Spare bulbs and fuses are still in the console drawer.

A variety of spare projector bulbs in the auxilliary console too!

Does this mean that I can watch my Austin Powers DVD collection with it?

We caused a bit of a stir at the Hoover Dam Security Checkpoint coming out of Las
Vegas / Henderson. I had a mass of coax cables wire-tied to the dashboard for radio antennas and a bunch of 12v power cables running all over the place.

The Security officers flagged me over for a little Q/A session and examination of our
rather unusual-looking planetarium cargo. My sincere thanks to the Hoover Dam Security people for making sure we weren't hiding a Mr. Fusion, Flux Capacitor or
anything else in there.

A similar thing happened on the return trip from San Antonio at an immigration
checkpoint somewhere outside of El Paso I think. We had a little explaining to do
about the weird-looking Viewlex Series IIB central core and North/South star globes
sitting in the back of the van! Good thing we didn't joke about Los Alamos or
centrifuge enrichment equipment while at the checkpoint.

Close-up of the BYUI Spitz A3P planet cage.

A graceful instrument, this one has smooth, powerful movements unlike
the older Spitz A3P's. Perhaps they upgraded the drive motors at the
Spitz factory for these "newer" model A3P's, does anybody know?

While removing the components and cabling of this planetarium, I started thinking
how long it took to build this humble 22-foot planetarium in Rexburg. With the A3P
at the center, this was really a vast network of inter-connected devices that the
former director(s) must have built over the past 20+ years. Slide projectors, Spice
controls, one-off custom projectors (the ones sitting in "the bowl" and others that
were stuffed into every available space under the spring line. This is the last photo
of "the network" before we took it off line. The quarter century of grunge on the
control console will polish out to a high shine when I am done with it.

The soul of the network, bows after the final performance.

Oh, for sure, baby. Shag a picture as big as you like! Use the connectors to the far right. If you have RGB out on your DVD player your picture will be shagalicious, baby.

That looks a lot like a 512 planet cage to me. It's at least a A4, but the Moon projector looks a lot like the 512. I believe this to be a very interesting hybrid, one of a kind machine.

Also note the three "guy wire" supports from the analog plate to the projector plate. They didn't show up until the A4 was in production.

Perhaps you will find that they replaced the Spitz automation with some of the Spice controls. That would allow for a lot more and smother control of the Spitz motors.

You know, I had completely forgotten about that. I'll bet we were the highlight of her evening.

There is something really stately about all of these machines!

Customization of the aux projectors also included these hand-made
attachments to the A3P. Both are mounted on slow-turning gear motors.
The black projector has a metal dome with small holes drilled in it. The
red projector was probably used for twilight. Small incandescent light
bulbs are in the little black boxes on the side and the whole thing slides
atop the gear drive mechanism on the central core. I will re-attach all
of this during restoration and keep it exactly the same.

I am going to have to sort through this pile so I have a place to sit down again.

At some point in the past, the original auxilliary control panels were trashed and
a section was cut out for a Spice automation PC. I will replace the wood sections
and return the aux console to its original configuration and re-laminate it in Walnut
grain Wilsonart (which I found locally and is a close match for what Spitz used
in their woodshop). If I may please ask a question of the group, what Spitz may
have originally delivered on the control panel sections for this aux console? It
may have been a one-of-a-kind special order because the left side (which sat
up against the wall) was not laminated. Can anybody help answer the question?

Another picture for the question - Does anybody know what was once likely
installed in the left-hand auxilliary console?

Another angle on the aux console...

The only remaining "evidence"...

More custom one-off projectors from Brigham Young Idaho Planetarium...

I wonder what this one does?

I think it was probably custom for that location. It was probably set up by the original fellow. The wood doesn't look exactly like the main control console.

Possibly a Bolide meteor?????

Unpacking the hard cases today.. a couple of Sky-Scan Zoom Projectors.

I keep noticing more differences in this A3P. For example, the connections are
labeled with engraved tags instead of painted on. One reason this instrument is so
dusty is probably because it was hard to reach with that larger, outer bowl around
the pedestal. As I clean off the dirt, it reveals an almost new-looking instrument.

Brent -

Where are the controls for the many custom home made projectors? Perhaps, the second console ran those projectors + slide projectors, etc.

A few were plugged into the A3P connectors and run off the Spitz control console.
Many appeared to be connected to the various Spice controllers. It will take
some time to figure this out! I would like to know the name of the previous
director that built all this, and I'll have to do the research. I don't think he is
with us anymore, so there will be no answers there. Perhaps they ran the aux
projectors off the second console with analog controls, before they got Spice
and carved a space in the second console to hold the 386 or early Pentium PC.

Brigham Young A3P temporarily positioned and intend to put this machine
on a base with casters so it can be moved about. Most other projectors
are on casters already, or will soon be. The Control Consoles will also be
on caster bases for -Lakeview Museum Peoria, Illinois Spitz 512, -Allendale
High School New Jersey Spitz 512, -Stephen Pielock Spitz A3P, -Chabot
Space & Science Center Spitz A3P, -Brigham Young Idaho Spitz A3P,
-Downing Planetarium Fresno Spitz A3 (Components of-Spitz on a Stick),
Central Core from Steve, Starball from Downing Planetarium, yoke from
Joe Hopkins Engineering), -University of Iowa Spitz 373.

I have seen this type of labeling before in some S&T pictures. I assumed that the owners added the nice etched mane plates. Now I wonder, is this something Spitz did toward the end of the A3P lifetime???

I received an answer from Stephen regarding the previous staff at BYUI Planetarium
which I have included here. The custom-built aux projectors are fascinating and
will have a brass plaque placed on each.

"Brent,
The two people who worked with the planetarium here for nearly 30 years were
Ellis Miller and Bud Johnson. Ellis was the director (and astronomer) and Bud
was the engineer who designed and built most of the special effects projectors.
Both have since retired and Bud passed away a few years ago.

Thanks, Stephen"

Astonishing difference after 30 minutes of polishing

Much dirt coming off, underneath it's nice

It's amazing to me that very few people do any kind of maintenance (cleaning) at all. It's no wonder a lot of these machines bog down. With just a little cleaning they could go on forever.

Nice job Brent!

Started re-assembling the Brigham Young A3P on Saturday, had to
reposition everything again.

Gantry was useful for placing the rotating base on the pedestal

especially for hovering the top a quarter inch above, while trying to locate
the bolt holes from underneath

works perfectly, no heavy lifting

Looking up inside

Four springs hold the drive wheel against the turntable. Simple design.

Have to feed the cables through first, before dropping it

all the way down!

the others still need more work, but this one works like magic. This is the A3P that
Steve Pielock rebuilt one year ago and personally delivered to AZ in the desert heat.

three more to be assembled yet, this one is next. It's sitting in New Jersey.

This machine will receive a 75 watt arc lamp since I still have a few
brand-new bulbs left and there is just a jumper to change on the power supply.

Polishing done, it looks much better

Yes, and it's not hard to replace worn-out switches either. Wonder where is the
best place to get these old Switchcraft switches?

cosmic stuff

Is the rotating projector an original Spitz design or was it added by the Idaho folks?

Exact replacements will probably be hard to find.

Another member has fallen pray to the "negative" switch on his photo program.