Astro Nav Domes

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

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

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

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

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

"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