Re: [ATM] telescopes by Gerry Logan

["Randy Johnson" <ijrj@comcast.net>]

Peter,

Thanks for the posting of the Gerry Logan pictures and taking the time to
archive this material.  I don't post much here because I subscribe to the
list by digest and most of the time I am days behind the conversation.  I
had to stop for this one though and point out Gerry as truly an ATM's ATM.
If there is a man on the planet who lives and breaths amateur telescope
making it has got to be Gerry.  When Peter says that Gerry is working on
five telescopes at present there is every chance that three or perhaps all
five will show up completed for RTMC next year!
Besides his perennial contributions to RTMC, and there are very few that he
has missed displaying at least one new creation, he used to live on the
other coast of the United States after his family first immigrated from
Scotland when he was a boy.  If you can find one of Allan Mackintosh's very
first issues, in fact it is issue #1 I believe, of the Maksutov Circulars
from 1957 in there is a young lad of about eighteen years of age mentioned
there with an award at Stellafane for what I believe was Gerry's first
homemade telescope. I believe there is an S&T from about this period that
even has a picture of Gerry with his scope at this event.
For those of you who may remember the early days of this list, circa 1994
when Bob Pfaff would post here, you may recall Bob deferring to his "pro
friend" on matters of optical expertise. Gerry was that friend who often
interjected, via Bob, some very sage advice to people here.  Also, I would
encourage you to click on the handwritten notes and sketches in the
collection of Gerry's material that Peter Abrahams has displayed.  Here are
never before published bits of wisdom from this master of masters.  These
are typical of notes that he often posts with his telescopes at RTMC to give
those too shy to ask him directly, information about some interesting aspect
of the project he is displaying. 
While many of the projects Jerry tackles are very precise and complex, he
finds beauty and elegance in simple and easily executed telescope making
work.  He is one of the kindest, most humble and most talented people in
this hobby.  I am very pleased to see this photo tribute to his many years
of ATMing.

Randy Johnson
Seattle, WA

Peter Abrahams wrote:

>Date: Wed, 31 May 2006 14:12:52 -0700
>From: Peter Abrahams <telscope@europa.com>
>Subject: [ATM] telescopes by Gerry Logan
>To: atm@atmlist.net
>Message-ID: <447E06D4.2080305@europa.com>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

>Gerry Logan is a telescope maker in the LA area who has displayed at the 
>Riverside Telescope Maker's Conference for about 3 decades.  He is a
retired 
>professional optical fabricator, and uses unusual optical systems and
machined 
>mounts.  He does not design the optics; but often uses Walt Goldys for
design 
>work; and the Schupmann designs are from Jim Daly's books.  I borrowed his 
>collection of photos & slides showing his telescopes, scanned them, did
some 
>basic optimization, and posted them on line, at:
>http://siderealtechnology.com/atm/Logan,Gerry/
>--This is not a html web page, just a directory of files.

(Text deleted)

>--Peter
>=============================
>Peter Abrahams   telscope@europa.com
>The history of the telescope and the binocular:
>     http://home.europa.com/~telscope/binotele.htm

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