You are invited to the Portland PDX XIV Alt-Az Workshop!
The workshop focuses on optics, telescopes, mounts, and observing.
PDX XIV Alt-Az Workshop Agenda
October 20, 21, 22, and 23, 2021
6:00 pm to 8:00+ pm PDT each evening
Attend via YouTube live streaming at these links:
Oct 20, 2012 - Day 1: https://youtu.be/TChuLPOJfwc
Oct 21, 2021 - Day 2: https://youtu.be/VLSbmhEUWO0
Oct 22, 2021 - Day 3: https://youtu.be/0Xvu9ZDrCm4
Oct 23, 2021 - Day 4: https://youtu.be/9UHwM5RC2es
Portland XIV Alt-Az Workshop Agenda
October 20 through October 23, 2021
Russ Genet – Founder, Howard Banich – Chair and Zoom Host
All times are Pacific Daylight Time (PDT)
(U.S. west coast time zone)
Wednesday October 20
6:00 - Welcome to the Portland XIV Workshop - Howard Banich
6:05 - Founder comments and CubeSat Astronomy - Russ Genet
6:30 - 16-inch f/3 meniscus project – Rob Brown
7:15 - Update on precision astrometry – Dave Rowe and Russ Genet
Thursday October 21
6:00 – Checkmate in Three. Data mining to pick a winner between Bortle Levels and Aperture to answer the question, "How far should I drive in search of dark skies with what size telescope?" With a surprise appearance by Comet Encke and ending with a cage fight featuring Bortle Levels, Aperture, Magnification, the Eye, and Etendue – Mel Bartels
6:30 – Making a travel scope – Jerry Oltion
Break
7:30 – Clutch release and steering handle – Ed Allen
8:00 – Adapting plate solving for visual astronomy - Akarsh Simha
Friday October 22
6:00 – Shoulders of Giants: Refiguring a 14” f/2.6 meniscus mirror by hand – Tom Otvos
6:45 – Investigating the Science Capability of the Unistellar eVscope – Richard Berry
Abstract: The Unistellar eVscope is a 114 mm f/4 reflector with a 1.3-megapixel CMOS sensor commanded via WIFI link to a smartphone. The system features a computer-controlled alt-azimuth mounting. It locates fields autonomously using on-board plate solving and then tracks and stacks multiple short exposures to make deep-sky images, reaching 16th magnitude in 60 seconds of integration. Users may upload captured data to Unistellar, and then download raw and stacked images in FITS format from Unistellar. I will report the results of basic tests of photometry (a light curve of the star XX Cygni) and astrometry (position of Barnard's Star) using images made with the eVscope.
Break
7:45 – The Peter Abrahams Astronomical History talk: A quick history of silvering telescope mirrors – Howard Banich
8:00 – Updating a 28-inch scope with Ed Allen’s Complete Ventilation System – Howard Banich
Saturday October 23
6:00 – The 800mm project – Michele Scotti
6:45 – UL40-inch f/3.3 folded Newt – Tong Lui
Break
7:30 – Another Round? Bend but don't break and some new ideas in telescope making. Ending with prospects for a 1.07meter thin meniscus and a backseat 0.5-meter scope – Mel Bartels
8:00 - Update on 36-inch f/4 direct drive telescope - Dan Gr
End of workshop