Used or New CGEM mount needed

this is the main message area for anything solar :)
Post Reply
User avatar
solarchat
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 4359
Joined: Sat Feb 01, 2014 3:10 pm
Location: Atlanta, GA USA
Has thanked: 83 times
Been thanked: 1313 times
Contact:

Used or New CGEM mount needed

Post by solarchat »

CBSAP supporters... if you want to see what this program is all about, here it is: Two of our most prolific outreach providers, Roger and Linda Kennedy, have been struggling with trying to get their Celestron CGEM repaired or get parts for it now for while.
They have gotten nowhere. SO, instead of whining and complaining they are now just using it without power and in manual mode to continue to provide outreach to New Mexicans in the finest spirit of our program.
Maybe I can get one of my buddies at Celestron Nexstar to send him out a replacement so that he can continue providing almost 100 free events yearly to native Americans and local New Mexicans in the best spirit of our program. I am for once at a loss and cannot just send him another free one like I usually can because, well, I gave them all away last month and the charity is near zero on funds right now.
I would think out of all the people that we have sent glasses to, given equipment to or the vendors that we have supported and praised that SOMEONE out there wants to just get a new CGEM or comparable mount out to him in exchange for the massive goodwill publicity that will come from it.

Notice the image below showing the broken CGEM in manual mode....no power cord or controller..lol THATS DEDICATION to science outreach and THATS what this forum and this organization is all about.

Who wants to step up here and be a superstar for science?
I can take care of this whole problem if someone wants to spend about $1350 at the Camera Bug in Atlanta for community science or just ship their unused CGEM to Roger in New Mexico.
10426854_10203773839333765_8082049764188152180_n.jpg
10426854_10203773839333765_8082049764188152180_n.jpg (50.2 KiB) Viewed 1334 times


Stephen W. Ramsden
Atlanta, GA USA
Founder/Director Charlie Bates Solar Astronomy Project
http://www.solarastronomy.org
User avatar
swisswalter
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Posts: 17948
Joined: Thu Feb 06, 2014 4:28 am
Location: Switzerland
Been thanked: 1 time
Contact:

Re: Used or New CGEM mount needed

Post by swisswalter »

Hi Stephen

couldn't we start the funding earlier in the year?


Only stardust in the wind, some fine and some less fine scopes, filters and adapters as well. Switzerland 47 N, 9 E, in the heart of EUROPE :)

from 7 am - 7 pm http://www.nanosys.ch

from 7.01 pm - 6.59 am http://www.wastronomiko.com some times vice versa ;)
User avatar
solarchat
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 4359
Joined: Sat Feb 01, 2014 3:10 pm
Location: Atlanta, GA USA
Has thanked: 83 times
Been thanked: 1313 times
Contact:

Re: Used or New CGEM mount needed

Post by solarchat »

Great News!

The VP of Celestron stepped up at my request and is going to send Roger and his wife a new CGEM immediately. I have never asked them for anything and am not in the habit of asking any vendor for anything as they get dozens of requests at every show I go to for free stuff from every astronomy club on Earth. Hopefully, this will be the last time I have to ask for free stuff as it doesn't set well with me at all.

Ive always felt that if I could afford to purchase the equipment than I should because the only reason this stuff is available is because there is a market for it and if every vendor gave away everything, they would not be in business for long.

Since my retirement and 60% pay cut though, I don't have the ability to donate 50% of my income to the nonprofit anymore like I have done for the last 6 years. I know times are tough for everyone and we did get the standard two people here that always support everything to step up but it looks like in order to maintain the level of this program that we have all enjoyed since 2008, Im going to have to get involved in fund raising, which I absolutely abhor.

Anyway, the problem has been solved and we shall move on. The science is what's important and any time I deal with the money, I just get depressed.

Walter, I pledged to members that this wouldn't be one of those high pressure programs where people are asked for donations at every turn and I hope to keep it that way. That doesn't mean we won't accept donations year round, Just means that I won't be asking for them from members except in November. Seems to me that the users in here are all of the income level necessary to fund the nonprofit with moderate donations throughout the year and they all know that this is a nonprofit which relies on their funding, so I just rely on their class and good intentions to do the right thing.

Last year, I believe it was 17 users out of the 630 registered here at the time and 63 out of 4000 members on Facebook made a donation (1.7% of members total) and we raised $23,000. The budget for the program last year was just over $105,000.00.

If we could simply quadruple the number of donors to this program to 8% of the users of the program, or just increase the number of donors to twice the number of people who get free stuff from us (we shipped out 227 boxes of things in 2013) we would totally fund the entire charity. In America though, if you get 3% of your nonprofit members to donate anything you are well above the average. Its a sad state, but its just the way our society has become and Im not going to start shaking a cup for change at every event like others do.


Stephen W. Ramsden
Atlanta, GA USA
Founder/Director Charlie Bates Solar Astronomy Project
http://www.solarastronomy.org
User avatar
Montana
Librarian
Librarian
Posts: 34558
Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2011 5:25 pm
Location: Cheshire, UK
Has thanked: 17648 times
Been thanked: 8787 times

Re: Used or New CGEM mount needed

Post by Montana »

:hamster: :hamster: :hamster:

Alexandra


User avatar
marktownley
Librarian
Librarian
Posts: 42269
Joined: Tue Oct 18, 2011 5:27 pm
Location: Brierley Hills, UK
Has thanked: 20424 times
Been thanked: 10242 times
Contact:

Re: Used or New CGEM mount needed

Post by marktownley »

It's great news about the mount Stephen, always good to hear a happy ending!

Shame there isn't more support for the programme financially, if I think about the jiffy bags of solar glasses I have shipped out to various people over the past couple of years and the number of people who have pledged to make a donation, I do wonder how many actually have. When you look at the figures for support from the forum and on FB it is low, but, there is some support which I guess is better than none!


Image
http://brierleyhillsolar.blogspot.co.uk/
Solar images, a collection of all the most up to date live solar data on the web, imaging & processing tutorials - please take a look!
User avatar
swisswalter
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Posts: 17948
Joined: Thu Feb 06, 2014 4:28 am
Location: Switzerland
Been thanked: 1 time
Contact:

Re: Used or New CGEM mount needed

Post by swisswalter »

Hi Stephen

very good News. Just in case, we have here a couple of glasses to give away


Only stardust in the wind, some fine and some less fine scopes, filters and adapters as well. Switzerland 47 N, 9 E, in the heart of EUROPE :)

from 7 am - 7 pm http://www.nanosys.ch

from 7.01 pm - 6.59 am http://www.wastronomiko.com some times vice versa ;)
Post Reply