[ATM] A plea for your assistance

[ntent <ntent@pctcnet.net>]

Hello and Good day:
My name is John Warner, and I live in Wisconsin, in the USA. I am but 
one member of an internet list of amateur telescope makers (ATM's). Our 
member list comprises people from around the world and from many 
professions, including students, NASA employees, college professionals, 
and just about every type of "common man" as can be imagined.

A few months ago two young Pakistanis (Saqib Sajjad and Mahmood Hassan) 
contacted the ATM List, who professed an interest in building their own 
telescopes. Over many days of communication, and as one might imagine, 
it was discovered that manufactured telescopes, and also the 
parts/materials with which to make ones own, are practically 
non-existent in Pakistan, and what is available is very cost prohibitive.

Members of the list came up with the idea to donate materials required 
to build two or three telescopes, and the money required for shipment to 
Pakistan. These things have been contributed as gifts for the two people 
mentioned, in the hopes of providing good will between our two 
countries, and also in the interest of their education in at least some 
aspects of the sciences and astronomy.

Much time passed since the items were sent, and it was thought at first 
that the items were lost, or had been stolen or confiscated for one 
reason or another. Now, just a few days ago, it came to pass that the 
shipped items had arrived, but some local officials are asking $500.00 
as a "Tax" before the young men can receive the supplies that were sent.

I am fully aware that the way things are done there are quite different 
from other places, but it seems that these two people are being deprived 
of these gifts for a ransom they quite assuredly cannot afford. In fact, 
the amount of the "Tax" is higher than the value of the items that were 
sent.

Below you will find a copy of a document that was sent with the 
shipment, which discloses the contents of the boxes and, in most cases, 
who donated the items. Below that, at the very end, you will find the 
email address of one of the two people who are to be the recipients of 
the packages that were sent, so that you can contact them directly, and 
they can give you whatever information you might require to enable you 
to help them in their situation, and hopefully provide a happy ending to 
this long ordeal. I am sending this letter to you in the hopes that you, 
or someone else at the embassy, might provide some assistance to these 
two men in the receipt of what was sent to them.

Thank you, in advance, for your time and help in this most important matter.

Sincerely, John Warner
===============================================================================

Greetings,

The contents of this box are a GIFT from the U.S. members of the 
ATM-LIST to Mahmood Hassan and Saqib Sajjad of Pakistan as an offering 
of friendship and with the understanding that these materials are not 
readily available at their location, and will be used for educational 
purposes through the construction and use of small, homemade telescopes.

The knowledge and skills developed are to be shared with all who desire 
to learn about ATM (Amateur Telescope Making) and Astronomy.

It is our hope that upon successful completion of these instruments that 
Mahmood and Saqib will form a local Amateur Telescope Making or 
Astronomical Society in Pakistan to further advance the art.

The value of our GIFT is in the future… we are placing our trust that 
the future will be brighter for all because of this small act.

Contributors:

Ken Hunter
Jarvis Krumbein
Pat Bunn
Joe O’Brien
Mel Bartels
Robert Haler
Richard Schwartz
Bill Marriott
Vladimir Galogaza
Stan Truitt
John Lynch
Anonymous donor

************************************************************************************************************************* 





Contents: Outer Box

Box #1
Inventoried separately

Box #2
Inventoried separately

Box #3
Inventoried separately

Box #4
Inventoried separately

Herald-Bobroff AstroAtlas Robert Haler

MSDS Sheets for contents Ken Hunter



Contents: Box #1

20 ea small tubs of Silicon Carbide, Aluminum Oxide Grinding and Polishing
powders in the following sizes:

4 tubs #80 Silicon Carbide Bill Marriott

2 tubs #120 Silicon Carbide Bill Marriott

2 tubs #180 Silicon Carbide Bill Marriott

2 tubs #240 Silicon Carbide Bill Marriott

2 tubs #320 Silicon Carbide Bill Marriott

2 tubs 40 micron Aluminum Oxide Bill Marriott

2 tubs 20 micron Aluminum Oxide Bill Marriott

2 tubs 9 micron Aluminum Oxide Bill Marriott

2 tubs Barnesite Polishing Compound Ken Hunter

One 4oz. Bottle of 9 micron Aluminum oxide John Lynch

One home-made 6 inch mirror cell Pat Bunn

Thompson’s book: “Making Your Own Telescope” Ken Hunter

One 1-1/4 inch metal refractor focuser Ken Hunter



Contents: Box #2

6 inch PYREX mirror blank Pat Bunn

Ceramic Tiles for 6 inch tool Ken Hunter

6-1/4 Celestron mirror blank Ken Hunter

Ronchi Tester Ken Hunter

10mm Eyepiece Stan Truitt

50mm Finder Kit Jarvis Krumblein

Small piece of Teflon Joe O’Brien

4 small first surface mirrors donor name misplaced

Secondary Diagonal mirror Mel Bartels



Contents: Box #3

2 tubs Burgundy Pitch Joe O’Brien

2 tubs Gugolz #73 Pitch Bill Marriott

1 bag Burgundy Pitch John Lynch



Contents: Box #4

9 inch slumped plate glass blank Richard Schwartz

1 tube RTV Richard Schwartz

Berry’s “Build Your Own Telescope” Richard Schwartz *(1)

Willman-Bell abrasive kit Joe O’Brien

Non-Slip pad Ken Hunter

Ceramic Tiles (2 sq ft) Joe O’Brien, Ken Hunter

*(1) Purchased with money sent by Richard Schwartz

================================================================================

Saqib Sajjad saqibsajjad@yahoo.com



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