396-48-4 (V1), 0-943396-49-2 (V2), 0-943396-50-6 (V3)
Comment: By all accounts, these three volumes represent the ultimate ATM books. They contain lots of theory, procedures, and practical advice on everything from newtonian mirrors, to drives, to observatories. Each of the volumes of the original series was published separately (they weren't a set originally). |
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Amateur Telescope Making Stephen Tonkin, ed. Springer-Verlag ISBN: 1852330007 |
| Comment: New book, edited by Stephen Tonkin, showcases a number of projects from notable ATMs around the world. | |
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Build Your Own Telescope, 2nd edition
Richard Berry Willmann-Bell, Inc., 1994 ISBN: 0-943396-42-5 |
| Comment: By most accounts, this a very good book. Every ATM should probably have a copy of this one. Some have noted that while Berry knows his optics, he's not as knowledgeable with his woodworking. His designs are generally heavy and don't necessarily follow best woodworking principles. Originally published in 1985 by Kalmbach Publishing, ISBN: 0-684-18476-1 | |
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Choosing, Using & Repairing Binoculars
J.W. Seyfried University Optics, Inc., 1995 ISBN: 0-934639-01-9 |
| Comment: Details techniques for testing, collimating, and disassembling binoculars, plus a small bit on re-cementing lenses. Includes directions for building and using a binocular collimator. The author states that you can determine the degree of mis-collimation by sighting a horizontally-oriented target at 75 yards and comparing the image orientation in the left and right tube. The distance should be more like 200 yards to get a true reading. Production quality of the book is pretty poor. The book is filled with typos, sentences that got chopped off, and paragraphs that are repeated. If you can read past the typos, the material seems valid. | |
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The Dobsonian Telescope: A Practical Manual for Building Large Aperture Telescopes David Kriege and Richard Berry Willmann-Bell, Inc., 1997 ISBN: 0-943396-55-7 |
| Comment: One of the newest ATM books. This is a rigorous book, with basic information about structural design, wood properties, etc. It's the definitive book for building a 16"-36" truss-tube dob, using design details from the "Obsession" series of telescopes (Kriege's company). The description of mirror cells for large thin mirrors is especially thorough. | |
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How to Make a Telescope, 2nd edition Jean Texereau, translated by Allen Strickler Willmann-Bell, Inc., 1984 ISBN: 0-943396-04-2 |
| Comment: Generally rates a "must have" especially for those making their own optics. | |
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Making & Enjoying Telescopes, 6 Complete Projects & A Stargazer's Guide by Robert Miller and Kenneth Wilson Sterling Publishing Co. Inc. New York 1995 ISBN: 0-8069-1277-4 |
| Comment: Plans for the construction of "barn-door" camera tracker and 5 newtonian scopes from 4 1/4 to 10". Focus is on mechanical craftsmanship and assembly of purchased optical components. No mirror making information. | |
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Making Your Own Telescope Allyn J. Thompson Sky Publishing, 1947. Revised, 1973 ISBN: 0-933346-12-3 |
| Comment: The major focus of this book is making an 6" f/8 pipe-mount equatorial Newtonian as a first telescope. Very detailed mirror making instructions. Also. how to make a diagonal, and an optical flat. | |
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Procedures in Applied Optics John Strong Marcel Dekker, Inc. 1989 ISBN: 0824779878 |
| Comment: Optical instruments -- Design and construction | |
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Procedures in Experimental Physics (also printed under the title Physical Laboratory Practice) John Strong Lindsey Publications, 1938 ISBN: 0-917914562 |
| Comment: Lots of stuff on mirror making, figuring, special laps,making flats, prism ,etc. There is nice modifed Draper machine ( upper disk also powered) and a homemade diamond cutting wheel to cut small glass blocks. A great section on kinematical mechanical construction. Yeah this a mid 30,s book but the info still can be used. Chapters of probably interest to ATMs include (of 25 chapters in 641 pages): II. Laboratory Optical Work, III. Technique of High Vacuum, IV. Coating of Surfaces: Evaporation and Sputtering, V. The Use of Fused Silica, IX. Optics: Light Sources, Filters and Optical Instruments, XIV. Notes on the Construction and Design of Instruments and Apparatus, and XV. Molding and Casting. | |
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Standard Handbook of Telescope Making, 2nd ed. Neale E. Howard Harper and Row, 1984 ISBN: 0-06-181394-X |
| Comment: Original edition was published by Thomas Y. Crowell Co., 1959 and is now out of print (available in some public libraries, though). Second edition simultaneously published in Canada by Fitzhenry and Whiteside. Some errors in original edition not corrected in second edition ("the mirror-test graphs are still wrong" and another comment "Howard makes an erroneous assumption in his data reduction math. He gets the formula correct in a footnote on page 98 (1983 revised edition) and then proceeds to ignore it in the text"). Overall, a very good beginners book. | |
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Star Testing Astronomical Telescopes, A Manual for Optical Evaluation and Adjustment Harold Richard Suiter Willmann-Bell, Inc., 1994 ISBN: 0-943396-44-1 |
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Comment: From posting to the list, this book seems to be a "must have" for mirror makers and is highly recommended for anyone who wants to test their optical systems. |
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Star Ware, 2nd Edition Philip S. Harrington John Wiley & Sons ISBN: 0471183113 |
| Comment: While this book doesn't really cover telescope making, it does cover all of the basics of telescopes (like how are focal ratio, magnification, and aperture related, or what are they?). Includes a set of projects, including a observing chair, barn-door mount, and more. A good book for telescope-beginners. | |
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Telescope Control Mark Trueblood and Russell Merle Genet Willmann-Bell, Inc., 1997 ISBN: 0-943396-53-0 |
| Comment: From the Willman-Bell web site: "This book is primarily concerned with how to connect a non-standard computer peripheral device (a telescope) to a computer and how to program the computer to perform time-critical computations." No comments from list members available yet. | |
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Telescope Optics, Evaluation and Design Harrie Rutten and Martin van Venrooij Willmann-Bell, Inc., 1988 ISBN: 0-943396-18-2 |
| Comment: no comment available, yet (though it seems to rate a "must have" on the more advanced ATM's lists.) | |
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Unusual Telescopes Peter L. Manly Cambridge University Press, 1991 ISBN 0-521-38200-9 (hardcover) or ISBN 0-521-48393-X (paperback, published in 1995) Comment: no comment available, yet |
Amateur Astronomy, in its fourth year of on-time publishing (1997), is
edited and published by Tom and Jeannie Clark. This magazine covers telescope
making, observing, star parties, and amateur astronomers. Each issue
contains 68 pages, 60-100 photos, 50,000 words of articles, and few ads.
USA subscription costs for 1,2, and 3 years are $18, 32, and 45.
Amateur Astronomy Magazine
3544 Oak Grove Drive
Sarasota, Florida 34243
answer phone/fax (941)355-2423
Sky & Telescope Magazine continues a column on telescope making. However, current incarnations of the column rarely offer enough detail to use as anything more than as a source of ideas.
PO Box 9111
Belmont, MA 02178-9111, USA
PH (800) 253-0245 (US and Canada orders by credit card)
all others call +1-617-864-7360
Astronomy Magazine only occasionally runs telescope making articles.
21027 Crossroads Circle
PO Box 1612
Waukesha, WI 53187, USA
PH (800) 533-6644
Observatory Techniques Magazine is a quarterly magazine published "by amateur astronomers, for amateur astronomers." Offers some articles of interest to the telescope maker.
1710 SE 16 Ave
Aberdeen, SD 57401-7836
Phone/FAX 605-226-1078
One of the best periodical sources for ATM information is the now out-of-print Telescope Making Magazine (usually referred to as TM). Check your local astronomy club and local libraries for back issues. This magazine was originally published by Astro Media Corporation and was eventually sold to Kalmbach Publishing (publishers of Astronomy Magazine). There were approximately 46 issues of this magazine. Issues 1 to 25 were published by Astro Media. At that point the company was sold to Kalmbach. Issues 26 through 34 listed the publisher as Astro Media, a division of Kalmbach Publishing. Issues 35 to 46 listed Kalmbach Publishing. Kalmbach has given permission to the ATMA (publishers of the ATM Journal) to reprint one article per issue of the ATMJ (quarterly). Kalmbach does not have any other stated plans to republish TM magazine.
Disclaimer: I don't have any association with any of these sites. I cannot attest to the accuracy of any of the information you might find on these sites. I only provide these links as a service to the ATM community.
The ATM List Archives
http://www.system.missouri.edu/atm/
Archives of the Amateur Telescope Making mailing list.
The ATM Site
http://www.atmsite.org/
A good ATMing web site maintained by a group of ATM List volunteers. Has a mirror of this FAQ.
Bob Lombardi's ATM Resources Page
http://www.freenet.tlh.fl.us/~blombard/
ATMer Bob Lombardi maintains a catalog of ATM vendors, suppliers, and more. Lots of great info.
UK ATM Resources
http://website.lineone.net/~fmilsom/ATM%20page.html
Francis Milsom maintains this site with UK specific resource information, project plans, and an indispensable guide to grit sizes.
Mel Bartels' Telescopes and Telescope Making Page
http://www.bbastrodesigns.com/cot/cot.html
Includes a complete guide for outfitting a dob with computer-controller equatorial tracking.
More from Mel Bartels
http://www.efn.org/~mbartels/tm/tm.html
Links and articles of interest to ATMers. Also, check out Mel's home page at http://www.efn.org/~mbartels/ for lots of different stuff.
Mel Bartels' large / thin mirrors page
http://www.efn.org/~mbartels/tm/largthin.html
Information on large, thin mirrors.
The ATM Page
http://www.atmpage.com
A very extensive site devoted to ATMing.
Bryan Leenheer's article on mirror grinding
http://zebu.uoregon.edu/~mbartels/mirror/mirror.html
An excellent introductory article written by a list member and posted on Mel's home pages.
Berthold Hamburger's Amateur Telescope Making Page
http://www.geocities.com/capecanaveral/9601/atm.htm
Berthold's page covers his scopes; designs for a sled-type focuser, a slitless tester, and a do-it-yourself Ronchi screen.
The Newtonian Design on Rien's ATM Page
http://www.xs4all.nl/~lugt/tnp/
An excellent ATM published by Rien (Marinus van der Lugt) from Germany. Includes some great how to get started information.
Mike Schmidt's reflex finder page
http://coyote.csusm.edu/public/schmidt/herschel.html
Designs for a reflex finder, similar to the TeleVue StarBeam
David Stevick's Weird Telescope Page
http://bhs.broo.k12.wv.us/homepage/alumni/dstevick/weird.html
Information on Schiefspieglers, Yolos, Tetra-Schiefspieglers, and Stevick-Pauls. Each design covered on sub-pages, including the Stevick-Paul page.
Build Your Own Dobsonian Telescope
http://www.moonlightsys.com/atm/
A step by step tour to building a Dobsonian (a "bizzare story" according to the author, Lin Robertson).
Steven Lee's ATM Page
http://www.aao.gov.au/local/www/sl/sl-atm.html
Lots of good information, including information on making and using a lap covered with metal washers (actually the dumps -- the "holes").
Juhani Kyyrö's Northern Observer Page
http://www.kyyro.com/
All sorts of information on astronomy, ATMing, equatorial mounts, and grinding machines.
Doug Chesser's Modified CCD camera page
http://www.intricate-ms.com/resource/resource_chessershutter.html
Information on a modified Cookbook CCD-camera design by Doug Chesser and Tim Puckett.
Richard Berry's Cookbook Camera Home Page
http://www.wvi.com/~rberry/cookbook/cookbook.htm
The official home page for builders of the Cookbook CCD Camera.
The #ATM Channel Page
http://w1.2534.telia.com/~u253400159/atm/
Chat (via IRC) with other ATM'ers from all over the world. #ATM is the work of Ken Carter and Steve Carroll. Scheduled topics of discussion are announced periodically to the list.
Improvements and Additions to your Telrad sighting device
http://www.rochesterastronomy.org/main.asp?section=8&page=53
A page that describes a circuit you can build that will make your Telrad blink. The blinking enables you to search for fainter objects with your Telrad. Also other improvements, such as dew heaters.
The S*T*A*R group's Telescope Making Links
http://www.starastronomy.org/TelescopeMaking/Links/
Good information and lots of links to other ATM web resources.
The Amateur Telescope Making Web Ring
http://www.starastronomy.org/TelescopeMaking/
The ATM Web Ring is a ring of telescope making web sites. You can jump from site to site around the ring from every other site on the ring. To start visiting the sites on the ring, see the section at the end of the page at http://www.starastronomy.org/TelescopeMaking/WebRing/index.html. The ring is maintained by S*T*A*R.
Perru Keinänen's Spherometer Analyzer page
http://sirius.astro.utu.fi/formit/sfero/sfero.shtml
This page helps you analyze readings taken with a spherometer. Enter spherometer parameters and your readings (up to 20 across the diameter of your mirror) and the page calculates the surface shape of your mirror and residual errors as compared to theoretical sphere closest to your mirror's shape.
Club, organization, and company pages
The S*T*A*R group's Telescope Making pages
http://www.starastronomy.org/TelescopeMaking/
The telescope making web pages of The Society of Telescopy, Astronomy, and Radio (S*T*A*R) of Monmouth County, NJ. Good information and lots of links to other ATM web resources.
The Manchester Astronomical Society
http://www.u-net.com/ph/mas/
Astronomical information from England. On their projects page, you can find complete plans for a motor-driven barn-door camera platform (a Scotch mount), a solar telescope, and a tangent arm drive.
Willmann-Bell
http://www.willbell.com/
Publishers of astronomy- and ATM-related books and vendors of ATM supplies.
The Hamilton Centre of the RASC
http://homepages.interscape.net/homeroom/rascsite/
Extensive information about modifying the Cookbook CCD camera, including autoguiding information.
The ATM list is the primary email list group of the ATM community. This list is available in digest and non-digest versions. See section 1.3 for subscribing / unsubscribing and additional information.
The CCD Email list
The CCD Email list is frequented by those interested in using or constructing astronomical CCD (digital) cameras, including the CookBook cameras. To subscribe to the list, send an email to ccd-request@wwa.com with subscribe in the subject line (to unsubscribe type unsubscribe in the subject line). The list moderator is Rick Coleman. The list archives are available at http://woland.mit.edu/ccd/.
The Astrophotogry Email list
The Astrophotography email list is devoted primarily to those who are interested in film-based astrophotography. To subscribe to the list, send an email to majordomo@nightsky.com with subscribe astro-photo in the subject line (to unsubscribe type unsubscribe in the subject line).
The Darksky List
Ken Lowther (s0109366@cc.ysu.edu) and Bryan Greer have started a listserve that was originaly intended to coordinate light pollution control efforts in Ohio. Things never go as intended, and the list has taken on an international flavor. It seems to have filled a void for people working on this problem elsewhere. There has been disscussion with the IDA about becoming the "official" IDA list serve. If you are interested send e-mail to listserver@fpi-protostar.com. Put the words subscribe drksky-list in the body of the message.For a very large listing of email groups related to all aspects of astronomy, visit the Sky & Telescope SkyLinks - Astronomical Mailing Lists page.
| Tex, Authors: Michael Lindner and Larry Phillips | ||
| Description: | Foucault test data reduction program, available for MS-DOS, Linux ELF (Intel), Solaris 2.4 (Sparc), and HP-UX 9.0 (PA-RISC) platforms. The MS-DOS version will also run on Windows 3.1, 95. | |
| Primary site: | http://home.att.net/~mikel/ | |
| Alternate sites: | ||
| Newt, Author: Dale Keller | ||
| Description: | Newt for Windows, version 2.5 is a shareware Newtonian design program. From the Readme.txt file that accompanies Newt: Newt is a newtonian telescope CAD (computer aided design) program. It ray traces a telescope checking for vignetting, optimizes diagonal size, calculates baffles, and a lot more. | |
| Primary site: | http://www.simtel.net/pub/simtelnet/win3/science/newt25.zip | |
| Alternate sites: | ||
| Sixtests, Author: Jim Burrows | ||
| Description: | Performs analysis for six different types of mirror tests. | |
| DOS version Primary site: | http://home.earthlink.net/~burrjaw/public/sixtests.zip | |
| Windows version Primary site: | http://home.earthlink.net/~burrjaw/public/win6.zip | |
| Alternate sites: | ||
| Couder.ps, Author: Michael Lindner | ||
| Description: | This PostScript program generates a custom Couder mask. See Section 3.13 of the ATM FAQ for information and documentation on this program.
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| Primary site: | http://www.starastronomy.org/TelescopeMaking/faq/couder.ps | |
| Alternate sites: | ||
| Couder.zip, Author: Ricardo Dunna | ||
| Description: | A Windows-based program for Foucault test data reduction. The author first posted notice of this program on Nov. 25, 1997 and acknowledged that it is still under development.
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| Primary site: | http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/3505/atm.htm | |
| Alternate sites: | ||
In addition to the specific programs above, you can find many other ATM related programs at these sites.
U.S. sites
http://www.efn.org/~mbartels/tm/software.html
Mel Bartels offers links to a collection of ATM oriented software on his Web site.
http://home.earthlink.net/~burrjaw/atm/index.htm
Jim Burrows has written a program to help you figure your Ritchey-Chretien Cassegrain primary, plus other software.
http://skyandtelescope.com/resources/software/
Sky & Telescope Magazine's software page, a catalog of the programs (mostly BASIC) published in their magazine over the years. You can download the source code for any of the programs. Some programs have an ATM purpose, others are just general astronomy programs.
United States
East || Central || West
Eastern region
Club Name: Atlanta Astronomy Club, Inc, ATM Special Interest Group
Club Name: Springfield Telescope Makers
Club Name: STAR Astronomy Society
Central region
Club Name: University Lowbrow Astronomers
Western region
Club Name: Riverside Astronomical Telescope (RAT) Makers
Club Name: Sacramento Valley Astronomical Society
Club Name: San Diego ATM meetings
Club Name: Seattle Astronomical Society amateur telescope making group
Club Name: Spokane Astronomical Society, ATM group
Club Name: Whatcom Association of Celestial Observers
Club Name: Amateur Telescope Makers of Boston, Inc.
Location: Boston, MA, USA
Meeting time: 2nd thursday of the month, 8:00 PM in the Phillips Auditorium, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden St., Cambridge
Contact Name: Peter Bealo (President) (peter.bealo@iis.varian.com)
Comments: Visit the club's web page at http://www.atmob.org/. Clubhouse and observing site located in Westford, MA.
Location: Atlanta, GA, USA
Meeting time: The ATM Group meets on alternating Saturdays, starting at 9:00am at Bradley Observatory, Agnes Scott College (Decatur, GA).
Contact Name: Tracy Wilson, AAC Board Member / ATM Chairman (tracy2@mindspring.com)
Comments: Regular, on-going workshops for all comers. Personal projects are welcome. Tracy can provide personal instruction on constructing scopes.
Location: Springfield, VT, USA
Meeting time: date / time / description
Contact Name: http://www.stellafane.com/
Phone Number: number
Comments: This club, founded by Russell Porter, is the club that brings us Stellafane
Location: Red Bank, NJ, USA
Meeting time: The ATM SIG (Special Interest Group) meets most Monday evenings at a member's house.
Contact Name: Check the club's Discussion Board for directions, information, etc.
Phone Number: number
Comments: Mirror making, scope building and other projects of members.
Club Name: Johnson Space Center Astronomical Society (JSCAS)
Location: Center for Advanced Space Studies (formerly the Lunar and Planetary Institute), 3600 Bay Area Blvd, Houston, (Clear Lake City), TX 77058
Meeting time: Meets the 2nd Friday of every month
Contact Name: Telescope making SIG leader: Bob Taylor (afge@flash.net)
Phone Number: number
Comments: Although the club is associated with the NASA Johnson Space Center Employee Activity Association, club membership is open to anyone whether associated with NASA and its contractors or not.
Location: Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Meeting time: The third Friday of every month at 7:30 PM in room 807 of Dennison Hall on the University of Michigan campus
Contact Name: Kurt Hillig (khillig@umich.edu)
Phone Number: 313/663-8699
Comments: A small ATM group within the club meets monthly, but the location varies; and we're still trying to figure out what we're going to be doing!
Association Name: Chabot College Telescope Maker's Workshop
Location: Oakland, CA, USA
Meeting Times: Friday evenings, 7-9 pm
Contact person: Paul Zurakowski at 925-447-6837
Comments: Enjoy an opportunity to make your own telescope under the direction of a competent instructor.
Location: Riverside, California, USA
Meeting time: Meets on the first Thursday of the month at 7:30pm
Contact Name: Steve Meyering (smeyerin@pe.net)
Phone Number: (909)688-6267
Comments: The RATs work on building club telescopes for the Riverside Astronomical Society, demonstrate their individual TM projects, surf the internet, and just generally enjoy themselves. There is usually a mirror on the test stand, or in figuring as a demonstration. The RATs welcome beginners, and TNs of all levels of interest.
Location: Sacramento California, USA
Meeting time: General Meetings are held on the 3rd saturnday of each
month at 7:30 pm
Contact Name: Changes
Phone Number: (916) SVAS-111 (hotline recording)
Comments: Telescope making instruction is always ongoing and is a benefit of club membership. Visit their web site at http://www.svas.org/.
Location: San Diego, CA, USA
Meeting time: 9am - 12pm every Saturday, with a few exceptions
Contact Name: Roger Herzler (atm@theastropages.com)
Comments: We discuss all facets of ATMing as we grind, polish and test mirrors under the guidance of very experienced ATMs. http://theastropages.com/atm/meetings.htm.
Location: Lake Forest Park - Please call for directions.
Meeting time: Meetings on the Saturday nearest the full moon, starting at 6:30 PM (please confirm with Peter before attending as there are occasional scheduling conflicts).
Contact Name: Peter Hirtle (notpete@scn.org)
Phone Number: (206) 363-0897
Comments: The workshop empahsizes homemade optics but is available for all with an interest in telescope making. 6" mirror kits are available to worshop workers at a very reasonable price.
Location: Spokane, WA, USA
Meeting time: Saturday closest to full moon at 2 PM, every month.
Contact Name: Daniel W. Bakken (dan@runway.net)
Phone Number: (509) 466-1404
Comments:
Location: PO Box 7, Custer, WA, USA 98240
Meeting time: Meetings on 2nd Thursday of the month.
Contact Name: Kreig McBride (kmcbride@memes.com)
Phone Number:
Comments: There is a small number of telescope makers that meet on an informal basis.
Sponsor of the annual Telescope Optics Workshop in Bellingham, WA.
Association Name: Amateur Astronomers Association of Delhi
Club Name: RASC Victoria Centre ATM group
Location: New Delhi, India
Meeting Times: Sundays
Contact person: Chander Devgun (cbdevgun@technologist.com)
Comments: The association has been making Dobsonian telescopes since 1988. We have made two 16" telescopes, one 13" dobsonian, and tens of 8" dobsonians. Presently we're working on 24" thin-mirror dob. Besides that we are also active in the astrophotography front, making trackers etc. The association was formed in 1984 and started making telescopes that year. We make thin mirrors up to 1:16 ratio, and specialize in plate glass mirrors.
Location: Victoria, B.C., call for instructions on how to get lost. :o)
Meeting time: Meets every Tuesday (except during special events and holidays) about 7:00 pm
Contact Name: Sandy Barta (sbarta@pinc.com)
Phone Number: (250) 479-0259
Comments: The group meets to make mirrors and to discuss telescope making methods. We also welcome drop-ins and questions. We gab about observing and indiscriminantly share our many astronomical interests with innocent bystanders. Frequent internet tours are a diversion from the dreaded TDE, TUE, and misc. zones.
If you know of ATM-specific clubs or clubs with an ATM SIG, please send me information on that club. The non-US clubs seem to be very under-represented here on this list. Are there only these few ATM groups outside of the US? (Please do not send info on general astro clubs that do not engage in ATM activities.) Thanks.
