astronomy online By Stuart J.

Goldman

ATM Gleanings from the Internet

o sooner did the redesigned

July issue of Sky & Telescope appear in subscribers mailboxes
than a full-fledged flame war erupted on
the electronic mailing list for amateur
telescope makers. The uproar originated
when one of the issues first recipients
noted the name change of the magazines
Telescope Making department to Telescope Techniques and the likelihood that
not all departments would appear in
every issue. In true Internet fashion these
points became twisted by those who
had not yet seen the magazine into the
conclusion that, among other things, Sky
& Telescope would no longer have telescope-making articles.
In this column Im not going to delve
into the morass of the changing character of amateur astronomers or Sky &
Telescopes attempt to keep pace with it,
except to say that we will continue to
cover aspects of telescope making. Instead it would be much more beneficial
to note some of the resources for telescope makers on the World Wide Web.
Novices and veterans alike will surely
find practical nuggets in Bob Lombardis
ATM Resource List (http://www.freenet.
tlh.fl.us/~blombard/), which compiles various manufacturers and distributors for
Above: Rich resources and some ATM history can be found at the Tallahassee Astronomical Societys telescope-making page.

telescope-making services and supplies.

He updates it monthly. A similar list of
suppliers for England is Stephen Tonkins
UK ATM Resources (http://www.aegis1.
demon.co.uk/atm.htm). Highlights at this
site include the frequently asked question
(FAQ) document for the ATM e-mail list
and links to specific telescope projects.
From here you can jump to other helpful places. At the Amateur Telescope Making Journal Web site (http://www.halcyon.
com/rupe/atmj/), browse the newsletters
back issues and read selected articles online. The ATM Page (http://www.tiac.net/
users/atm/) is rich with information and
handy utilities, including the ATM Calculator, which offers people using JavaScript-capable Web browsers the chance
to determine many basic optical quantities. Mel Bartels wrote another handy Java
utility for his telescope pages (http://zebu.
uoregon.edu/ ~ mbartels/scopes/scopes.
html) that helps you optimize the diagonal mirror for your Newtonian.
There are plenty of other sites maintained by astronomy clubs and individuals offering a variety of information. The
Tallahassee Astronomical Society (http://
www.polaris.net/~tas/atm/atm.html) features links to telescope-making articles
and software. And after perusing Lin
Robertsons online tutorial (http://www.
geocities.com/Athens/1630/), youll have
to think hard for a reason not to build
your own 8-inch Dobsonian.
1997 Sky Publishing Corp. All rights reserved.

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Sky & Telescope September 1997

63