Awards for 2016
Angus Smith Award for Excellence in Telescope Making and Design
Roman Unyk

This veteran member of the Centre is, shall we say, “handy” with tools. And he has, shall we say, “a bit of a workshop”. Last year, this member started with a 1970’s era, orange-tube Celestron 14” telescope that was in less than ideal condition. He stripped it down, cleaned the optics, replaced worn out mechanical parts with parts he machined himself, and repaired the old-style electronic “clock drive”. When he put it all back together again, he had restored and upgraded a classic telescope to mint-condition. At the September 2016 meeting, he presented his project to us and I was amazed at how thorough and excellent a job he had done. In an age where “replace” rather than “repair” is the order of the day, this member executed a telescope restoration project that is definitely “old school”.

For this project, which I believe is deserving of the classical ATM label for “Amateur Telescope Making”, I am happy to present the Angus Smith Award for Excellence in Telescope Making and Design to Roman Unyk.

Awards for 2008
Angus Smith Award for Excellence in Telescope Making and Design
Barry Arnold

This year several of the awards are going to people whose contribution may have been overlooked in previous year’s awards. This award is one of them. The recipient of this award has received this award in the past for a telescope he designed and constructed in the mid-90’s. The Awards Committee felt, however, that his contribution to this field greatly exceeds the construction of a single telescope. He has helped numerous members design, build, repair and restore telescopes over the years and his expertise in the field of optical design and manufacture has put exceptional mirrors in many of our member’s scopes.

Since so many member (including I suspect many other previous recipients of this award) have benefitted from his advice and may have one of his mirrors built into their telescopes it seems fitting to award this year’s Angus Smith Award For Excellence in Telescope Design and Construction to Barry Arnold.

Past Award Recipients
Angus Smith Award for Excellence in Telescope Making and Design
1979 to Present

The Angus Smith Award for Excellence in Telescope Making and Design was first awarded in 1979.

  • 2016 Roman Unyk
  • 2015 Not Awarded
  • 2014 Not Awarded
  • 2013 Not Awarded
  • 2012 Not Awarded
  • 2011 Kent Martens
  • 2010 Not Awarded
  • 2009 Not Awarded
  • 2008 Barry Arnold
  • 2007 Not Awarded
  • 2006 Not Awarded
  • 2005 Dwight Hansen
  • 2004 Craig Makarowski
  • 2003 Not Awarded
  • 2002 Dave Robinson & Roman Unyk
  • 2001 Sherrilyn Jahrig
  • 2000 Scott Henderson
  • 1999 Not Awarded
  • 1998 Roger Fell
  • 1997 Peter Smith
  • 1996 Denis Boucher
  • 1995 Barry Arnold
  • 1994 Karl Kropf & Hans Steidl
  • 1993 Arnold Rivera
  • 1992 ShirLee Adamson
  • 1991 Randy Pakan
  • 1990 Paul Campbell
  • 1989 Randy Pakan
  • 1988 Bob Drew, Paul Campbell, Randy Pakan & Bill Wells
  • 1987 Bryce Heartwell
  • 1986 George Moores
  • 1983 Robert Stephens
  • 1982 Stew Krysko, Craig Makarowski, Dave Beale, Bob Martin, Alan Dyer & Ted Cadien
  • 1981 David Belcher
  • 1980 Mark Leenders
  • 1979 Darrell Cross