--- Michael Carnes <michaelcarnes@earthlink.net> wrote:
I'd consider myself a light to moderate member, and I think I agree with the general sentiment expressed by Kurt and Chuck.
I'm in principle for the club adopting a robotic scope as a new project - whether as a SLAS alone project or in cooperation with Clark, the UofU or, I believe, USU was mentioned at the meeting. Considering increasing light pollution and rising gas prices, internet access to robotic scopes is the future of public outreach - particularly for outreach to Utah school children. It's not the same as sitting under a southern Utah or even an Uinta sky, but for many Utah kids, it is going to be their most practical route of access. My main feeling goes to over-extension of club resources - that SPOC should be fully completed and fully reserve funded. That way the considerable talent in the club (which ain't me) can focus on a single new project. That is in no way to suggest that a robotic scope project isn't a worthy one and should not be considered and undertaken using club resources. The trade-off is that if you use the current working capital to fund a SPOC reserve now, then you have a waiting period in which the club does more revenue generating activities in order to build a pot to finance the next building project. Along these lines, one of my main objectives out at SPOC over the next few months is to try a lunar web-cast as an experiment. I've slowly accumulated the hardware and software since last November. Now, if I can just figure out how to cold-boot the SPOC wireless router. -:) - Canopus56 P.S. - I'm not worried about the southern Utah "lead" stop-sign misquitos. I figure if you build a sod caretaker hut and just mail a bag of gorp and chew down there every couple of months, we can get Guy to relocate and do 24 hour "protection". __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com