GMARS Site Development Activities - 2005

GMARS Activities 2006

GMARS Activities 2004

December 3, 2005

It wasn't a work party, just the scheduled December Star Party at GMARS. But that could not keep the troops from rallying around the projects they wanted to finish.

First, Alson Wong, with the help of Bob Stephens, Larry Black, Todd Hansen, Alex McConahay and others, got the roof constructed on his observatory. He now needs to finish the interior and install his Paramount. Oh, the observatory would work much better with a door.

I made progress on the observatory which will hold the 14-inch RCX by installing interior trim and weather stripping. That instrument will probably be installed before the end of the month.

Alex McConahay with Smokey's help finished the Dob House, which was installed on Capella's pad in the middle of the Telescope Field. Capella will take up residence next month. In the process, Alex discovered what the floor of the garage looks like - even put a few things up on the selves.

Teri Denson gave the house a cleaning that it hasn't seen in months. Finally, Charlie Knapke installed tile in his observatory. Very fancy indeed!

Bob Stephens

November 25, 2005

Work started on Alson Wong's observatory which will house his C9 on a Paramount (or at least until he can find a respectable OTA to perch atop that massive mount). The boys erected and sheeted the walls and did most of the work on the outriggers. Rick Debus came out Friday afternoon and helped frame and assemble the walls while Alex McConahay lent a hand (so to speak) in installing the sheeting on Saturday. The Saturday activities went on against a backdrop of 35 - 50 mph gusting wind which certainly made being on top of ladders interesting. Alex also worked on the Dob House installing the doors, so that it is nearly ready for its new home.

Bob Stephens

October 22, 2005

This was our annual Fall Cleaning Work Party for GMARS to get it ready for the Fall Star Parties. A merry band of bush whackers showed up including Ralph Megna, Glenn Malcolm, Bob Stephens, Alex McConahay, Todd Hansen, Rick Debus, Charlie Knapke and others. Teri Denson provided an excellent lunch. Certifiable Arborists Alex McConahay and Bob Stephens hacked away at the trees in front of the clubhouse clearing a path to the new gate in the fence. Our dump crew of Ralph, Glenn and Todd hauled all of the construction trash and pruned vegetation to the dump where they hobed-knobbed with the rest of town during Free Dump Day. Meanwhile, Charlie, Bob and Alex took the executioners axe to the Manzanita Bush on the east end of the Telescope Field in anticipation of the expansion of the pads. This bush did not go willingly!

Bob Stephens
Chief Executioner

Certifiable Arborist, Alex McConahay takes a whack at anything green

Oh Joy! -- It is Free Dump Day in Landers

Rick Debus doing touch up paint on the clubhouse

October 8, 2005

This week was scheduled to power up the two observatories being built by Bob Stephens and Glenn Malcolm. Master Electrician, Bill Lennartz was on hand to direct the festivities and make sure nobody fried themselves. Regressing back to our trenching days, we had to open the trenches in four different spots to clear obstructions in the conduit. Despite the setback, we pulled wires to the two observatories and activated the lights and plugs. Friday night, we temporarily mounted Ralph Megna’s 10-inch LX200 in Observatory #5 and achieved first light on Mars. The Paramount with its C14 was installed on Saturday, but the winds kicked up preventing us from opening the roof.

Bob Stephens

        
Glenn Working on Observatory Wiring                              Results of Working on Wiring

First Light for RCX Observatory

September 24, 2005

A crew of observatory builders consisting of Ralph Megna, Glenn Malcolm, Charlie Knapke and Bob Stephens arrived to install the roof on Observatory #5, which will hold the Stephens/Malcolm 14-inch RCX telescope. The roof was redesigned a bit to lighten the load resulting in a structure that rolls much easier than previous attempts. In addition, the door to this observatory was hung and some interior wiring was completed. On Observatory #3, which will house the Paramount Telescope, the wiring on the interior was basically finished and peg board was hung to provide an attractive surface that will thermally equalize quickly. As a final touch, linoleum was laid on the raised floor. Observatory #3 is almost complete with some trim and molding work yet to be finished before the telescope is installed. Meanwhile, Charlie sprayed a coat of dark blue paint on the underside of the roof on his Observatory #1.

Bob Stephens

September 10, 2005

Unseasonably cool weather greeted a crew of observatory builders. Bob Stephens and Glenn Malcolm worked on the #3 Observatory Friday night installing a temporary pulley system to move the roof, and worked on the interior electrical system (awaiting certification from Chief GMARS Power Master - Bill Lennartz). Saturday was the longest construction day yet recorded with work starting at 7 AM and not letting up until lights out at 10 PM. Ralph Megna and Bruce Lakin joined the crew and the roll-off rail system was constructed for Observatory #5. Experience on the previous observatory showed that it was better to have the rail system completed before the roof was started in order to test the roof rolling at various phases of construction. Most importantly, the solid core door for Observatory #3 was hung late Saturday night. The locks were installed Sunday morning allowing the observatory to be secured. Although Observatory #3 is now operational, equipment will not be installed until finishing work such as floors, wall coverings and trim are completed. The next step is to install the rolling roof on Observatory #5

Bob Stephens.

September 3, 2005

The Labor Day weekend presented an opportunity for a three day star party, although most RAS members had other family obligations. Still the Telescope Field was full on Saturday night. During the day, the temperatures were (for the time of year) moderate allowing work to continue on the observatories. The roll-off rail system for Observatory #3, which will hold the Paramount was completed allowing the roof to roll back. Meanwhile, another crew erected the walls for observatory #5 which will contain a Meade RCX. Ralph Megna, Bob Stephens, Glenn Malcolm, Alson Wong and Bruce Lakin participated in the festivities.

Bob Stephens

August 13, 2005

A small crew of observatory builders consisting of Bob Stephens, Smokey Yokum and Ralph Megna came out to put the roof on the Gamma Observatory (#3). Several modifications were made to the original roof design to increase strength and weatherproofing.

Bob Stephens

August 6, 2005

Despite heat and humidity, a determined crew used a star party weekend compromised by thunderstorms to make major progress on another observatory at GMARS.

The walls for observatory #3, which will be licensed by Chief Observer Bob Stephens, were erected on August 6th. Assisting Bob were Alson Wong, Todd Hansen, Doug Fenn and yours truly. Smokey Yokum provided valuable “supervisory” and errand services, and Teri Denson brought her legendary potato salad.

The modular approach used for the fabrication of the observatories allows the walls to be substantially prefabricated in the garage (picture at left), and then carried to the observatory site and erected (middle picture). After the walls are squared and braced, textured plywood siding is used to sheath the structure (picture at right). The footings and floor assembly for #3 (as well as for #4,5,6) were completed on previous workdays.

With a bit of luck, and moderating temperatures, this observatory could be finished by early September. Construction on the balance of the observatories is likely to be completed late in 2005 or early 2006.

Ralph Megna
GMARS “Station Master”

July 23, 2005

Despite a week of scary high temperatures in Southern California, the GMARS observatory construction crew lucked out on Saturday, July 23rd, when thunderstorms moved into the high desert and held the high to the mid-90s. This allowed work on the floor assemblies for two more observatories (left, Bob Stephens drilling anchors for the floor joists) to be completed without heat stroke. No so lucky was the discovery of a major leak in the water supply line to the house. Fortunately RAS President and Resident Plumber Glenn Malcolm was on hand (center picture) to make a complete repair. Yours truly reprised his role as breakfast maker (new entrée: fresh biscuits with sausage, egg and cheese) and floor nailer. There are now four floor assemblies ready for walls and roofs (right); current plans call for an effort to raise the walls on Bob’s observatory at the August star party.

Ralph Megna
GMARS “Station Master”

July 4, 2005

While it was a regularly scheduled star party at GMARS, our merry band of observatory builders could not resist pounding a few nails and drilling a few holes. In fact, a goodly number of nails were pounded and holes drilled over the three day weekend. Glenn and myself headed the task of installing the floor joists on two observatories. I bored 24 half inch holes four inches into the concrete footings to hold the concrete anchors (It was more like 30 holes as the masonry bit kept running into hard stones in the concrete). Meanwhile, Ralph “The Bionic Man” Megna used the club’s nail gun to sheet the floors with ¾ inch plywood. Pam “H-II” Malcolm got first light on the observatory using her new Coronado double-stacked H-Alpha telescope.

Meanwhile, observing continued with RAS members viewing the new supernova in M51 on Friday and Saturday nights while looking forward to the Deep Impact crash into Comet Temple 1 on Sunday night, July 3. The crash occurred on schedule with the dim comet brightening a few minutes later. In fact, the comet brightened so much as it split into three pieces that you could read a newspaper by it (yes Ralph, that’s our story and we are sticking to it). Guess who was unconscious at the time.

Bob “Jack Hammer” Stephens

June 25, 2005

The GMARS Concrete Club convened again on Saturday to put another six yards into the ground. Larry Salazar again was on hand to direct traffic. Todd and Daniel Hansen, Smokey Yokum, Charlie Knapke and myself were the grunts. With the exception of the truck showing up 1-1/2 hours late, everything went very smoothly. Footings were poured for Alson Wong's observatory and the Stephens/Malcolm control room. In addition, four piers were partially completed. The piers for Wong's Paramount and Stephens/Malcolm Meade were finished with columns poured on top of the bases created two weeks ago. A hidden pier was poured under the Stephens/Malcolm control room, and a pier base was created for Ralph Megna (who being suitably jealous of Wong's ULTIMATE pier, ordered one of his own). Megna ended up with more than a yard of concrete in a hole measuring 40" X 40" X 32".

Bob Stephens

June 18, 2005

Todd and Daniel Hansen and Bob Stephens completed the footings for two more observatories. They also capped Alson Wong's ULTIMATE Pier (see last installment) and the Stephens/Malcolm SUPER Pier. They also set up a hidden pier under the floor of the Stephens/Malcolm Warm Room* in case a telescope is ever installed there. Pictured foreground to background, Alson Wong observatory, three Stephens/Malcolm observatories, space for Ralph Megna Observatory, and Charlie Knapke completed observatory. The concrete pour for these two footings and three piers is scheduled for Saturday, June 25 at 9:00 AM.

* Hereafter to be referred to as the Control Center since it will be plenty warm in the summer anyway.

Bob Stephens
Expert Sand Mover

June 11, 2005

We had an unscheduled, unofficial and unannounced work party at at GMARS. Ok, the observatory owners had scheduled a concrete pour for the forms set up last weekend. The concrete truck was, as usual, an hour late. Since we had manpower being wasted, Glenn, Todd, and Todd's son Donald started digging the hole for Alson's pier form (an important point to remember for later). They got the 60" X 60" X 40" hole mostly dug by the time the truck arrived.

Larry Salazar again was the Master of Ceremonies lending his 30 years concrete experience to the project. This weekend was the pour for two observatories being constructed by Bob Stephens and Glenn Malcolm. The first pour was uneventful for the footings and pier for the eastern observatory. Trouble occurred on the second observatory with concrete just a foot from the top of the pier form. In a sudden wrench the pier form suddenly tore loose from the stakes and angles securing it and floated up on top of the concrete. All of the concrete flowed out of the form and settled in the bottom of the 5' X 5' hole. Figuring that we just created a super base for a SUPER PIER, we carried on with intentions of making a second pour using sturdy sonotube on top of the massive base.

After filling the outrigger forms, the cement truck driver informed us that we still has some concrete left from our 6 yard load. Having seen what happened to our previous pier form, and eyeing Alson's newly dug hole, we asked the driver to dump the rest of the concrete in the bottom of Alson's pier. We figured we could get a nice 4-inch base on which to construct a pier. The driver started and kept pumping and pumping and pumping until we had over 2 feet of concrete in that hole. Let's just say that Alson now has the ULTIMATE PIER and better not mount anything less than a 60-inch on it.

Alson's pier almost had extra ingredients as Glenn narrowly escaped becoming part of the mixture.

In addition to Larry, Todd, and Donald, thanks go to Glenn who brought all of the meals, Alex who lent a hand in addition to working on the Dob House, and Smokey who did welding on the Dob House.

Bob Stephens
Junior Assistant Apprentice Concrete Finisher

June 4, 2005

Glenn Malcolm and Bob Stephens working on their shared observatory

May 7, 2005

Charlie Knapke's Observatory

March 5, 2005

Although it wasn’t an official work party, an earnest band of RAS volunteers showed up on Saturday, March 5th, to help with the construction of the first observatory at GMARS.

The rain on Saturday forced some the construction work into the GMARS garage, where the four walls of the observatory were prefabricated and then carried out to erection site. Meanwhile, a separate crew, working between periods of drizzle, constructed the floor assembly on top of the previously poured concrete footings. As the rain tapered off on late Saturday afternoon it was possible to get the walls vertical and begin sheathing them with textured plywood siding. A small crew stayed onto Sunday morning to finish the siding process and set adjusting bolts for the roof rail supports.

This observatory will be licensed by Charlie Knapke and his organizational skills were on display as he arrived with a trailer filled with materials, much of it precut and methodically labeled. He also had his own AutoCAD drawings of the floor and wall assemblies. The RAS, and especially the other observatory licensees, appreciate Charlie’s attention to these details, since his structure will be the prototype on which the other will be based.

Many thanks are owed to the RAS members who contributed their time over the weekend, including Teri Denson, Todd Hansen, Bruce Lakin, Bill Lennartz, Alex McConahay, Glenn Malcolm, Tom Sargent, Bob Stephens, and, of course, Smokey Yokum. It should be noted that Alex , with Smokey’s assistance, was also working on a project that will soon create two “public” telescope piers near the kitchen patio.

Charlie says that he intends to continue work on his observatory during the star party this weekend. I am sure he would appreciate any and all assistance from other RAS members.

Ralph Megna
GMARS “Station Master”

January 29, 2005

RAS worker bees made the first official GMARS work party of the year a sweet success as they completed several major projects and a number of smaller ones in a long, cold Saturday at Landers.

The primary goal for the weekend was to pour the footings for the first observatory at GMARS (picture at left). While the concrete truck was, as usual, an hour late, the pour went well and there was sufficient extra concrete to create the footings for two “public” telescope piers near the kitchen patio.

Another major accomplishment for the weekend was new flooring in the kitchen (picture in center). The new floor is commercial-grade vinyl tile that should look good for many years. What might also last for years will be the mastic residue on the hands of those of us who troweled it onto the concrete.

Among the smaller tasks completed were the removal of some bushes near the house, and the excavation and removal of a pipe sticking up from the old cistern. The latter turned into quite a project as several methods, including torching and cutting, were tried before sheer force — a chain attached to the back of a pick-up — proved successful.

Last, but not least, there was the attack on the beehive (picture at right). I am not sure what to write about this, other than to say that the bees are mostly dead and the process continues to make for good pictures and bad puns.

Many thanks are in order to those who came out on a very windy and chilly day. They included our go-to concrete guys, Walt Lickteig and Larry Salazar, as well as work party regulars Charlie Knapke, Alex McConahay, John Shelley, Bob Stephens and Smokey Yocum. Teri Denson brought wonderful salads and deserts for the lunch break, and Bruce Lakin made a run into town with Smokey for supplies.

The next work party at GMARS is scheduled for February 12; plans for that date will be announced in the next week.

Ralph Megna
GMARS “Station Master”

January 15, 2005