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> Can anyone recommend a good manufacturer of
> commercial duty spotting
> scopes for exterior (unattended) use at a nature
> center?

You caught my attention when you indicated that such a
spotting scope would be unattended. THIS IS A VERY BAD
IDEA.

Unless you can arrange the scope in some way so that
there is NO WAY it could ever be inadvertently pointed
at the Sun--which is next to impossible--you should
never leave such a scope unattended.

Should a child [or even adult, for that matter]
inadvertently--or even purposely--point the scope at
the Sun, it could cause major eye damage and very
likely blindness. Needless to say, your institution
could than be held legally liable.

Yes, I know there are many tourist attractions that
have the pay-for-view binoculars. I do consider these
a risk as well.

In fact, when we [group I head called Friends of the
Zeiss] used an observation deck of a popular tourist
attraction in Pittsburgh, The Duquesne Incline, to
show Pittsburgh residents the historic Transit of the
Planet Venus across the surface of the Sun in June of
2004 [using special portable telescopes and specially
trained astronomical observers], I made it a point to
place garbage bags completely over the two
pay-for-view binoculars on that observation deck.
People using those binoculars at the time of the
Transit of Venus [in Pittsburgh, this was just after
sunrise] could have easily looked at the Sun
inadvertently.

I would urge you to acquire a portable spotting scope
that would only be used when one of your staff members
in supervising.

gaw

--- Cricket Brooks <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Date:         Thu, 20 Sep 2007 16:36:09 -0500
> From:         Cricket Brooks <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: spotting scope for nature center
> To:           [log in to unmask]
> 
> 
> Hello all -
> 
>  
> 
> Can anyone recommend a good manufacturer of
> commercial duty spotting
> scopes for exterior (unattended) use at a nature
> center?
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you in advance.
> 
> -Cricket
> 
>  
> 
> Cricket Brooks | Project Manager
> 
>  
> 
> DIMENSIONAL  I N N O V A T I O N S
> 
> 3421 Merriam Lane  |  Overland Park, KS 66203
> 
> Direct: 913.744. 2179  |  Main: 913.384.3488
> 
> Fax: 913.384.1074  |  Cell: 913.908.5621
> 
>  
> 
> www.dimin.com <http://www.dimin.com/>

gaw

Glenn A. Walsh
Electronic Mail - < [log in to unmask] >
SPACE & SCIENCE NEWS, ASTRONOMICAL CALENDAR:
  < http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#news >
Author of History Web Sites on the Internet --
* Buhl Planetarium, Pittsburgh: 
  < http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com >
* Adler Planetarium, Chicago:
  < http://adlerplanetarium.tripod.com >
* Astronomer, Educator, Optician John A. Brashear:
  < http://johnbrashear.tripod.com >
* Andrew Carnegie & Carnegie Libraries: 
  < http://andrewcarnegie.tripod.com > 
* Duquesne Incline cable-car railway, Pittsburgh: 
  < http://incline.pghfree.net >
* Public Transit:
  < http://andrewcarnegie2.tripod.com/transit >


       
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