Complete Systems

["Thomas F. Droege" <droege@fastmail.fm>]

First I am doing a little better.  I went off medication that was
killing me.  So I might last a while.

It seems prudent still to try to find homes for complete systems.  I
would like to develop a list of those that are interested in complete
systems.  

The general rule for getting a complete system is that you have to come
here with a pickup truck or a van with a helper.  We can put you up to
save money.  Plan to stay two days.  I will provide Dan who knows how
things are hooked up and how to move them and possibly another helper. 
Getting a complete system involves lowering it from a third floor roof
to the ground.  After easy to remove things are stripped off it is 100#
or so.  If we get past 3 systems to give away, 4 and 5 were assembled in
the dome and will take some rigging to get them out in one piece.  

I would like to spend a night with you to run a system and get a little
familiar with the software.  I will give you everything that it takes to
run the system.  This will include a chiller, pumps and other stuff.  

Very rough estimate (at cost) of the parts:

CCDs 4000
Lenses 3000
Metalwork 1000
Chiller   1000
Motors  500
Misc stuff 1500
Electronics 1000
Computer   1000

So about $13,000 in cost of parts.  I figure that if this were a
commercial system it would cost $50,000 or so. I have spent $600,000.00
or so total in the development.  You break a few eggs before you get the
omelette made.  

Seems to me it is worth the effort it will take to come and get a system
if you want to do a survey. 

The "if" is important.  These systems were optimized to do an all sky
survey at the lowest cost.  They can look from the horizon to the pole,
but they can only look about +/- 20 degrees from the meridian.  They are
not very good if what you want to do is follow a particular field for as
long as it is in view.

Possibly the tass list will survive me.  They are good for a lot of help 
when something goes wrong.  Several (4) have systems and some
operational 
experience.  

So far my "possibly interested" list has:

Michael Sallman
Fred N. Harris 

on it.  I think it is impossible for me to prepare a system to ship it
somewhere.  So you will have to consider the cost of coming to get it. 

Please comfirm if you are possibly interested.  Any one else that is 
willing to follow the rules above should contact me to get on the 
list.   

At the moment, I have Grzegorz Pojmanski on the list to get left over
cameras.  So far he has made the best argument that he will make good
use of them.  

I think we have months, not years to get this done.  But one never
knows.  At the moment I am planning to fire up tom1 to try to take some
data.  Who knows, I might get this observing season in.

Ron, could you add Fred and Grzegorz to the mail list so I don't have to
copy them?   

Tom Droege  
-- 
  Thomas F. Droege
  droege@fastmail.fm