Post by starsheep on Feb 15, 2024 14:47:32 GMT -7
Greetings Planetarium folk.
I have had an interest in planetariums all my life. First exposed to them while in preschool before I was 5. The main planetariums I grew up with were the Morrison, Chabot, Lawrence hall of Science and the local JC Diablo Valley College. I attended the latter and took Astronomy courses there in the late 1970s. More on this below.
I am also obsessed with watches and pipe organs. This came about with my fascination with the mechanical dolls of Jaquet-Droz. Especially the musician.
I now develop electronics for pipe organs.
Last month I attended an estate sale, which had six organs. These turned out to be Electronic (Toaster.) organs. The deceased was a compulsive hoarder. Collected a lot of toys. Stacked to the ceiling. There was a second storage unit as well.
I also have a fascination with 3D stereo photography. To that extent I photographed the Jaquet-Droz dolls with a stereo Realist. During the pandemic I got a Kodak pcd photo 2000 scanner which I am restoring.
When most of the stuff in the estate sale was cleared out. I wound up getting A 3D projector, and some toy planetariums. A Smithsonian, and a Spitz Jr. (missing lightbulb.) There was also a 3D planetarium toy , but I gave it away quickly as it is only suitable for someone under 12. (the glasses are too small.)
Looking for a lamp and more information I found Cloudy nights website. There was a link to these forums, which is more in line with my interests.
I take it the forums crashed and had to be re-constructed from a backup. So I have given things a few weeks to see if they are still active. Looks like that might be the case. I do not see a new member introduction thread, so created this one.
After a trip to the explorOtorum back in the 1960s. I tried to make a projector. Using Aluminum foil. I had glow in the dark stars on the ceiling. At the time I knew nothing about pin hole projection focal distances. Or stereographic projection.
I think the was a spitz A3 projector. Would not mind finding a scrapped one to play with.
For most of the 1990s I worked for Apple Imaging, testing Apple laser printers. I know postscript pretty well. And yes I worked with Steve Jobs. Quite an experience. Steve called me a postscript Guru. I wrote my own postscript interpreter.
Back in the day I had an apple ][ program, for showing the night sky. I still have the book. I converted the program to postscript. Still have copies of this stuff. Even found some Usenet postings from sci.astro.planetarium. My interests were in the equipment. Not the dog and pony shows.
As a side Hobby I learned watchmaking. I have a full watch repair shop (in my bedroom) I also have lathes and CNC mills in other room. A local makerspace gives me access to Laser cutters, welding, Electronics rework, and 3d printing stuff.
There is a STEAM fair this spring. I have a crazy idea of making a projector, what shows the sky as viewed from mars. Sure the fancy digital stuff can do this. I want to do it the old way. I have the raw data from the apple ][ program and some data from the early 1980s.
I have also been involved with the Renasaince/Dickens fair for 40 years. I make my own Victorian hooped dresses. So I am also contemplating perhaps making a small inflatable dome. The makerspace has serger sewing machines.
Not that I would have time to do any of this before April ...
I have had an interest in planetariums all my life. First exposed to them while in preschool before I was 5. The main planetariums I grew up with were the Morrison, Chabot, Lawrence hall of Science and the local JC Diablo Valley College. I attended the latter and took Astronomy courses there in the late 1970s. More on this below.
I am also obsessed with watches and pipe organs. This came about with my fascination with the mechanical dolls of Jaquet-Droz. Especially the musician.
I now develop electronics for pipe organs.
Last month I attended an estate sale, which had six organs. These turned out to be Electronic (Toaster.) organs. The deceased was a compulsive hoarder. Collected a lot of toys. Stacked to the ceiling. There was a second storage unit as well.
I also have a fascination with 3D stereo photography. To that extent I photographed the Jaquet-Droz dolls with a stereo Realist. During the pandemic I got a Kodak pcd photo 2000 scanner which I am restoring.
When most of the stuff in the estate sale was cleared out. I wound up getting A 3D projector, and some toy planetariums. A Smithsonian, and a Spitz Jr. (missing lightbulb.) There was also a 3D planetarium toy , but I gave it away quickly as it is only suitable for someone under 12. (the glasses are too small.)
Looking for a lamp and more information I found Cloudy nights website. There was a link to these forums, which is more in line with my interests.
I take it the forums crashed and had to be re-constructed from a backup. So I have given things a few weeks to see if they are still active. Looks like that might be the case. I do not see a new member introduction thread, so created this one.
After a trip to the explorOtorum back in the 1960s. I tried to make a projector. Using Aluminum foil. I had glow in the dark stars on the ceiling. At the time I knew nothing about pin hole projection focal distances. Or stereographic projection.
I think the was a spitz A3 projector. Would not mind finding a scrapped one to play with.
For most of the 1990s I worked for Apple Imaging, testing Apple laser printers. I know postscript pretty well. And yes I worked with Steve Jobs. Quite an experience. Steve called me a postscript Guru. I wrote my own postscript interpreter.
Back in the day I had an apple ][ program, for showing the night sky. I still have the book. I converted the program to postscript. Still have copies of this stuff. Even found some Usenet postings from sci.astro.planetarium. My interests were in the equipment. Not the dog and pony shows.
As a side Hobby I learned watchmaking. I have a full watch repair shop (in my bedroom) I also have lathes and CNC mills in other room. A local makerspace gives me access to Laser cutters, welding, Electronics rework, and 3d printing stuff.
There is a STEAM fair this spring. I have a crazy idea of making a projector, what shows the sky as viewed from mars. Sure the fancy digital stuff can do this. I want to do it the old way. I have the raw data from the apple ][ program and some data from the early 1980s.
I have also been involved with the Renasaince/Dickens fair for 40 years. I make my own Victorian hooped dresses. So I am also contemplating perhaps making a small inflatable dome. The makerspace has serger sewing machines.
Not that I would have time to do any of this before April ...
