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Re: ATM - RTMC Fraud is Ended
I apologize for not responding sooner. My previous response was not a
discussion about toilets. My previous response and this one is very
relevant to telescope making. I will be as brief as possible.
Mr. Schwartz's allegation that RTMC is a "fraud" is so far off base,
this statement itself is a fraud, and does damage by discouraging
ATMer's from attending a conference that they would find valuable. It
also does a great injustice to the individuals who have sacrificed their
time and effort and work to hold RTMC each year.
I have been attending RTMC every year since 1983, except for 1985. I
have never been disappointed. Every conference has had interesting
talks on optics, baffles, tube current considerations in designing a
telescope, construction aspects of uniquely designed telescopes, and
many other topics amateur telescope makers would find relevant and
interesting. The swap meet that runs from Saturday morning into Sunday
is certainly telescope making related because this gives a maker the
opportunity to possibly find the right part, or whatever, for the
telescope he/she may be making. And, as always, the telescopes that
amateurs have made and brought up for display, and to enter in the
awards event, have always been interesting to me. I have seen many
unique designs, and I have many slides over the years I have taken of
them.
Last year was no exception. For example, some of the talks related to
amateur telescope making were:
The Construction of inexpensive Radio Telescopes
Hidden Truths: Thermodynamic effects on Telescope Performance
Objective Prism Spectroscopy
Blade Lapping: Parabolizing at f/1
Designing a Super Achromatic Lens
In addition, there were various events in separate tents that were more
like workshops. Some of these were:
How to Micro-flex a Mirror - The Practical Details
Beginner's Corner
There were also 'workshops' on other topics for those interested in
things such as CCD's, photometery, etc.
In recent prior years a group of mirror makers held a workshop
throughout the weekend on how to grind a polish a mirror, and actually
made one as part of the workshop. I could go on and on of what has
happened over the years, and I could because I have all the schedules of
talks and events that I have kept, but I won't.
Mr. Schwartz's statement is extremely biased and innacurate. Even his
statement about the toilets is inaccurate as I attempted to point out in
my first response (Mr. Schwartz and I communicated privately on this
matter. If you wish to learn more about this send me a message
personally. I will not discuss it here).
Ken Noesgaard stated "The RTMC has always been plugged as the ATM'ers
dream vacation. I know I've been trying to justify the trip from
mid-Canada for a few years now." In my opinion it still is. The first
year I attended I entered my telescope on behalf of a machinist friend
who made, and it got a Unique Design award for him. I also entered my
Portable Observatory I made and I got an Honorable Mention. In 1990 I
gave a talk on my permanent observatory. The point I am trying to make
is that RTMC is what the participants make it. If no one wants to give
a talk related to amateur telescope making, or bring up a telescope they
made, and all they want to do is come up and be entertained, then it
will become a conference where, as Mr. Schwartz states, participants
will be "… put to sleep by some plutocrat's slide show of his trip to
bongo-bongo land in 1964 …".
It's what you make it, and I still highly recommend it.
Stan Gorodenski
Frank Ward wrote:
>
> > It
> >doesn't sound like the Camp Oaks I've been at, unless you have been
> >mistaking something else for a toilet.
>
> Come on guys, take the location of toilets to a private chat room, O.K.?
> Lets get back to improvements in testing and figuring.
>
> Frank Ward
> Atlanta, GA
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Stanley A. Gorodenski <stanlep@extremezone.com>
> Cc: <atm@shore.net>
> Sent: Monday, March 19, 2001 9:11 PM
> Subject: Re: ATM - RTMC Fraud is Ended
>
> >
> > I can see you're making a plug for the Optics workshop, but the RTMC you
> > have been attending does not sound like the one I've been attending for
> > many years. "... toilets in full view of all..."? Where is this? It
> > doesn't sound like the Camp Oaks I've been at, unless you have been
> > mistaking something else for a toilet.
> >
> > Stan
> >
> > > Richard Schwartz wrote:
> > >
> > > My mailing from RTMC indicates that there will be a "broader" coverage
> > > in the future. I guess this means that the commercial interests who
> > > want to suppress our art are having their way. At least the meeting
> > > will no longer be called RTMC. For years it has had little, if
> > > anything, to do with telescope making. The conference organizers are
> > > to be commended for ending the pretense that the conference is about
> > > telescope making.
> > >
> > > If you want to be put to sleep by some plutocrat's slide show of his
> > > trip to bongo-bongo land in 1964, I highly recommend the former
> > > RTMC. Also, if you enjoy using toilets in full view of all, if you
> > > enjoy wretched meals, cold showers, etc etc...
> > >
> > > On the other hand, the upcoming Optics Workshop in Bellingham will
> > > empower you with new knowledge on how to make your own telescope. It
> > > is a non-commercial event, and although it is a drive of 1500 miles
> > > instead of 50 miles for me, Bellingham is a much better deal.
> > >
> > > . . . Richard
> >