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11/30/2001
AAS meeting update!!!
DFM Engineering, Inc. is pleased to be one of the corporate
sponsors for the 199th meeting of the American
Astronomical Society. The meeting will be held January
6-10, 2002 at the Washington Hilton Towers in Washington D.C.
We will be presenting the new OCS™ (Observatory Control
System) by DFM.
Please come visit us at Booth #223.
10/22/2001
DFM Engineering, Inc. has completed shop assembly and
testing of NASA Goddard's RASL Lidar telescope.
NASA awarded the Airborne Lidar Telescope design and production
to DFM Engineering earlier this year. The Ramen Airborne Spectroscopic
Lidar (RASL) instrument has been designed and is now in full
production at DFM Engineering.
The RASL addresses high priority NASA / Earth Science Enterprise
(ESE) objectives and will be capable of a multitude of atmospheric
and cloud measurements.
At the heart of the RASL instrument is a 24-inch aperture
Optical Tube Assembly (OTA) designed and now under construction
by DFM Engineering, Inc.
• RASL
Progress
• NASA
Goddard original assignment features
10/5/2001
The DFM Engineering team brings new life to the 1.52M
Rockefeller telescope at Boyden Observatory, South Africa
with a major upgrade.
In September 2001, DFM Engineering personnel completed a
major upgrade of the 1.52M telescope at the Boyden
Observatory near Bloemfontein, South Africa.
With a history dating back to the 1880's, the instrument
required DFM's well proven Telescope Control System, engineering
and technical expertise and extensive upgrades to bring it
forward in time to meet the modern demands currently made
on a functioning 1.52M research telescope.
• Boyden
Observatory
• Boyden
Telescope History, Upgrades and Testing
• Retrofit
Consulting
• Rebuilding
• Retrofit
Control System
• Retrofit
Examples
9/7/2001
Rankin Science Observatory at Appalachian State University
has awarded the contract for a new 16-inch telescope to DFM
Engineering, Inc.
The National Science Foundation has awarded a grant to Appalachian
State University to fund the replacement of a C14 telescope.
The new research-quality, computer controlled 16-inch, F/8
Ritchey-Chretien telescope with automatic
dome control, DFM Model FW-82
filter wheel, and flip mirror
system for the CCD camera. The telescope will allow advanced
students to train on the same type of telescope
control system they will later use for research at the
Dark
Sky Observatory.
Currently, the Rankin Science Observatory is used to introduce
students to observational techniques. The deck surrounding
the dome is the area where a dozen 8-inch telescopes are used
for the Introductory Astronomy course. School group observing
sessions are also presented at Rankin Science Observatory.
• The
Rankin Science Observatory
• DFM's
16" Cassegrain Telescope
8/31/2001
The DFM web site has been updated with details about
our qualified staff.
The staff at DFM Engineering, Inc. has over 200 years of
combined experience in the astronomical and photonics industries.
We would like to invite you to visit our updated Credentials
information page, and note our extensive professional qualifications,
club memberships, personal hobbies and interests.
• The
DFM Engineering Staff Credentials
• Letter
from the President
• Company
History
7/20/2001
The Dexter and Southfield Schools of Brookline, MA have
awarded DFM Engineering with design of The Clay Center's new
Observatory and manufacture and installation of their 24"
robotic telescope.
Ron Dantowitz, Observatory Project Coordinator offers a practical
overview of DFM's contribution to the success of the Clay
Center Observatory.
Mr. Dantowitz explains the requirements put forth by Dexter
and Southfield Schools and the confidence exuded by the Headmaster
and Trustees of the Schools in DFM's capabilities.
It's based on the many satisfied customers of DFM and intense
planning expertise exhibited by Dr. Frank Melsheimer in the
beginning stages of project development of The Clay Center
Observatory
Ground was broken in November 2000 with live, up to date
progress recorded online. Project details are also available.
• The
Clay Center Observatory
6/22/2001
Grinnell College's 24 inch telescope at Grant Gale Observatory
was serviced and received high marks from Dr. Robert Cadmus,
Observatory Director.
DFM originally installed the 24 inch telescope in November
of 1984 at the Grant Gale Observatory at Grinnell College
in Grinnell, Iowa.
On June 13, 2001, the DFM maintenance team visited Grinnell
College to clean and adjust their telescope. The data collected
proved the telescope still points to 14 arc seconds RMS.
Dr. Cadmus is very
active in his research, demanding that the telescope perform
as advertised and DFM Engineering, Inc. stands behind their
telescopes and their customers.
•
Grinnell College service call
6/15/2001
Middlebury College's Bicentennial Hall in Middlebury,
Vermont is home to a new DFM Engineering 24-inch telescope.
The 24-inch computer controlled telescope was designed, manufactured
and tested in Colorado and installed in Middlebury, Vermont.
The telescope features nearly every available option DFM
Engineering, Inc. offers. The installation was carefully planned
and performed in a timely manner with superb final on-site
testing completed.
•
Middlebury College installation
5/18/2001
The DFM Engineering team has completed upgrading the
first of two 26-meter (85-ft) antennas at Pisgah Astronomical
Research Institute (PARI) in North Carolina.
The antennas were originally used for communications with
the Apollo Space capsule and later were used to track and
communicate with various other artificial satellites. The
Institute is converting the site to perform radio and optical
astronomy.
Dr. Cline, at PARI has been instrumental in transforming
the Institute that will eventually host visiting astronomers.
Education will also be a major focus at PARI. About 30 undergraduate
physics departments and many primary and secondary schools
are within a few hours’ drive of the Institute.
The team of experts at DFM Engineering, Inc. was contracted
to replace the drive system with modern AC servo motors capable
of smoothly operating over a wide velocity range sufficient
to allow tracking of stellar objects as well as artificial
satellites.
The DFM TCS system, while tracking, consumes about 10 kilowatts
allowing the cost savings in power alone to amount to tens
of thousands of dollars per year per antenna.
• PARI
upgrade details
5/4/2001
University of Montreal, Quebec, Canada - Mt. Megantic
Observatory
Installation of DFM's TCS brings new life to the 1977 Perkin
Elmer telescope
The University of Montreal wanted to modernize their telescope
by installing a computer controlled TCS along with new secondary
drives, focus motor, focus encoding, the automation of dome
control and the motorization and automation of the existing
manual instrument rotator.
The team of experts at DFM successfully upgraded the Perkin
Elmer to allow the university to proceed with integration
of the new TCS into their Observatory Control System, which
will control instrumentation and have internet access.
• Mt.
Megantic Installation details
3/23/2001
Mr. Ian Huss, Production Manager
Celebrating 20 Years of Service at DFM Engineering
The celebration, in honor of Mr. Ian Huss, featured an appreciation
award presentation, a succulent seafood lunch, an exotic personalized
cake and sparkling cider.
Mr. Ian Huss is highly trained and qualified as the Production
Manager for DFM Engineering. His many years of service and
expertise are greatly appreciated by DFM Staff and the DFM
customers!
• Celebrating
Ian Huss - 20 Years
3/16/2001
University of Oregon - Pine Mountain Observatory
Rebuilding Drives on 24" B&C Telescope
We examined, cleaned, refurbished and shipped drives back
to the observatory within one week of receiving them!
Mr. Mark Dunaway, the Observatory Manager, said he was pleased
he could find someone qualified to work on their telescope.
Check out our work.
• Pine
Mountain - 24" B&C rebuild
3/9/2001
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center selects DFM Engineering,
Inc. to build AIRBORNE LIDAR TELESCOPE
The new Ramen Airborne Spectroscopic Lidar (RASL) instrument
is being designed and manufactured by DFM Engineering for
NASA's Instrument Incubator Program at the Goddard Space Flight
Center.
The RASL addresses high priority NASA / Earth Science Enterprise
(ESE) objectives and will be capable of a multitude of atmospheric
and cloud measurements.
At the heart of the RASL instrument will be a 24-inch apertureOptical
Tube Assembly (OTA) now under design and construction
by DFM Engineering, Inc.
• NASA
Goddard assignment features
1/23/2001
DFM Engineering Inc. attends the 197th Annual Meeting
of the American Astronomical Society!!!
The 197th annual meeting of the American Astronomical Society
was held jointly with the American Association of Physics
Teachers from January 7 - 11, 2001 at San Diego, California.
DFM Engineering captured meeting attendees' interests with
cutting edge demonstrations of telescope live time viewing.
This was successfully accomplished with the cooperation of
their highly respected industry collaborators.
Prominent display features:
• AAS
demonstration explanation
• AAS
collaborators
Display photos:
• AAS
booth display
Popular literature requests:
• How
to buy a Telescope for your Institution
• Telescope
Structure: Pointing
1/2/2001
New Product Announcement!!!
DFM Engineering, Inc. is proud to announce the latest model
of the
SM-125 Slide Mirror
Designed for optimal versatility and performance,
DFM quality engineering and practicality is evident in the
many features of the new SM-125 Slide Mirror.
• SM-125
Slide Mirror Features
12/13/2000
AAS meeting update!!!
DFM Engineering, Inc. is pleased to be one of the corporate
sponsors for the 197th meeting of the American
Astronomical Society. The joint meeting with AAPT will
be held 7-11 January 2001 in San Diego, California.
Please come visit us at Booth #734.
11/17/2000
McMATH-PIERCE HELIOSTAT IS OPERATIONAL!!!
DFM Engineering, Inc. has completed the installation of a
major upgrade of the McMath-Pierce East Auxiliary Heliostat
on the solar telescope at Kitt Peak, Arizona.
The upgrade included retrofitting DFM's standard Telescope
Control System (TCS), and major rework of the heliostat's
polar axel, drives, drive covers, mirror mounts, and motorized
motions control as well as thorough on site testing and aligning.
• upgrade
project details
10/6/2000
PRESS RELEASE - "A Match For The
Heavens"
DFM Engineering and Software Bisque Team Up To Provide Internet
Access To DFM Telescopes.
"A
Match for the Heavens"
8/4/2000
US NAVAL OBSERVATORY 1.3 M TELESCOPE IS OPERATIONAL
!!!
DFM Engineering, Inc. has completed the installation of the
new 1.3 meter aperture F/4 very wide field telescope at the
US Naval Observatory Flagstaff Observing Station.
Dr. Frank Melsheimer presented a scientific poster paper
at the SPIE Munich meeting describing the telescope including
the design and manufacturing of the optics. First light images
were also displayed.
• scientific
poster paper
• first
light images
• additional
telescope images
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