[Nathan Volle]

Goto E-5 planet cage adjustment.

Hello Ron / Owen / Ken (and others)--Do you have any simplified instructions for accurately setting up the planet cage on the
GOTO E-5? I have the original instructions, plus I have typed out a slightly simplified version for my own use. (SEE BELOW.)
I would like to understand the principles behind each aspect of the planet cage and its setup---and also to be able to help anyone else who wants to know. This information may already be somewhere on OC, but I have not found it.

I am wondering if you use the following steps or do you use a simpler method? I would appreciate your input with corrections or additions etc. Thanks for your help! Nathan

GOTO E-5 PLANET CAGE ADJUSTMENT

FIRST be sure to set the ECLIPTIC and EQUATOR accurately in the star field.
(Use the star Mintaka in the belt of Orion, as your reference. It's R.A. is 05h32m and Dec -00° 18')

THEN Loosen all of the drive gears, (8 total), except the main drive gear. (SEE DIAGRAM BELOW FOR THE FOLLOWING)

EARTH POST ADJUSTMENT

Coincide all EARTH POST INDEX LINES with their respective AUTUMNAL EQUINOX ARROW-POINT attached to the planet cage baseplates. (Rotate Earth gears by hand.)

When all index lines coincide with arrow-point, lock setscrews on all EARTH DRIVE GEARS on the main drive shaft.

NOTE: The Earth gears of VENUS and MARS are INTERLOCKED as are the Earth gears of JUPITER and SATURN and each planet's Earth gear must be individually aligned: index-line to Autumnal Equinox arrow-point.

Loosen the two setscrews on MARS and SATURN's Earth posts to individually align their index lines with their respective Autumnal Equinox arrow-points. Lock the two setscrews when alignment has been completed.

SUN ADJUSTMENT

Since the Earth, has, in this manner, been positioned at the Autumnal Equinox, it is necessary to position the Sun at the Autumnal Equinox.

This adjustment is made as follows:

Switch on the Equator/Ecliptic projector.

Loosen the two setscrews that hold the SUN projector tube and fixture to the shaft.

Switch on the SUN and hand-adjust the projector to bring its image to the AUTUMNAL EQUINOX. (The junction of the equator and the Ecliptic at Sept 21^st.)

It may be necessary to raise or lower the SUN's image for exact positioning.

If necessary, loosen the two setscrews on the fixture (slots) and adjust image accordingly. Lock the setscrews.

Switch on ANNUAL MOTION and check to see if the SUN moves exactly on the Ecliptic.

If the SUN does not properly track on the Ecliptic, it may be necessary to adjust the tilt of the planet cage by varying its adjustment/attachment screws located on the plate above the Moon analogue.

One set of screws are for attachment while the others are for adjustment of the tilt.

PLANET POSITIONS

First , make sure that all planets are projected in the direction towards the planet shaft from its Earth post.

The inclinations of the planet gears approximate the inclinations of their respective orbits with respect to the Ecliptic. Check that Mercury and Venus inclination wedges are properly oriented. (See figure on page 5---not shown.)

MERCURY

Look up the R.A. at the date of inferior conjunction of the year you are setting it for.

Switch on SUN and PLANETS and bring to full brilliance.

Use DAILY MOTION to bring the R. A. of MERCURY's position to the MERIDIAN----

Use YEARLY motion to bring the SUN to that position.

Hand rotate the MERCURY drive gear (blue dot) to bring MERCURY's image to the MERIDIAN.

The MERCURY post must be aligned as in figure on page 5 of instruction sheet, (not shown).

Note the locations of Earth shaft (the Earth), MERCURY post (MERCURY) and the axis of the MERCURY gear (the Sun), in that order for INFERIOR CONJUNCTION. (Figure on page 5 not shown.)

Adjust MERCURY's declination.

VENUS

Use DAILY MOTION to bring the R.A. of VENUS at the desired date of INFERIOR CONJUNCTION, to the MERIDIAN.

Use YEARLY MOTION to bring the SUN to that position.

Hand rotate the VENUS drive gear (green dot) to bring VENUS' image to the MERIDIAN.

Adjust VENUS' declination.

Vary DECLINATION and VENUS drive gear until VENUS is properly located on the MERIDIAN.

Lock setscrews on DECLINATION adjustment and the VENUS drive gear---keeping the latter facing outwards in easy reach of your screwdriver.

MARS

Use YEARLY MOTION to bring the SUN to the date of MARS' at OPPOSITION.

Use DAILY MOTION to bring that date's R.A. plus 12 hours to the MERIDIAN.

Hand-rotate the MARS drive gear (Yellow dot) to bring MARS' image to the MERIDIAN.

Adjust MARS' Declination.

Vary Declination and R.A. to bring MARS to the MERIDIAN.

Lock Declination and MARS' drive gear setscrews taking care to keep screws directed outwards on the gear.

JUPITER

Use YEARLY MOTION to bring the SUN to the date of JUPITER at OPPOSITION.

Use DAILY MOTION to bring that date's R.A. plus 12 hours to the MERIDIAN.

Hand-rotate the JUPITER drive gear (Gray dot) to bring JUPITER'S image to the MERIDIAN.

Adjust JUPITERS' Declination.

Vary Declination and R.A. to bring JUPITER to the MERIDIAN.

Lock Declination and JUPITER'S drive gear setscrews taking care to keep screws directed outwards on the gear.

SATURN

Use YEARLY MOTION to bring the SUN to the date of SATURN at OPPOSITION.

Use DAILY MOTION to bring that dates R.A. plus 12 hours to the MERIDIAN.

Hand-rotate the SATURN drive gear (Cream dot) to bring SATURN'S image to the MERIDIAN.

Adjust SATURN'S Declination.

Vary Declination and R.A. to bring SATURN to the MERIDIAN.

Lock Declination and SATURN'S drive gear setscrews taking care to keep screws directed outwards on the gear.

ADJUSTMENT OF THE MOON FOR POSITION AND PHASE

Find the date of the MOON'S OPPOSITION, (full Moon).

The moon's R.A. differs from the SUN'S R.A. on that date by 12 hours.

Find the SUN'S R.A. on that date----then add 12 hours to give the MOON'S R.A.

Use DAILY MOTION to bring the SUN'S R. A. to the MERIDIAN.

Use YEARLY MOTION to bring the SUN to the MERIDIAN.

Now use DAILY MOTION to bring the MOON'S R.A. to the MERIDIAN.

Now bring the MOON'S image to the MERIDIAN and lock.

Now turn the phase transparency wheel unit until the FULL MOON is on the MERIDIAN and lock.



(A source for planet and moon data.)

http://www.astro.uu.nl:80/~strous/AA/en/verschijnselen.html

Attached File(s)

 GOTO_E_5_projector.jpg ( 34.22k ) Number of downloads: 2
 PLANET_CAGE_DIAGRAM.JPG ( 44.75k ) Number of downloads: 1

 

[Owen Phairis]

Thank you Nathan for posting that.

I have already printed a copy of it for my archives.

My own E-5 is a day or two out from arriving here in Big Bear so I have no experience with this projector.

I am sure Ron will be your best source of information on this since he rebuilt his from the ground up and I am sure he set up his planets.
One could cheat and use the orrery on my website, I do...

Owen

[Nathan Volle]

Yes Owen--To set the planets approximately I use Stellarium---which probably is essentially what you do with the orrery--but the timing of the retrograde motions won't necessarily be right, without----in the case of the E-5----first properly setting the earth posts correctly. I am trying to get the planet cage working as accurately as the design permits, and to be able to set it up as efficiently as possible for past or future dates.

Thank you Nathan for posting that.

I have already printed a copy of it for my archives.

My own E-5 is a day or two out from arriving here in Big Bear so I have no experience with this projector.

I am sure Ron will be your best source of information on this since he rebuilt his from the ground up and I am sure he set up his planets.
One could cheat and use the orrery on my website, I do...

Owen

I am inspired by all you are doing and am amazed at all of the time and effort you put into it. Thanks! Nathan

[Owen Phairis]

Yes Owen--To set the planets approximately I use Stellarium---which probably is essentially what you do with the orrery---I am trying though to get the planet cage working as accurately as the design permits, and to be able to set it up as efficiently and accurately as possible for past or future dates.



I am inspired by all you are doing and am amazed at all of the time and effort you put into it. Thanks! Nathan

Thank you for your kind words...

If you click on the 'planet positions' at the orrery on my website you can set the date for the upcoming vernal equinox. You can also set your location and you will find the ephemeris data for the planets is at the bottom of the page along with the planets right ascension in hours. I think you will find this a very accurate way of setting planetarium planet positions.

Owen

[Nathan Volle]

I just looked at that now. That's great! Nathan

[Owen Phairis]

I just looked at that now. That's great! Nathan

Wish I could take credit for it, but it is someone else's work.

The worst part of any geared planetary system is the total inability of going from the current date to some distant past or future date. Lets say one was doing a show this coming year and wanted to show where the planets were 400 years ago (since that is a significant time because of the coming year of astronomy). With my way of setting the planets it would be relatively easy to type in the date in the orrery and position the planets. The problem comes when you then want to show the sky tonight, with a geared planetary motion there is no way of doing it! I guess that is why they went to individual motors and computers for maximum flexibility. One can then automatically position the planets for any date in just a matter of minutes....

Thanks,

Owen

 Solar.gif ( 10.88k ) Number of downloads: 0

[Nathan Volle]

You highlight an interesting point Owen---are people generally more interested in a flawlessly presented, stunning audio/visual experience----or in an in-depth teaching/learning experience about the principles of how something works? It is not an either/or, but I think most of us in this forum lean toward the latter.

Wish I could take credit for it, but it is someone else's work.

The worst part of any geared planetary system is the total inability of going from the current date to some distant past or future date. Lets say one was doing a show this coming year and wanted to show where the planets were 400 years ago (since that is a significant time because of the coming year of astronomy). With my way of setting the planets it would be relatively easy to type in the date in the orrery and position the planets. The problem comes when you then want to show the sky tonight, with a geared planetary motion there is no way of doing it! I guess that is why they went to individual motors and computers for maximum flexibility. One can then automatically position the planets for any date in just a matter of minutes....

Thanks,

Owen

 Solar.gif ( 10.88k ) Number of downloads: 0

I know you are already aware of it, but the reason for what you do being so important, is that planetaruim "machines" leave people with a deep sense of awe and wonder at the "mechanical" complexity of the solar system as they watch a machine attempt to duplicate it.

It just is not the same with a computer. You can't see it's inner workings as it is making the same things happen, even though it may do it faster, and in many ways "better".

I see the Goto E-5 as a simple and valuable teaching tool. It demonstrates ALL of the basics of observational astronomy very well. The more I work with it the more I appreciate what's going on in the real night sky. Thanks for all of your input. Nathan

[Ron Walker]

Lets look at the planet cage from top to bottom. We have the following projectors: Moon ~ Sun ~ Mercury ~ Venus ~ Mars ~ Jupiter ~ Saturn.

First we must make sure that the Earth position for all of the projectors is correct. There are three sets of gears for this. One at the top of the Mercury cage (it also drives the Sun above and the Moon phase above that), one at the bottom of the Venus cage (it also drives the Mars projector just below), and the third is at the top of the Saturn cage ( with connection to the lower Jupiter projector.

You should find white lines (sometimes with small metal arrows) for alignment. This point represents Sept. 21st or Autumnal Equinox. All of these adjustments are easily made by loosening the small set screws on the first drive gear in the chain that is on the main drive shaft then turning the gear until properly aligned. Obviously tighten the set screws once aligned with the white lines an arrows. The Earth drives for Jupiter (bottom cage) and Mars (top cage) should be lined up as well. If not, you must adjust these in the center of the cage as they are powered from the cage directly adjacent.

Now turn on the Sun projector and the ecliptic. The Sun should be projecting on Sept. 21-22. If not, you must adjust the Sun within the cage itself (not via the gears) until aligned with this date. This assumes that the star ball and the coordenants projectors are already aligned with each other. If you do need to adjust the Sun, then remember to adjust the Moon phase ring as well.

The easiest way to get exact alignment is to just project out the Sun to the day when the Earth is in superior/conjunction with the planet (basically when the Earth and Planet drive pins are furthest apart). We will basically set for this date, this year. The projector is now projecting Sept. 21, 2008. If we move forward past December into January it will be 2009, if we move backward past January into December it will be 2007. We will need to use a year on either side as Jupiter for example has no conjunction in 2008.

Now, with the annular motion move the Sun and stop on June 9th of this year 2008. Loosen gear at the top of the cage on the main drive shaft and rotate it until the Earth and Venus pins are furthest apart and look at the dome. Because of the inclination of the orbits, the planets will very probably not actually cross the Sun but will move past either above or below it. What we want to do is line the planet projection up in line with the Sun. Once done lock gear.

With the annular motion move the Sun to December 5th, 2008. Unlock gear at bottom of Mars cage and move Mars to align with the Sun as you did with Venus. Make sure the two drive pins are at their furthest positions from one another. Once aligned, lock gear.

With the annular motion move into 2009 and stop at January 20th. This is inferior conjunction and the two drive posts should be closest to one another. Again loosen the drive gear at the bottom of the Mercury cage and align with the Sun.

The outer two planets will probably not be far off but we might as well align then as well. The last time this was dome might have been back when the projector was installed so it might be a tad off.

With the annual motion continue forward to January 24th, 2009 and adjust Jupiter, gear (top of cage) as before, then lock.

With the annual motion move backward to September 4th, 2008 and adjust Saturn, gear (bottom of cage) as before, then lock.

Move the Sun to December 27th, 2008 loosen the Moon gear and adjust for new moon (the moon projector aimed directly toward the Sun.

Move via annular motion forward to today's date and your done. Turn off the power and by hand set the control panel readout to today's date as well. Remember "today's date" is the date you do this.

Any questions?

[Nathan Volle]

Thanks Ron! I've made the corrections. If you find any other errors, please let me know. I am puzzled why the Apollo Viewlex instructions started with setting the vernal equinox on the year counter of the Saturn gear. It sure is confusing. No doubt related to trying to make it easier to set up for the automatic programing functions. They ended with telling how to readjust the Saturn gear in the way you suggested anyway. Their one sentence explanation is below and my note follows. (I assume your machine has the same type year counter on the Saturn gear as mine does.)

Loosen all of the drive gears, (8 total), except the main drive gear. Bring the VERNAL EQUINOX --Mar 21-- (diagram on page 2, not shown), to the index pointer on the Saturn gear for the desired year.

NOTE: This step that says---- Bring the VERNAL EQUINOX (Mar 21), to the index pointer for the desired year-----requires some explanation because the year counter mounted on the Saturn gear goes from 1962 to 1989 which is 28 years---plus an unmarked space of about 1.5 years---which makes the total of the 29.46 year period of Saturn. So to follow the instructions one needs to accurately interpolate to get to any year in the future or the past, that is outside of that range.

Thanks for your simplified instructions! Nathan

[Ron Walker]

Thanks Ron! I've made the corrections. If you find any other errors, please let me know. I am puzzled why the Apollo Viewlex instructions started with setting the vernal equinox on the year counter of the Saturn gear. It sure is confusing. No doubt related to trying to make it easier to set up for the automatic programing functions. They ended with telling how to readjust the Saturn gear in the way you suggested anyway. Their one sentence explanation is below and my note follows. (I assume your machine has the same type year counter on the Saturn gear as mine does.)

Loosen all of the drive gears, (8 total), except the main drive gear. Bring the VERNAL EQUINOX --Mar 21-- (diagram on page 2, not shown), to the index pointer on the Saturn gear for the desired year.

NOTE: This step that says---- Bring the VERNAL EQUINOX (Mar 21), to the index pointer for the desired year-----requires some explanation because the year counter mounted on the Saturn gear goes from 1962 to 1989 which is 28 years---plus an unmarked space of about 1.5 years---which makes the total of the 29.46 year period of Saturn. So to follow the instructions one needs to accurately interpolate to get to any year in the future or the past, that is outside of that range.

Thanks for your simplified instructions! Nathan

Glad to be of help. As far as the year counter goes, I copied it, did a little photoshop work, and printed it on sticky back paper which can be cut out and pasted over the old year counter. This one goes from 2002 to 2029. I'll send you one if you like, just send me a mailing address via private e-mail.

 new_year_timer_2002_2029.JPG ( 34.6k ) Number of downloads: 0


Actually I find that a fairly painful way to check the year so I'm going to add this to the projector.

 year_counter_digital.JPG ( 31.41k ) Number of downloads: 0

[Nathan Volle]

That's an impressive solution Ron! I will take you up on sending me one (or two), of the year counter printouts if it's not too much trouble. Practically--- starting the date where you did on the Saturn gear is fine. I think very technically the year 2000 should start in the middle of the old 1971 if my thinking and counting is accurate, which would be at approximately your 2010 position. It is such a slight difference, but this would make the declination of Saturn closer to correct for any given date. Right now I am not being that particular. Also using prisims or mirrors like I am doing, as we talked about before---changes the planets positions in relation to their original positions on the gears by 90 degrees---which affects and diminishes the original declination accuracy. I like your idea of the mechanical year counter----which I would visualize being set up on the shaft that the SUN is on. Thanks for your help. Nathan

[Owen Phairis]

You highlight an interesting point Owen---are people generally more interested in a flawlessly presented, stunning audio/visual experience----or in an in-depth teaching/learning experience about the principles of how something works? It is not an either/or, but I think most of us in this forum lean toward the latter.

I know you are already aware of it, but the reason for what you do being so important, is that planetarium "machines" leave people with a deep sense of awe and wonder at the "mechanical" complexity of the solar system as they watch a machine attempt to duplicate it.

It just is not the same with a computer. You can't see it's inner workings as it is making the same things happen, even though it may do it faster, and in many ways "better".

I see the Goto E-5 as a simple and valuable teaching tool. It demonstrates ALL of the basics of observational astronomy very well. The more I work with it the more I appreciate what's going on in the real night sky. Thanks for all of your input. Nathan

Hi Nathan,

I have been thinking about what you have said here, and have some thoughts....

In my opinion, the average planetarium goer is much more interested in a stunning audio/visual experience than they are in the educational value. The most important duty, again in my opinion, of a planetarium operator is to see that the visitor has the most enjoyable visit possible. Leave them wanting more and wanting to return again, and again. From the moment they enter the planetarium with the lights and music, to the time they leave it should be all presentation and theater. By far, again in my opinion, the most important concept is INSPIRATION. If the planetarium director can inspire one individual per show to take an interest in the sciences than it is all worth it. Inspiration can last a lifetime.

Education in the planetarium is in my opinion less important. Try to teach the visitors the names and locations of the 10 brightest stars and see how far you get. If one can get across one or two simple concepts you are doing well. Recently I went to see "Extreme Planets" on a Digistar III which was followed by the "Night Sky". Can you believe that a professionally packaged show called the Big Dipper a CONSTELLATION? What ever happened to Ursa Major and aster isms? I do not believe one should sacrifice scientific accuracy for showmanship.

I think you may have misunderstood my point about using computers. Instead of using a GEAR TRAIN to position the planets, it makes a lot more sense to use a computer to position them with individual motors. One still gets to see the planet projectors and watch them move, it is just a computer positioning them. Again, there is no way with a gear train to move to the distant past or future and then return to tonights sky during the course of a planetarium show.

I know and realize that in many ways I am odd man out with my ideas on this forum. However, the future of planetariums is charted and there is no turning back the pages of time to the old days. We all cherish planetarium past, but I embrace and live in the future.

Just my thoughts,

Owen

[Nathan Volle]

Thanks Owen! You identified the key. INSPIRATION! That is the bridge to wanting to know and understand. I worked over a 20 year period at Fermilab with physicists building their experiments.

Hi Nathan,

I have been thinking about what you have said here, and have some thoughts....

In my opinion, the average planetarium goer is much more interested in a stunning audio/visual experience than they are in the educational value. The most important duty, again in my opinion, of a planetarium operator is to see that the visitor has the most enjoyable visit possible. Leave them wanting more and wanting to return again, and again. From the moment they enter the planetarium with the lights and music, to the time they leave it should be all presentation and theater. By far, again in my opinion, the most important concept is INSPIRATION. If the planetarium director can inspire one individual per show to take an interest in the sciences than it is all worth it. Inspiration can last a lifetime.

Education in the planetarium is in my opinion less important. Try to teach the visitors the names and locations of the 10 brightest stars and see how far you get. If one can get across one or two simple concepts you are doing well. Recently I went to see "Extreme Planets" on a Digistar III which was followed by the "Night Sky". Can you believe that a professionally packaged show called the Big Dipper a CONSTELLATION? What ever happened to Ursa Major and aster isms? I do not believe one should sacrifice scientific accuracy for showmanship.

I think you may have misunderstood my point about using computers. Instead of using a GEAR TRAIN to position the planets, it makes a lot more sense to use a computer to position them with individual motors. One still gets to see the planet projectors and watch them move, it is just a computer positioning them. Again, there is no way with a gear train to move to the distant past or future and then return to tonights sky during the course of a planetarium show.

I know and realize that in many ways I am odd man out with my ideas on this forum. However, the future of planetariums is charted and there is no turning back the pages of time to the old days. We all cherish planetarium past, but I embrace and live in the future.

Just my thoughts,

Owen

I saw how everything starts with an idea, and how ideas are the products of inspiration. That all fits with what you see the goal of the planetarium to be. Thanks for your thoughts! Nathan

[Owen Phairis]

Thanks Owen! You identified the key. INSPIRATION! That is the bridge to wanting to know and understand. I worked over a 20 year period at Fermilab with physicists building their experiments.

I saw how everything starts with an idea, and how ideas are the products of inspiration. That all fits with what you see the goal of the planetarium to be. Thanks for your thoughts! Nathan

Nathan, I am so jealous of you! I was a nuclear physics major in college and specialized in particle accelerators. I even built a linear accelerator in high school using a Van DeGraff. I used to hang around Brookhaven NL at the Cosmotron when they would let me. Remind me to tell you the story of my almost falling in a nuclear reactor after meeting D.W. Kerst at the worlds largest Betatron.

Owen - the jealous

[Ron Walker]

Hi Nathan,

I have been thinking about what you have said here, and have some thoughts....

In my opinion, the average planetarium goer is much more interested in a stunning audio/visual experience than they are in the educational value. The most important duty, again in my opinion, of a planetarium operator is to see that the visitor has the most enjoyable visit possible. Leave them wanting more and wanting to return again, and again. From the moment they enter the planetarium with the lights and music, to the time they leave it should be all presentation and theater. By far, again in my opinion, the most important concept is INSPIRATION. If the planetarium director can inspire one individual per show to take an interest in the sciences than it is all worth it. Inspiration can last a lifetime.

Education in the planetarium is in my opinion less important. Try to teach the visitors the names and locations of the 10 brightest stars and see how far you get. If one can get across one or two simple concepts you are doing well. Recently I went to see "Extreme Planets" on a Digistar III which was followed by the "Night Sky". Can you believe that a professionally packaged show called the Big Dipper a CONSTELLATION? What ever happened to Ursa Major and aster isms? I do not believe one should sacrifice scientific accuracy for showmanship.

I think you may have misunderstood my point about using computers. Instead of using a GEAR TRAIN to position the planets, it makes a lot more sense to use a computer to position them with individual motors. One still gets to see the planet projectors and watch them move, it is just a computer positioning them. Again, there is no way with a gear train to move to the distant past or future and then return to tonights sky during the course of a planetarium show.

I know and realize that in many ways I am odd man out with my ideas on this forum. However, the future of planetariums is charted and there is no turning back the pages of time to the old days. We all cherish planetarium past, but I embrace and live in the future.

Just my thoughts,

Owen

In a lot of ways I feel your both right. Owen is certainly not an "odd man out" as the way each of us presents our presentations is viable. I have always liked that big "ant" sitting in the center of the chamber and Nathan put it very well about such a complex machine. Accuracy is very important to me and I find no excuse for the presentation that Owen saw.

Now I love movies, heck I've made a few, but I personally find the planetarium chamber and presentation to be a very special place. A whiz bang trip in a spaceship might get the adrenaline going but in my mind will not get many interested in the night sky or science in general. It is a pure entertainment and treated so by the audience because deep down they know they can't make the trip.

The slow pace of a classic planetarium can also be entertaining but in a different way. True, most people won't remember names of the stars (heck, I can't remember the names of most of them) but they will realize that they can look up any night and see what they saw in the planetarium. Perhaps walking into the house from their car (after a trip to the movies) they look up and see, "what was it that guy talked about, oh yeah...Orion was a hunter...". This perhaps gives pause and they look around a bit more and wonder. Perhaps some will come back and get hocked by this unique science. I could be very wrong but I think more will look up after a simple star show then after a major entertainment.

Of all the statistics that I've read, star shows (if given the choice) remain the most popular, probably because this is something the audience can do on their own in their own back yard with their own families.

Perhaps I like this approach because it was how I got hooked. I must admit that I got hooked on the machine long before what the machine did. Even after being away for many years, the memories of that very massive and complex machine brought me back and it's something I want (no, need) to offer to others, even if it's just my own family. Hopefully more will partake of the simple wonders of a simple star show, but who knows.

As far as quick positioning of the planets goes, the computer wins hands down. But it is not that hard to have set marks to align the various planets with a mechanical projector. True you would not want to do it during a show but how many epochs must you visit for any one program? We all know (and agree) that most audience members won't remember much anyway so one epoch per show is enough.

Again, no approach is wrong, each has its pluses and minuses, each will hopefully open minds and install wonder and curiosity. The only request I have is that we don't give up and continue trying.

[Nathan Volle]

You know more about them than I do Owen! But I did enjoy the hands-on details of wiring the accelerator(s) at Fermi over a 20 year period.

The pictures below are of the main injector tunnel, 4 stories underground and 2 miles in circumference, showing the wiring in progress related to inserting the 6 million volt electron cooler, (which is several stories high on the other side of the tunnel wall), into the main injector. The second picture shows when everything is connected and the start of preliminary testing.

I was one of about 25 people doing the electron cooler install into the main injector over a 4 month shut down period. I did the original wiring, (power and controls), mostly alone--- for the prototype electron cooler two years earlier in an "experimental hall" several miles from the injector ring, where it was tested, and the "bugs" got worked out.

There are 400 physicists from all over the world that work at Fermi. I worked for outside contractors, doing every phase of the electrical construction. I would work with various groups of physicists and technicians for a several year period, until we finished their specific experiment, and then move on to another one. Nathan

(P.S. Some informative links below.)


http://www-ecool.fnal.gov/

http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761579...laboratory.html

http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/articles/kullander/

http://www.fnal.gov/

Attached File(s)

 WIRING_IN_PROGRESS.JPG ( 45.32k ) Number of downloads: 1
 TESTING__IN_MAIN_INJECTOR.JPG ( 44.64k ) Number of downloads: 1

 

[Nathan Volle]

Ron---Thanks for your characteristically thought provoking and insightful analysis! Very helpful! Nathan

[Owen Phairis]

You know more about them than I do Owen! But I did enjoy the hands-on details of wiring the accelerator(s) at Fermi over a 20 year period.

The pictures below are of the main injector tunnel, 4 stories underground and 2 miles in circumference, showing the wiring in progress related to inserting the 6 million volt electron cooler, (which is several stories high on the other side of the tunnel wall), into the main injector. The second picture shows when everything is connected and the start of preliminary testing.

I was one of about 25 people doing the electron cooler install into the main injector over a 4 month shut down period. I did the original wiring, (power and controls), mostly alone--- for the prototype electron cooler two years earlier in an "experimental hall" several miles from the injector ring, where it was tested, and the "bugs" got worked out.

There are 400 physicists from all over the world that work at Fermi. I worked for outside contractors, doing every phase of the electrical construction. I would work with various groups of physicists and technicians for a several year period, until we finished their specific experiment, and then move on to another one. Nathan

(P.S. Some informative links below.)


http://www-ecool.fnal.gov/

http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761579...laboratory.html

http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/articles/kullander/

http://www.fnal.gov/

Thanks for the pictures and the links. I often wonder what if... I stayed with the nuclear end of things instead of aerospace..one never knows where life will take one.
I had a photographer friend in Batavia by the name of Karen Woodburn, she had a studio downtown. I have not heard from her in many years and do not know if she is still photographing. I had always hoped to go and visit her and Fermi lab.

[Owen Phairis]

I ran across some hand written notes that came with the Apollo projector on setting the Goto E-5 planets and wanted to share it with Ron and Nathan. May not be of any use.. but one never knows...

Owen

Page 1 0f 3
 Planets1E.jpg ( 94.12k ) Number of downloads: 0

[Owen Phairis]

Page 2 of 3

 Planets2E.jpg ( 98.68k ) Number of downloads: 0