ATM Re: atm-digest V1 #1436

[Al Kelly <akelly@ghg.net>]

At 09:14 AM 12/29/98 -0500, you wrote:
>Bill asked the list earlier if ATMJ should include CCD projects.  I think
>it should not, even though it is very worthwhile work.  First, until ATMJ
>can expand, CCD articles might force the removal of telescope articles.
>Second, CCDs are an imaging accessory for the telescope (in this context),
>and if they are included in ATMJ, then film cameras and all the other
>peripherals have an equal claim.  I think it is better to limit the field
>to optical work.  Third, and most important, articles on CCDs will be
>obsolete & useless in a very short time.  By comparison, I think there is
>very little in the Sci. Am. TM books, or in the TM magazines of 15 years
>ago, that is useless (I know others disagree with this)

Limiting the articles in a magazine dedicated to the AA community to
"optical work only" is the surest way I know to assure its eventual demise.
AAs come in all shapes, sizes, and desires, but due to human nature will
inevitably be a small minority of the general population.  Most people enjoy
peeking through a telescope at Saturn or the Moon and many at one time or
another want a telescope of their own, but as we all know this does not turn
most of them into AAs.  Also due to human nature, those AAs who are keenly
interested in making their own optical glass components are a small minority
of all AAs.  I did it thirty-five years ago a couple times and found it to
be intolerably repetitive, but I still consider myself an ATM, since I have
built or had a hand in building about two dozen telescopes, from 4" up to
32" in diameter.  I have also designed and built equatorial platforms (see
article in ATMJ #4) and built a CB245 CCD camera which goes to considerable
use.  If ATMJ were to preclude articles on all subjects but optical work it
would be turning its back on folks like me and there are many more of us
than there are inveterate "glass-pushers".  

Several years ago, I led the telescope-making group in the Johnson Space
Center Astronomical Society in the construction of fourteen 8" f6
Newtonians.  Folks had the option of buying or making their primary mirrors,
since we had a mirror-making guru willing to lead a subsection of the
effort.  Three chose to make their own and their efforts turned out very
nicely and fit very well within the schedule of the overall group effort.
To me, *all* the folks in the group were ATMs!  I believe this project
pointed out the proper role of optical work as a specialized subset of the
overall ATM field, just as lens grinding is a specialized subset of optical
work.  Do you think there should be a magazine restricted only to the making
of eyepieces?

The only useful commentary that I have seen in the latest spate of "ATM is
dying" posts are those that point out the necessity of ATMs to do the work
of offering their organized contributions for publication.  ATMJ and S&T
(and Astronomy) deserve the chance to provide what is important to you.

Al K.
----------------------------------------------------------------------    
Al Kelly .... e-mail: akelly@ghg.net 
         .... web site: http://www.ghg.net/akelly/