Digital Images by Bill Blevins

Friends:

Bill has provided the following refined digital images for inclusion on our web-site and/or our 75th Anniversary (1920 to 2005) efforts. We should begin to develop captions and descriptions to augment these images. Comments please.

http://www.mcmathhulbert.org/temp/mcmath-photo-cleanup.zip

http://www.mcmathhulbert.org/temp/mcmath-photos-20050220/index.htm

Thanks to Bill and Dave Benham for initiating.

Best,

Jim

HD Is Not Just For Sports Anymore! (2-22)

I enjoy this blog because I have always wanted to do something like this. I am also fond of the idea of setting precedents and following them! If these were just wishy-washy ideas I would become a tad discouraged. From my perspective, I would enjoy discussing any of these particular matters because I am looking toward making education more engaging. Is there ever a dull moment here? If we could get the students away from the teachers for just a trial run of this system they would see what education is missing. The fun educational experience that should be in schools already would be moved forward if teachers didn't cower in fear of change.

The Science Center along with the water quality are just a couple examples of what could be covered. Let's not forget that when a videoconference is established we need to keep the details moving with prepared charts, participation, lecture, and debatable topics relating to what we plan.

Jim I think we could also use "podcasting" as a successful tool in this quest. Maybe I could make a "radio broadcast" of upcoming events and details of what we are doing here. I was able to access the forward you sent to me from Paul. I know that if an iPod is purchased I will figure out how to use it to what we need. I would like to talk about this tomorrow if possible.

I am happy with what we intend to do and can only hope I can help out in anyway possible.

Best to all, -John Ott

Well folks we are indeed blessed. Please take into consideration that John is a stellar student here at the observatory. Makes one wonder in amazement!

Best,

Jim

Digital videoconferencing with the Ann Arbor Hands-on Science Museum via Oakland Schools and the Observatory

Friends: (FYI)

This just in..........

So let's explore who we hope to get involved, and then set a date. I am thinking it would be Mel, Charlie Stout and me. By copy of this message I will ask Charlie if that seems right. I suppose we should talk more about agenda, in case that leads to involving someone else.

We could start by identifying situations in which a group of kids visiting McMath-Hulbert would look in on science activities at the Museum via video conferencing, and when kids at the Museum would look in on the Observatory.

Another collaboration might result in more Oakland Schools classes making electronic field trips to the Museum, and more Washtenaw classes making eVisits to the Observatory.

Karl
----

On Feb 21, 2005, at 12:45 PM, James Ross wrote:
Hi Karl: (FYI)

As we discussed I think we can utilize the Oakland Schools ISD
"bridge" for our videoconference. Please let me know if this would
work for you and we will begin to identify, date, time, etc. for a "test."

Best,

Jim

From: James Ross [mailto:Jross2@earthlink.net]
Sent: Monday, February 21, 2005 12:43 PM
To: 'Edgar Hendry'
Subject: RE:

Hi Ed:

Karl Zinn whom is the contact for the Polycom connection at the Ann
Arbor Hands-on Museum gave me this IP number for their unit.

Polycom IP is 198.108.20.5

Let’s see if we can get everyone on the same page for this. I will forward this to Karl.

Best,

Jim

From: Edgar Hendry [mailto:hendryeb@comcast.net]
Sent: Monday, February 21, 2005 11:41 AM
To: James Ross
Subject: Re:

Yes, Joe says that the bridge does have the ability to interconnect an
ISDN source with an IP based conferencing system.

All that is needed is their static internet address so that the call
can be set-up through the gateway.

The gateway converts ISDN H320 protocol to IP based H323 protocol.

----- Original Message -----
From: James Ross
To: 'Edgar Hendry'
Sent: Saturday, February 19, 2005 8:18 AM

Hi Ed:

I wondered if you have had the follow-on discussion with Joe Hoover
regarding utilizing the Oakland Schools ISD "bridge" for our
continuing efforts with the Ann Arbor Hands-on Science Museum? We are
attempting to schedule a meeting with Sherry Kuchon to discuss the NSF
Grant 2005 initiative on Monday, February 21, 2005 in the morning
(Time TBD) to further our discussions. Can you attend? And discuss
our success with OSTC/NW and the follow-on issues?

Please let me know if this is possible.

Hope all finds you well.

Best,

Jim

Welcome to the Digital Obs Blog-site

Digital Dudes:

Well let's get digital. The GOTO mount was successfully swapped out in the McMath Tower on Sunday 2-20-2005 and I will be inviting Bill Blevins to this blog-site to begin to develop a "remote-site test" opportunity. Perhaps we can get this ready by the weekend (also depending on weather).

I would also like to explore the HDTV side of things by installing the "dish network" antenna and looking at the old Shima HDTV equipment and seeing what might be able to be used in this initiative. I know they have a Sony HDTV consumer camera for about $3,500.00 but I would also like to investigate the possibility of just a HDTV line array for the McMath Tower 50' spectrograph.

I will be "posting" more as we go along. Let me know what yours thoughts might be. If you are going to "post" to an issue within a blog, please use the "edit" function instead of creating a new post. This will allow us to stay on message instead of reviewing new posts which can be confusing.

Best, be digital

Jim