The Portland IV
Annual Alt-Az Initiative Workshop will be held on Saturday and
Sunday at Dan Gray's Sidereal Technology plant, preceded by an
informal BBQ on Friday evening, July 30. Last year’s Portland
III Workshop featured a wide variety of speakers, and was
featured in Amateur Astronomy magazine as will be this
year’s workshop. Topics this year will include lightweight
mirrors, large alt-az telescopes, advanced control systems,
instruments (including near IR aperture photometers), and other
topics. Howard Banich is chairing the workshop, and Dan Gray is
the local host. If you plan on attending, please contact Howard
at
howard.banich@nike.com. See
www.AltAzInitiative.org for the latest information on the
workshop.
A nearby hotel is
Monticello Motel Station, 4801 North Interstate Avenue <http://maps.google.com/>
Portland, OR 97217-3623 <http://maps.google.com/>.
To get
to the Technical Marine Service, Inc. on Swan Island:
•
From I-5 northbound (or southbound also) take exit 303 (Swan
Island exit) and head west after
you get off the freeway. From the northbound direction, this means
staying to your left and
heading west on North Going Street.
• Follow this past Interstate Ave. and go down the hill
towards Swan Island.
·
Get in the right hand lane and at the bottom of the hill follow
the signs to Mocks Landing and veer
to the right onto Basin Ave.
• Go about 1.5 miles to the signal light at Leverman and
turn right and go over the bridge to the first
street on the right, which is N. Cutter Circle.
• Turn right on North Cutter Circle and go to the end of
the block to 6040 North Cutter Circle.
TMS is in the first building as you turn in the driveway
(there's a big "TMS" on the side of the
building. Parking and entry for the workshop is at the side of
the building.
Agenda
(Some of the topics, talks, and discussion areas—more will be
added)
Friday, 7/30 (6pm)
Welcome BBQ at TMS
Saturday 7/31 (8:30am)
Introduction and agenda review –
Howard
“What’s the telescope for?” –
Richard,
Russ
Research opportunities –
Richard, Jo, David, Russ,
Gary Cole. Bob Nelson, David Haworth, Bruce:
Occultations (Lunar and asteroid)
Break
Light Bucket astronomy –
Bruce:
Light Bucket Mirrors,
some
light bucket mirror theory (figures of merit
overview),
Pneumatic LBTs, Evaluation of other new types and coatings
(Starstone, solar, Peacock Labs).
Russ
Visual observing -
Howard
Lunch
Brief history of the alt-az telescope –
Richard, Peter Abrahams
Herschel and Lord Rosse –
Richard
Break
Mirror technologies –
Mel, David, Drew, Peter Chen, Bruce, Umesh and Brian
Active primary and secondary optics
–
Umesh:
Closed loop control of membrane mirrors using electrostatic
actuators, Brian:
Laboratory experiments on electrostatically controlled membrane
mirrors, Bruce:
Correctors –Lenses, Deformable Secondary.
Greg
Spherical aberration correction via spherical refractive
elements -
Dave
Dinner
Sunday, 8/1 (9:00am)
Direct drive motor and controller –
Dan, Dave and the PlaneWave gang
Instrumentation –
Greg, Dan,
Bruce:
Fast Detectors, Area (CCD & CMOS) and diaphragm (high speed
electrometer design)
Break
Update on Russ Genet’s 1 meter scope –
Russ
Professional alt-az updates –
PlaneWave, Craig
Lunch
CDK700 - Dave
1 meter CDK Cassegrain –
Dave
Future plans - what scopes and instruments are being planned by
participants?
Break
Large
Telescope Portability -
Howard
SPIE update –
Russ
Wrap up, going forward –
Howard, Russ
Accommodations
Howard Banich has supplied the following information about
accommodations near Sidereal Technology:
Monticello MotelStation
4801 North Interstate Avenue - (503) 285-6641
<http://maps.google.com/> Portland, OR 97217-3623 <http://maps.google.com/>
Get Directions <http://maps.google.com/>
This isn't as nice, may be cheaper
Super Value Inn
5205 North Interstate Avenue (- 503) 285-2556
<http://maps.google.com/> Portland, OR 97217-3726 <http://maps.google.com/>
Get Directions <http://maps.google.com/>
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