Kearney Nebraska Director - Mark Urwiller Assistant Directors: Jay Rasmussen, Kay Wolfe, and Dan Glomski Equipment Page Much of this page will change in 2010 as the main scope is being redesigned and new equipment will bring it into the 21st century! For those of you wanting to know the "nuts and bolts" of the observatory's equipment - this page is for you. Seven Hills Observatory represents about 30 years of gradual acquisition, most of which was done when I (Mark Urwiller) was a youth without financial responsibility and as an adult - before marriage and a mortgage became a reality! Here goes: The main instrument is a 17.5" Fork Mounted Equatorial Newtonian Reflector.  It was designed and built as a joint effort by Rick Shaffer and myself.  Rick was working at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory when I first met him.  He was also associated with Astronomy Magazine.  Rick has published a book I highly recommend called "Your Guide To The Sky"  He currently operates his own consulting firm - Long Canyon Engineering in Sedona Arizona.  The instrument we created is driven in both Right Ascension and Declination. Drives are power supplied with a Digitrak VE300D drive corrector with a 24 Watt option. The Right Ascension gear is a 12" Mathis 360 tooth aluminum gear. The mirror was manufactured by the former Coulter Optics and is supported by a Novak 18 pt cell. The spider and secondary mirror holder are Novak as well. The scope utilizes two interchangeable focusers - a 2" supershort rack and pinion and a 2" helical - both Novak. Finders include a University Optics 11x80 mm with right angle amici prism or straight through option and a Telrad manufactured by my friend, now deceased, Steve Kufeldt in Southern California. Setting circles are analog (not a big deal today I know, but I don't use them much) also made by Mathis . There is also a polar sighting scope made by a former worker at Mt. Wilson Observatory (whose name escapes me ). The mount is made from light-weight and low thermal mass fiberglass/aluminum composites (from Naval scrap - an aircraft carrier) and 1/4" plywood which comprises the truss. The interior of the truss is light dampened by black velvet which has velcro attachment for removal and cleaning. Eyepieces include, among others, 4 Televue Naglers 20mm type 2, 13 mm, 9 mm, and 7 mm. Light pollution rejection filters include Lumicon Deep Sky and Ultra High Contrast - in 2" and 1.25" sizes. For photography I have a Lumicon 2" off-axis guider and 3X relay barlow with a 12mm illuminated reticle. For piggy back photography I have a 72mm Minus Violet and H-Alpha pass filter with adapters for sizes down to 52mm for various lenses.  The H-Alpha filter is now pretty much useless to me since I have went to digital photography. I have completely abandoned film/emulsion and sold off all my darkroom equipment.  Since I am also very involved in wildlife photography, I decided to buy a Digital SLR - the Canon EOS 10D and later a Canon EOS 30D, then a 40D, and soon a 60D.  The scope has nicely machined piggy-back plates with prefabricated counter-weights to accommodate a variety of lenses.  I can also do prime focus to photograph as well.  My only problem no is finding time to photograph.  I have too many irons in the fire.  In addition to the large scope I also have a 37 year old Optical Craftsman 6" German Equatorial Reflector with drive and circles and a set of 10x70 Fujinon binoculars on a suspension mount and a 10" Meade Dobsonian. Star charts include Skalnate Pleso, Sky Atlas 2000, and Uranametria 2000, Megastar, and Atlas du Ciel. There is also a respectable library of astronomical texts/observers handbooks etc.  The observatory is equipped with 4 computers - 2 of which are owned by Kearney Public Schools.  The CPU's have removable hard drives to allow use in sub-freezing/sub-zero temperatures. Wireless 5 meg internet is available to students and visitors. Kearney High School has also supplied the students with a 8" Coulter Optics reflector, Telrad finder, additional University 12mm Koenig eyepiece, Burnham's Celestial Handbooks, and Sky Atlas 2000 finder charts. (8-9-09)  The scope will hopefully be redesigned this coming fall.  Much of the equipment above will be replaced.  I'm also finally giving in and installing digital encoders and slewing motors.  The mount will be redesigned to accommodate long exposures at prime focus.  Check the News Page for updates.   Keep Looking Around! Mark Urwiller - Web Page Administrator Send comments to: mark.urwiller@gmail.com Home  Introduction  Visitation Dates  Observatory Equipment  Links  Observatory News  Photos    Light Pollution  Earth and Natural Science Club