The Great Give is Coming!
The Kitsap Great Give is a 24-hour “give-day” that unites our community to support the many nonprofit organizations that make Kitsap a great place to live – for all of us. BPAA is one of those nonprofits, and March 11 is the day. Presented by the Kitsap Community Foundation, this annual community event kicks off with early giving starting March 1st–one month earlier than last year’s event, and culminating in the Great Give on March 11!
BPAA’s focus this year is to expand support for our new STEAM initiative to all K-8 schools in Kitsap County. You can read more about our goals here: https://www.kitsapgreatgive.org/organization/Battle-Point-Astronomical-Association.
Dome Repair
As we continue to make progress, the failure of the gearbox attached to the shutter drive motor was an unanticipated development. One of the factors in the gearbox failure was the weight of the new aluminum shutter compared to the old wooden one.
We ordered and received the new higher rated gearbox, with installation completed on January 28th. The new drive system, which includes centering wheels for the shutter, worked very nicely. So nicely and efficiently that the shutter can coast even after the motor is shut off. We plan to install some hard stops soon, but in the meantime the shutter is still restrained by ropes.
The stair rails we showed last month are now welded and ready to be installed. The remaining tasks are to install solar panels, stairs, interior floor, and the new telescope itself.
