Reviews (1)

A somewhat dated reprint , but still excellent!
This is a case where the title pretty much says it all. This is a reprint of Henry C. King's classic , originally published in 1955.

The time span covers pretty much the beginnings of visual astronomy through the Mount Palomar 200" Hale telescope. A particularly interesting era is the 18th century , with many notable advances made in glass manufacture and beginning of very large reflecting telescopes in the hands of Sir William Herschel. As the author moves into the 19th century , the names of Joseph Fraunhofer and Alvan Clark take center stage.

The invention of many other auxilliary astronomical instruments are also included in this fine work.

There aren't many other works for comparison , so --- 5 stars! ... Read more

Book Description

Oscilloscopes are essential tools for checking circuit operation and diagnosing faults, and an enormous range of models are available. But which is the right one for a particular application? Which features are essential and which not so important? Ian Hickman has the answers.

This handy guide to oscilloscopes is essential reading for anyone who has to use a 'scope for their work or hobby: electronics designers, technicians, anyone in industry involved in test and measurement, electronics enthusiasts... Ian Hickman's review of all the latest types of 'scope currently available will prove especially useful for anyone planning to buy - or even build - an oscilloscope.

The science and electronics of how oscilloscopes work is explained in order to enhance the reader's appreciation of how to use their 'scope. The practical use of oscilloscope is explained with clarity and supported with examples, encouraging the reader to think about the application of their oscilloscope and improve their use of this complex instrument.

The advance of digital technology makes this timely revision of Ian Hickman's well known book an essential update for electronics professionals and enthusiasts alike.

The only fully up-to-date guide to oscilloscopes available
A practical guide to getting the most out of an oscilloscope
Essential reading for anyone planning to invest in an expensive piece of equipment ... Read more

Book Description

After earlier meetings in Enschede (NL, 1994), Basel (CH, 1996)and Banff (CDN, 1998), muTAS 2000 is the fourth internationalsymposium on the subject of miniaturized techniques, methods, devicesand systems for (bio)chemical analysis and synthesis. Initiallystarted as a minor sub-topic in the large field of Micro SystemTechnology (MST or MEMS), the field of muTAS is currently generallyconsidered as one of the most important application areas of MST,which is reflected in the still rapidly growing research, development,and, above all, commercialization activities. Apart from furtherdevelopment and refining of the research on electrophoreticseparation, electrokinetically driven flow systems, cell manipulationand analysis, miniaturized flow systems and study of microfluidics,the important new area of centrifugal microfluidics on CD devicesreceives broad attention. On the other hand, new innovations rangefrom topics as exotic as photoacoustic detection in microreactors andmolecular emission detection on a chip to very high-pressuremicroreactor devices and shear-flow driven separations. The enormousspeed of the developments in this field is illustrated by the largenumber of new start-up companies, some of them based upon technologiesthat were not even published at the former meeting in Banff in 1998.All this illustrates the great excitement that continues to governthis field in which generation and analysis of (bio)chemicalinformation using microtechnology becomes more and more entangled inwhat one could call micro (bio)chemical systems. This volume contains the proceedings of the fourth internationalsymposium on Micro Total Analysis Systems (muTAS 2000), held14-18 May 2000, at the University of Twente in Enschede, TheNetherlands, and organised by the MESA+ Research Institute.Cutting-edge research of all invited and contributed papers presentedby the world's leading &mgr;TAS groups provide the newest state of theart of this electrifying, multidisciplinary field. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Ten telescope essays plus one
This book is a collection of essays on experiences using small telescopes for observing the heavens. The discussions range from 60mm refractors thru 5 in. "go to" scopes, including a home made 4 in. Newtownian. There is also a short essay on radio astronomy which seems out of place in this text. This book would have been served by better organization. Some of the essays have good insights on observing with these small telescopes, but it pays to look through all the essays, even for those not dealing with the specific telescope one owns or is interested in. This book was published with beginners in mind, but the organization of the book may leave a beginner confused. This is a bit below the average of books in the "Practical Astronomy" series, but a good starting point for owners of telescopes 5 in. in diameter and smaller. The "Radio Telescope" essay, though out of place in this text, gives an insight into non-visual astronomy open to the amatuer astronomer. ... Read more

Book Description

Comparable to a homeowner's remodeling guide, Optimize Your Cruising Sailboat offers scores of ideas to make a cruising sailboat faster, more comfortable, more seaworthy, easier to handle, and better looking. With more than 175 detailed illustrations and technical drawings, it walks readers through projects for:

• Improving comfort, handling, seaworthiness, performance, and dockside appeal
• Adding such attractive features as a deck wash down system, tandem headsails, a pass-through porthole between galley and cockpit, and many more

Book Description

For two centuries the barometer has been an indispensable laboratory instrument. Yet, despite its revolutionary influence on science, W. E. Knowles Middleton here offers the first complete history of the barometer as a scientific tool.

Middleton relies on research from Western European documents and manuscripts of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. He begins his story with a pre-history of the barometer, the Torricellian experiment, the subsequent experiments and controversies in the 1640s, and the barometric experiments during the remainder of the century.

Later chapters are concerned with the mercury barometer as a scientific instrument, discussing the efforts to expand the scale to render the instrument portable, and to attain greater accuracy. These chapters follow accounts of mercury barographs, the history of the corrections to the barometer, the history of the mercury barometer in North America, and the luminescence that appears when a barometer is moved in the dark. The final chapters discuss barometers other than those using the weight of a column of mercury.

A large number of the more interesting barometers seen by the author in his extensive travels appears in the appendix. Nearly 200 figures and diagrams depict the wide variety of barometers studied by the author over his long career at the Smithsonian Institution.

Book Description

Cavity-ringdown spectroscopy is an emerging method for making high sensitivity absorption measurements with gas-phase samples. This volume covers the history, theory, and numerous applications. ... Read more

Book Description

The Space Telescope, launched into orbit aboard the Space Shuttle late in 1989, promised to be the most powerful optical telescope ever built, yielding new insights into the past, present, and future of the universe. The authors trace the Telescope's history and detail the astonishingly complex interactions that took place between the scientific community, government, and private industry in the course of its development. The Telescope is thus much more than a new astronomical instrument but instead must be seen as the product of a great range of forces: scientific, technical, political, social, institutional, and economic. The history of the Space Telescope is set in the context of post-World War II science and 'Big Science' - large scale scientific projects that require massive federal funding and are as much political and managerial efforts as they are scientific and technical ones. The Space Telescope is an example of a Big Science program of the very largest kind, and the book thus reveals the many complex factors and new institutions and strategies that are involved in funding and carrying out large scale scientific projects in the late twentieth century. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

What a big project got to go through
If you thought they just build the Hubble Space Telescope and launched it, you're wrong. This book let you see what all such projects got to go through from the first bright idea and to the actual launch of an earth orbiting space vehicle. Sander Elvik, aerospace engineering student ... Read more

Book Description

This substantially rewritten and expanded fourth edition outlines the most up-to-date methods and tools of radio astronomy. Tools of Radio Astronomy gives a unified treatment of the entire field of radio astronomy, from centimeter to sub-millimeter wavelengths and using single telescopes as well as interferometers. The basic physical principles are described and a complete outline of the instrumentation, observational techniques, and methods of measurement and analysis are given. The goal of this standard reference and text is to prepare readers to carry out observations and relate the data to physical processes in interstellar space. In this fourth edition, the chapter on interferometry and aperture synthesis has been thoroughly revised in the light of most recent developments, as has been the chapter on molecules in interstellar space, and material on receiver technology. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

One of the best introductions to the field
Although Rohlfs and Wilson have only made perfunctory changesbetween this and the previous edition of the book, it still stands asone of the best introductions to the field of radio astronomy. It still doesn't cover some topics (such as calibration techniques) as well as I would have liked, and Kraus' _Radio Astronomy_ (2e) does a better job (IMHO) on the mathematical details as well as specific applications. Because of its length, the topics of millimeter and submillimeter astronomy are not covered in as much as centimeter wavelengths. However despite all this, the book is highly readable for a student in the field, and is invaluable to have on one's bookshelf, or even to take observing (for those who only dabble in radio astronomy). ... Read more

Book Description

Instrumentation is not a clearly defined subject, having a 'fuzzy' boundary with a number of other disciplines.Often categorized as either 'techniques' or 'applications' this book addresses the various applications that may be needed with reference to the practical techniques that are available for the instrumentation or measurement of a specific physical quantity or quality.This makes it of direct interest to anyone working in the process, control and instrumentation fields where these measurements are essential.

The latest edition of the Instrumentation Reference Book is a comprehensive and authoritative collection of technical information, which is of direct practical value to instrumentation and control engineers as well as all instrument technicians and users. It is also an indispensable addition to any academic library for the benefit of engineering and science students. Written by a collection of specialist contributors under the guidance of Walt Boyes, the third edition of this book (developed from the work originally published for more than 40 years as Jones Instrument Technology) has been updated to include chapters on the fieldbus standards, reliability, EMC, 'virtual instrumentation', fibre optics, smart and intelligent transmitters, analyzers, level and flow meters, and many more.

Comprehensive and authoritative collection of technical information

Written by a collection of specialist contributors

Updated to include chapters on the fieldbus standards, reliability, EMC, 'virtual instrumentation', fibre optics, smart and intelligent transmitters, analyzers, level and flow meters, and many more ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Should be on every bookshelf
I am very impressed with the scope of this book. It has been so valuable as a reference. I highly recommend it.

Comprehensive coverage of broad topic.
Really comprehensive and authoritative information. Includes fieldbus standards, reliability, EMC, virtual instrumentation, smart and intelligent transmitters, analyzers and a lot more. Lots of illustrations. ... Read more

Book Description

The object of this book is to provide a comprehensive treatment of the principal issues in modern instrumentation, but without attempting an encyclopedic reference. It thus discusses the basic theory and physical principles underlying the operation of the various sensors as well as the practical aspects of their operation and their incorporation into larger systems. The intent is to cover the most important topics in electronics, sensors, measurements, and acquisition systems, always keeping in mind the needs of practicing scientists and engineers. The presentation focuses on systems controlled by desktop personal computers running a high-level program and operating through internal cards or an external bus connected to instruments, rather than the specialized microprocessors discussed in older texts.

The book will thus be useful to students in a wide variety of experimental sciences and engineering disciplines, including physics, chemistry, mechanical, nuclear, and electrical engineering, experimental psychology, biology, and geophysics. ... Read more

Book Description

This multidisciplinary book is intended for individuals interested in understanding, planning, designing, and managing the design, fabrication, integration, and testing of instruments and systems for use in outer space. The authors provide an introduction to the development of space instrumentation and spacecraft systems and subsystems by presenting the principles of systems engineering necessary to formulate the development process and the salient technical characteristics of the functional subsystems.The depth is sufficient to permit the reader to generate an initial mission concept within the boundaries of a given set of specifications.The book exposes the reader to the underlying scientific and engineering foundations as well as the current practices so that they will understand how to carry out appropriate tradeoffs. Topics are covered to the depth that should allow the carrying out of the concept design of a space mission by making the trade-offs necessary to satisfy a given set of needs or systems requirements.For the uninitiated or the more narrowly focused space specialists, this book serves to broaden one's perspective and increase the breadth of one's capabilities.An understanding of this material will also permit professionals to carry our broader assignments and begin the transition to careers in systems engineering, aeronautical technical leadership, or managing the development of space systems.The content can also serve as a good introduction to more focused study. ... Read more

Book Description

Nicely balanced and workable, this introductory book emphasizes practical application of instrumentation, offers clear explanations with a minimum of mathematical analysis, includes a large number of review exercises and problems in every chapter, and shows many examples that are worked out, clearly marked, and set off from the text. Topics are covered in an easy-to-read format and explanations are lucid. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The development of modern science, beginning in the late Middle Ages, required the development of accurate tools for measuring such things as distance, weight, luminosity, temperature, and time.

The earliest such instruments, writes University of London historian Gerard L'E Turner, were multifaceted: "An astrolabe which incorporates a means for measuring the elevation angles of stars or the Sun, as well as a stereographic representation of the Earth, can be used equally well for telling the time, for finding the latitude, and for collecting data to cast a horoscope." With the passage of time, they became more specialized, yielding such fine devices as binocular telescopes and stereoscopic viewers. (The latter, Turner writes, became internationally popular in the mid-19th century after Queen Victoria expressed amusement at one displayed at a London fair.)

Turner's well-illustrated catalog of scientific instruments is organized along the old instrument-makers' categories of mathematical, optical, and philosophical tools. Accompanying the photographs are thoughtful essays on the growth of science in the second half of the second millennium, along with notes on how owners can take care of pieces in their collections as well as determine the authenticity and origins of those pieces. The book makes for a pleasing introduction to the history of modern science, and it is an especially useful reference for collectors of clocks, stereopticons, and other antique scientific instruments. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Book Description

Many amateur astronomers make their own instruments, either because of financial considerations or because they are just interested. Amateur Telescope Making offers a variety of designs for telescopes, mounts and drives which are suitable for the home-constructor. The designs range from simple to advanced, but all are within the range of a moderately well-equipped home workshop. Thus each chapter begins with reasons for undertaking the project, then looks at theoretical consideration before finishing with practical instructions and advice. An indication is given as to the skills required for the various projects. Appendices list reputable sources of (mail order) materials and components. The telescopes and mounts range from "shoestring" (very cheap) instruments to specialist devices that are unavailable commercially. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY
This is an edited book with different authors contributing an article each. Thus these is no coherency. It seems that the editor had asked each contributing author to just give an article about his or her telescope making experience. Thus all the chapters are separate entities without any cross-references (between chapters). Finally they do not go in any detail what so ever. It is more like a "1001 Project Book" which claims that (after reading the book) you can do every thing from repairing cars, TVs, VCR, DVDs to building an airplane, except that the book only devote half a page to all the 1001 projects. You just cannot make a telescope by reading this book (unless you already know how to make one).

BTW: you can find more information on the web than what this book delivers. I am just glad that I borrowed it from the library, and did not buy it.

A great telescope making book for anyone.......
We are an amateur astronomy loving family who got into making our own telescopes after getting involved in the Friday night telescope classes and lectures at the Chabot observatory in Oakland California back in the early 80's.

And being homeschoolers we were also big science fans and have always encouraged people to become as hands on science minded as possible. This books is a perfect example of hands on science at its best as well as a book that should put to rest the idea that only rich people own telescopes or that only people with science degrees use telescope.

The book is shy 300 pages and covers everything from Shoestring telescopes you can make, using items you have around the house as well as items you can find for free at carpet stores. Specialized telescopes is about building a high contrast planetary setup, as well as Rright camera. There is an excellent section on mounts. I would hope every library would own a copy of the book and believe that every homeschooling family should as well.

Good for ideas
Unlike conventional ATM books, this one does not cover basic work. Either use available optics for the simple stuff, or you will have to make stuff for the more advanced projects.

There are some excellent designs for DIY mounts and drives.

As the S&T reviw says, "a worthy addition".
A marvellous little book which can be used as a manual and inspiring bed-time reading. Although some projects can be found on the web, the book version usually expands on these or is very different (and probably more permanent). The book's strength is that it has has selected projects which are easy to replicate and which complement each other. Its weakness is that there isn't more of it.

save your money
A general summary of articles found on the internet.Save your money ... Read more

Book Description

Nicely balanced and workable, this introductory book emphasizes practical application of instrumentation, offers clear explanations with a minimum of mathematical analysis, includes a large number of review exercises and real-world problems in every chapter, and shows many examples that are worked out, clearly marked, and set off from the text. Topics are covered in an easy-to-read format and explanations are lucid. ... Read more

Book Description

This second - completely revised - edition of Chris Kitchin's easy-to-read book provides a carefully structured introduction to the tools of astronomy. Beginning with an in-depth look at astronomical telescopes, it progresses through a coverage of positions and motions of astronomical objects, to observing instruments and techniques. New to this edition are sections on modern small telescopes and their design, revised material on the computer processing of data, and extended appendices. Like the first edition, questions (with answers) are given so that students and enthusiastic amateur astronomers can check their progress. ... Read more