Re: ATMJ help

[Daniel Fundo <fundo@Bellsouth.net>]

Bill,  I believe that the raw numbers "MAY" be down (total number of
ATMs and total number of instruments), but you can't argue that the
number of aluminized square inches has gone sky high.  

In the 50's and 60's everyone made 6" mirrors and used them for the rest
of their lives.  A few adventurous souls made second or third bigger
scopes later on. The mechanics of telescope making were big too, and
folks made elaborate mountings.  These always showed up at Stellafane,
then the only showplace for advanced ATMing.  Today folks are starting
with 8-10" mirrors, but they follow up with several mirrors after that.
They usually end up with something that was unheard of  back then;
telsecopes in the 18" to 24" size range.  In that respect, we have grown
a lot.  A 12.5" was a big telescope in 1965. Now a big telescope is 30"
or more.  

People were convinced that Pyrex (R) was the only "worthy" material to
use for a telescope mirror.  John Dobson changed that.  The equitorial
mounting was the only way to mount a real astronomical telescope,  John
Dobson changed that too, but there are a few of us dinosaurs who still
think that the equitorial is a viable mounting for most amateur
telescopes.  Computers (to include electro-mechanical setting circles)
were just beginning to show up in the late 60's.  No one could have
predicted the advance that computers would make. (I was stuck at O'Hare
Airport several years ago and talked to an engineer who worked for IBM
in the 1950's.  You can imagine what they were predicting...wish I had
written down his name.)  From personal work experience, I feel that the
current notebook/laptop computer is still a bit fragile and costly for
routine amateur field use, but that too will change.

*****-----
Dan F.