Gents,
I received the below email from a member, Peter Shearer. He could be
quite helpful regarding our plans for the 24" dob donated by Topham. I
responded and encouraged him to keep in touch.
Dave D
------- Forwarded Message from: pshearer@xxxxxxxx:
Hi Dave,
I was intrigued to see the item in the Newsletter about the 24-inch f/6
Dobsonian donation. When I was in high school in the Bay Area in the
the early 1970s, I took a telescope making class from John Dobson (12”
f/6, which I still have) and ended up joining the Sidewalk Astronomers
for several trips to Yosemite, Death Valley, and the Grand Canyon with
the SFSA’s 24 incher and other large scopes. I believe that was an
f/6.5 and for transport the tube came out of the rocker box, which was
towed on a trailer behind a large van. Anyway, I’m curious to see the
donated scope and learn what ideas the club has for its use. I expect
it’s too big and heavy to easily transport, but likely has great
potential for outreach at TDS. The biggest issue may be the tall ladder
needed for most objects.
Cheers,
Peter Shearer
