Planetarium Star Projectors

[Galvonaut]

Hopefully by the time you get here, all (or more) of this stuff will be working by then.

Brilliant! I would love to see one of these beasts running [starts USA fund]

These are complex machines, I don't understand the engineering that went into creating them. It most certainly is a lost or dying art as everything gradually goes digital. The machines that display the solar system as well as stars are full of gears. There must have been a few slide rule calculations involved. I cannot imagine the person that hand drilled all of the star holes and placed the individual lenses, or how they drilled the holes so precisely. The Spitz Starscape is different than the rest of the projectors. It is a sphere mounted on a 3-axis gimbal so it can so all sorts of stuff that the other projectors can't, such as accurate spacecraft pitch and yaw simulation which is what it's prototype was built for (Spitz reportedly built a smaller version for NASA for use in Apollo astronaut training). I wish I knew someone who is an expert in DC servo motor control, as that is what this one needs to get it working.

Wow! Real craftsmanship by the sounds of it. I bet someone on the forum knows DC Servos.

[SpitzSTP]

Hey, how'd he get in here?

[swamidog]

star mouse?


"the myth of the killer ape is true"

Hey, how'd he get in here?

[Galvonaut]

There's a rat in the kitchen, what 'ya gonna do?

[The_Doctor]

Knitted rat?! Should I stay with edible doormice?

[BlueFang]

There's a rat in the kitchen, what 'ya gonna do?

Feel like replying, just because I got this reference (why is it you guys make such good music? I know, there is an endless debate about whether UB40 is actually "good", but yeah)... Also, all those colored wires... that's what makes the colored lights in the projector, right?

[coherentgeek]

I remember the first show I saw at the Planetarium in London. It was a Pink Floyd. Ever since then I loved projectors and lasers. I so lucky to earn my living from them now. If I was rich, I would do this stuff for nothing.

[luxilid]

Hi Spitz,
I'm a new member here and want to say thank god there is someone like you rescuing all this wonderful old technology!
Are you the one who rescued the GOTO JHS Custom from Vanderbilt in NY a few years ago?

[SpitzSTP]

Hi, thanks for your post! Yes, I made a very serious attempt to rescue the GOTO JHS Custom from Vanderbilt in NY. I flew out their twice, met with the interim director and provided detailed plans for how to get this 2-ton machine out of there using a hydraulic spider crane on tracks, forklifts and transportation using a semi truck. I invested a few thousand dollars in plane tickets, equipment rental, hotels for a few guys to help me, etc. but I had to walk away at the very last minute because I was unable to procure the multi-million dollar liability insurance they required me to obtain. I can understand the need for risk mitigation but the catch-22 is that I cannot afford the insurance to rescue an artifact such as this that has zero commercial value AND I am not doing this as a business and few institutions will accept a simple Hold-Harmless agreement. My business insurance broker would not touch this with a ten foot pole and referred me to Lloyds of London. Anyone that has some idea of what it is like to do business in Suffolk County can probably understand what I was up against. I don't know what happened to the machine and I've tried to dismiss all memory of it. I will say it was a true classic, one-of-a-kind, never to be made again machine and it is a shame to see it vanish forever. Not to be discourged, I turned my attention elsewhere and since then have saved another rare and valuable GOTO from Colorado, and most recently, another star projector with four decades of history from a museum in Evansville, Indiana last May. Of all the projectors I have managed to save, these are the exceptions to the rule that 80 percent of them end up getting scrapped, mutilated, pilfered and/or destroyed. It makes me appreciate the five I have even more Here is a picture of another one we saved seven years ago from a college in San Antonio. It now sits in my friend's dome in Cave Creek, AZ, proudly restored to full operation. I have another Minolta almost identical to this in my living room and it is truly magnificent. I haven't posted in a long time, much to do with the other challenges in life aside from star machine fetching adventures. The other photo was taken at a friend's house recently, I am so lucky to have good friends that appreciate the same things that I do! The two small square objects blocking the light are speakers in a plastic case, one of them almost caught on fire.

[m2b]

As that friend in Cave Creek, I must state that Mr. Spitz STP is a most amazing and dedicated person who I'm proud to call friend! When I had virtually given up all hope of ever owning a museum level optical projector, he not only found me one but was instrumental in the removal and moving of it from Texas to Arizona. Words cannot express the appreciation I have for this mans efforts. The last show this projector gave in Texas was on Friday, June 13th, 2008. After six years, two in planning, one and a half to get a building permit, and two and a half in building it piece by piece, the first show in its new home was given on Friday, June 13th, 2014.

Was it worth all the effort, in a word YES. Even if I were the only one to ever sit under this dome and look up at the sky I would be extremely happy and satisfied. I've told that if your going to dream, then dream big and I certainly out did myself this time.

What I find most interesting though are the number of other people that find this entire project fascinating. During the course of construction several people that would normally drive by stopped and inquired exactly what it was going to be. When they found out there were no negative reactions at all. To the contrary, everyone wanted to come to a show. That neighbor would tell another neighbor and they would stop and ask to come as well. So what was to be a simple single show on Friday turned into four extra shows on Saturday. Wow, over eighty people and just from the immediate neighborhood and word of mouth. From all of the shows there was interest in future programs and thus the e-mail list was formed. I decided to give monthly shows hopefully with a new topic every month over the course of two years. This first month flew by in seconds (it is interesting how fast time flies by the older one gets) and I had nothing new prepared, I just gave my original show, "An Introduction to the Planetarium and The Sky Tonight" over again and was delighted that over twenty people found it interesting enough to sit through once again.

Sorry to ramble on so but the interest in this thing continues to amaze me. If anyone is interested in getting on the mailing list for future shows, just send your e-mail address to: thestarbarn@gmail.com and I will put you on. Also if anyone is interested in a private show and wants to talk planetaria or whatever I'm always open to that. Perhaps I can find some help in getting my little laser show up and running (another gift from Mr. Spitz). You have already helped me a lot on getting an idea on how this is built and wired and I have been getting parts. Now that my main project of the dome is complete I can direct my efforts to getting this small system up and running as well. For special people I do have a keg of a very nice Ale if your inclined to indulge in that kind of thing.