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"I vow to make this the best 8" Dobsonian around." I said those very words when my father and I set out to rebuild my 8" f/6 Orion Dobsonian telescope into a more useable instrument. However, I had only meant that in a sense that the scope would be something beautiful to use and look at, not something we would be awarded for doing. But I cannot argue with how the telescope works and how I have been repayed in wonderful nights under the sky and the recognition for our work.
At the time that my telescope was still in it's infancy, or Orion-state (original tube, bearings, base, etc.) I was awarded the following from one of the astronomy clubs I belong to, ASTRA (Astronomical Society of the Toms River Area):
Early in 1998 I was a speaker at one of ASTRA's meeting where I spoke on my newly completed (yellow-version) 8" Dobsonian. At the end of the meeting someone asked if I had plans to take the scope up to Stellafane (an Amateur Telescope Making Convention), Vermont, and enter it into the competition. I had never really thought about it and therefore could not give a definate answer. In fact, I had been unsure about entering it up until about a week before Stellafane. After having given it much thought, I said 'why not?' and brought it up to the historic Breezy Hill. Below you'll see why I am happy that I entered my scope:
Due to my success at Stellafane in July, 1998, ASTRA saw fit to award me with their own Stellafane award. I will forever go down in history as their first member to win an award (1st place, no less) at the historic Stellafane Convention.
I saw fit to adorn my Stellafane-winning Dobsonian with a plate (actual size= 5"x7") that would forever tell of it's 1st place finish. The brass plate was ordered from a store that handled engraving, plaques and glass. However, since my telescope does not follow the rules of a conventional Dobsonian, my plate would not follow the trends set by other plates on other Stellafane-winning telescopes. I decided on reverse type (usually the plates are brass with black lettering, I chose the opposite) since it would allow the plate to contrast the Cherry Wood-colored (similar to the background on these pages) Dobsonian base (where the plate is being mounted):
