12/12/2003
DFM attends the 203rd AAS meeting and Celebrates a 25 Year Anniversary!!
DFM Engineering, Inc. is pleased to attend the 203rd meeting of the American
Astronomical Society. The meeting will be held January 4-8, 2004 at the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta,
Georgia.
Come join us as we Celebrate our 25th Anniversary Year!!
Please come visit us at Booth #229.
11/14/2003
DFM Engineering, Inc. Installs State-of-the-Art Control System on Chabot Space and Science
Center's New 36-Inch Telescope.
The personnel at Chabot Space and Science Center (Oakland, California) have built a 36-inch Cassegrain
telescope over the past few years. DFM Engineering, Inc. was selected to provide the state-of-the-art telescope
control system.
• Chabot's Telescope Control System installation
• DFM Telescope Control Systems
• Chabot Space and Science Center
11/7/2003
DFM Engineering, Inc. completes the installation of a 16 inch telescope at Rowan University
in Glassboro, New Jersey.
This successful 16-inch telescope installation at Rowan
University in New Jersey marks the 37th of these versatile telescope installations worldwide for
DFM.
The new DFM 16-inch telescope is housed in a four story state-of- the-art science building incorporating
an observing deck, a class room, and a custom domed observatory.
• Rowan University installation
• CCT-16
• DFM Telescope Control Systems
10/31/2003
DFM Engineering, Inc. completes the installation of a 16 inch telescope at Alfred University
in Alfred, New York. This marks the 36th successful telescope installation worldwide for DFM.
The installation of this 16-inch telescope at Alfred
University in New York marks the 36th successful installation of these versatile telescopes worldwide.
Another 16-inch telescope installation will be announced within the week at Rowan University in New Jersey.
Two more of these telescopes are under construction now in DFM's own facility; one for Fresno State University
in California and one for Valdosta State University in Georgia.
Customer satisfaction and quality products have been the reputation of DFM Engineering for over 24 years.
DFM is proud to be associated with these educational and research institutions!
• Alfred University installation
• CCT-16
• DFM Telescope Control Systems
10/24/2003
DFM Engineering, Inc. completes the installation of the Control System and the Prime Focus
Instrument on the University of Calgary's Baker-Nunn Camera
DFM Engineering, Inc. was contracted to provide and install the DFM TCS (Telescope
Control System) and design, fabricate, and install a new prime focus instrument on the University's Baker-Nunn
camera. This comprehensive system was recently completed and the University
of Calgary staff is now obtaining very wide field images...
• University of Calgary, Baker-Nunn Camera Upgrade
• The Rothney Astrophysical Observatory
• DFM Telescope Control Systems
• DFM Optical Tube Assembly
10/17/2003
DFM Engineering completes NOAA control system upgrades of 85' antennas at Wallops, Virginia
and Fairbanks, Alaska.
NOAA (National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration-Department
of Commerce) became aware of an opportunity to upgrade the control systems on two antennas (Wallops, VA
and Fairbanks, AK) through communications with the administration at PARI (the
Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute).
In February of 2003, the contract was awarded to DFM because of proven capabilities of providing control
system retrofits to similar antennas and optical telescopes. The DFM proposal was deemed to be technically
superior to the other proposals received and also was priced slightly lower in cost.
• NOAA Wallops, Virginia Project
• NOAA Fairbanks, Alaska Project
• NOAA Original Project Description
• PARI Upgrade
2/28/2003
College of Southern Idaho awards DFM with CCT-24 Telescope order.
The College of Southern Idaho (CSI) in Twin Falls,
has been planning a major expansion of the Herrett
Center for Arts and Science for many years.
They have planned the addition of a major observatory and they want to provide true eyepiece access to
the telescope for people in wheel chairs. They also plan to provide remote access to the telescope over
the Internet.
DFM Engineering was chosen because of proven capabilities, extensive experience and commitment to their
high quality product.
• College of Southern Idaho
2/21/2003
National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration-Department of Commerce (NOAA) awards
control system upgrades of 85' antennas to DFM Engineering.
NOAA became aware of an opportunity to upgrade
the control systems on two antennas through communications with the administration at PARI.
The NOAA control system upgrade builds on DFM Engineering's experience of driving the antennas at PARI to
acquire and track stars. The software will be expanded to allow tracking satellites and incorporates other
features to interface with the existing station operations.
DFM Engineering was chosen because of proven capabilities of providing control system retrofits to similar
antennas and optical telescopes. The DFM proposal was deemed to be technically superior to the other proposals
received and also was priced slightly lower in cost.
• NOAA Upgrade
• PARI Upgrade
1/02/2003
DFM Engineering's new ADA product début at AAS meeting 1/5/03 - 1/9/03, Seattle, WA
DFM Engineering, Inc. announces the availability of an Articulated Relay Eyepiece™ (ARE-125™)
that allows handicapped access to the eyepiece for most telescopes. DFM's creation of the ARE-125™ is
currently under committee review for meeting the requirements for the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA).
The ADA requires access to public facilities for the handicapped. Up to now, getting a wheelchair bound
person to the eyepiece of a telescope was very difficult and expensive.
DFM will also be displaying the DFM-OCS™ (Observatory Control System) and the most recent DFM-TCS™ (Telescope
Control System) at the AAS show.
Please come visit us at Booth #101.
• Articulated Relay Eyepiece™
9/30/2002
INSTALLING THE EMORY 24-INCH TELESCOPE
DFM Engineering, Inc. completed the installation, alignment, testing, operation training, and performance
demonstration of the Emory University 24-inch telescope on September 30, 2002, only 11 months after receiving
the order for the telescope.
In a rare night time installation, the DFM Engineering crew assisted by Emory University personnel and
a crane crew hoisted the large telescope parts into the dome and assembled the telescope. A night time
lift was required because a street had to be blocked off to allow setting up the crane.
• Emory University Installation
8/23/2002
FROM TIME OF ORDER TO INSTALLATION IN LESS THAN 1 YEAR!!!
DFM Engineering, Inc. received a contract to produce a 24-inch F/8 R-C telescope for Emory University
in Atlanta, Georgia, late last October. We are scheduled to install the telescope in late September-only
11 months after receipt of order!
• Emory University - 24-inch telescope
production details
7/26/2002
Congratulations on a job well done!.
Retrofitting the University of Montreal's 1.6-meter telescope with DFM's Telescope Control System greatly
increases the observing efficiency.
Here is what the Observatory Director has to say about it!!
• Letter from Dr. Robert Lamontagne,
University of Montreal
• Mt. Megantic Installation details
2/15/2002
DFM Engineering ships the NASA RASL telescope.
DFM Engineering has completed and shipped the Raman Airborne Spectrographic Lidar (RASL) 24-inch Optical
Tube Assembly (OTA) to NASA Goddard. The assembly met or exceeded all requirements, including the goal
of the complete OTA weighing less than 200 pounds and passing through a 27-inch wide aircraft door.
• NASA RASL telescope details
2/8/2002
Dr. Robert Roeder, Physics Department, Southwestern University, Georgetown, Texas, purchases a DFM
16-inch telescope.
The DFM telescope will significantly upgrade Southwestern's Fountainwood Observatory by providing a true
research-grade instrument to replace the current 16-inch telescope which is housed in a 5-meter dome. The
increase in pointing accuracy will make it possible to observe many more variable stars and active galactic
nuclei than are currently feasible. With a reasonably dark sky and cloud cover of 12.5% or less on an average
of 1/4 of all nights, senior undergraduates and faculty will be able to make significant contributions
to astronomical research in those areas.
Southwestern is pleased to acknowledge the support of the National
Science Foundation for this project.
• DFM Engineering's 16-inch telescope
• Southwestern
University, Physics Department
1/30/2002
DFM Engineering displays at the 199th American Astronomical Society Meeting in Washington D.C.
Great interest was shown by the meeting participants in the DFM Engineering display. DFM demonstrated
a fully operational telescope, instruments, and a model dome controlled by their new Observatory Control
System (DFM OCS™).
• DFM Engineering's AAS Meeting
Highlights
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