Astro Nav Domes

[Ed Majden]

Back in the old days, 1940-50s some aircraft were equipped with glass
astro navigation domes used to take astro sightings. I am trying to find
one of these glass domes in very good condition for an astronomy project.
Does anyone know where I can find one at reasonable cost? The dome will
have to be in excellent condition as it will be used to weather protect an
all-sky video camera that will be used to photograph meteors and auroras.
Back in the 1960's these were sold by surplus dealers but I have not seen
one for sale since then. Any help finding one would be most appreciated.
Ed Majden
West Coast Bolide Detection Station
Courtenay, B.C. CANADA

[B2431]

>Date: 7/15/2004 8:09 PM Central Daylight Time
>Message-id: >
>
> Back in the old days, 1940-50s some aircraft were equipped with glass
>astro navigation domes used to take astro sightings. I am trying to find
>one of these glass domes in very good condition for an astronomy project.
>Does anyone know where I can find one at reasonable cost? The dome will
>have to be in excellent condition as it will be used to weather protect an
>all-sky video camera that will be used to photograph meteors and auroras.
>Back in the 1960's these were sold by surplus dealers but I have not seen
>one for sale since then. Any help finding one would be most appreciated.
>Ed Majden
>West Coast Bolide Detection Station
>Courtenay, B.C. CANADA

They show up on e-bay occassionally. Also Edmund Scientific (www.edsci.com) has
acrylic domes.

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired

[Ed Majden]

in article , B2431 at
wrote on 7/15/04 18:40:

>> Date: 7/15/2004 8:09 PM Central Daylight Time
>> Message-id: >
>>
>> Back in the old days, 1940-50s some aircraft were equipped with glass
>> astro navigation domes used to take astro sightings. I am trying to find
>> one of these glass domes in very good condition for an astronomy project.
>> Does anyone know where I can find one at reasonable cost? The dome will
>> have to be in excellent condition as it will be used to weather protect an
>> all-sky video camera that will be used to photograph meteors and auroras.
>> Back in the 1960's these were sold by surplus dealers but I have not seen
>> one for sale since then. Any help finding one would be most appreciated.
>> Ed Majden
>> West Coast Bolide Detection Station
>> Courtenay, B.C. CANADA
>
> They show up on e-bay occassionally. Also Edmund Scientific (www.edsci.com)
> has
> acrylic domes.
>
> Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired

Dan:
I have tried acrylic domes. They work, but not as well as an optical
glass dome. Acrylic domes have imperfections. Where did you see glass
domes on eBay? I have looked but never seem to find any.
Ed

[N329DF]

>Back in the old days, 1940-50s some aircraft were equipped with glass
>astro navigation domes used to take astro sightings. I am trying to find
>one of these glass domes in very good condition for an astronomy project.

the planes that I have worked on with nav domes, the domes were made of
Plexiglass, not glass.
Matt Gunsch,
A&P,IA,Private Pilot
Riding member of the
2003 world champion drill team
Arizona Precision Motorcycle Drill Team
GWRRA,NRA,GOA

[Keith Willshaw]

"Ed Majden" > wrote in message
...
> Back in the old days, 1940-50s some aircraft were equipped with glass
> astro navigation domes used to take astro sightings. I am trying to find
> one of these glass domes in very good condition for an astronomy project.
> Does anyone know where I can find one at reasonable cost? The dome will
> have to be in excellent condition as it will be used to weather protect an
> all-sky video camera that will be used to photograph meteors and auroras.
> Back in the 1960's these were sold by surplus dealers but I have not seen
> one for sale since then. Any help finding one would be most appreciated.
> Ed Majden


I think they were perspex (plexiglass) rather than glass,
the ones I have seen certainly were.

Keith

[B2431]

>om: Ed Majden
>Date: 7/15/2004 9:02 PM Central Daylight Time
>Message-id: >
>
>in article , B2431 at
wrote on 7/15/04 18:40:
>
>>> Date: 7/15/2004 8:09 PM Central Daylight Time
>>> Message-id: >
>>>
>>> Back in the old days, 1940-50s some aircraft were equipped with glass
>>> astro navigation domes used to take astro sightings. I am trying to find
>>> one of these glass domes in very good condition for an astronomy project.
>>> Does anyone know where I can find one at reasonable cost? The dome will
>>> have to be in excellent condition as it will be used to weather protect an
>>> all-sky video camera that will be used to photograph meteors and auroras.
>>> Back in the 1960's these were sold by surplus dealers but I have not seen
>>> one for sale since then. Any help finding one would be most appreciated.
>>> Ed Majden
>>> West Coast Bolide Detection Station
>>> Courtenay, B.C. CANADA
>>
>> They show up on e-bay occassionally. Also Edmund Scientific (www.edsci.com)
>> has
>> acrylic domes.
>>
>> Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired
>
>Dan:
> I have tried acrylic domes. They work, but not as well as an optical
>glass dome. Acrylic domes have imperfections. Where did you see glass
>domes on eBay? I have looked but never seem to find any.
>Ed

I'm sorry. I meant to say astrodomes have appeared on e-bay. They were made of
plexiglass to the best of my knowledge.

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired