Bill,
Dick Buchroeder the Mythic Beast. Of course ya'll would be buddies. My impression is that in the immediately pre-web and dawn-of-web era when popular optical knowledge was passed mostly by letter or a visit to the home, he was the undisputed maven of optics, home made and store bought.
Being in full tilt "early baby boomer" mode now, I must ask, do you know if ATM Journal is stashed in a library someplace? I've never seen one.
Ron
Hi Ron:
Actually, Dick was a TM wannabee for about a year. Unlike the rest of us, he had sense enough to get it out of his system, early on. Having so many connections in optics, he would just THUNK something up, and someone else would make it for him. After all my time in optics, he helped give me my first contribution to the craft.
I learned of Zemax before it was even 1.0, and caught Ken Moore—IN ROUTE—from UA’s OSC to his FIRST real job … at Livermore Labs! [Poor baby; ‘must be tough all over.] Being a big mouth promoter of optics, I shared with Dick, John Gregory, Diane Lucas (whose demise has been greatly exaggerated), and a few others with whom I’m not qualified to shake hands.
I introduced it to Dick in person. Flying to Tucson, which, in the summer, is just a few feet north of … hell! While there, I asked him why anyone would WANT to live in Tucson, with all thus rattlers, scorpions, and tarantulas. Without missing a beat, he turned to me and said, “Why would anyone want to live in Seattle, with all those … TREES? Although I’ve never seen anyone sent to the hospital because of a tree bite, I could see our logic differed.
Three days in Tucson was a real shock. I lived in Pecos, Texas for 6 years, but Tucson is on another plane for heat!
SO, you’re the deadbeat who caused me to go broke!? Just getting started in the game, I didn’t know I was supposed to send the Library of Congress one of EACH issue. Thus, they only have the first. You can get The Best of Amateur Telescope Making Journal (2 large volumes) at several optics shops or directly from Willmann-Bell. Or, ask for them at your local library.
If I could afford to be magnanimous, as in the old days, I would send you copies. However, I only have one of each, myself. And, since Captain’s bought the magazine from me, they receive all the royalties and have the only local supply of copies.
Have a great day.
Bill
PS Ken Moore, that poor little Opto-geek from Tucson, now lives just down the road in Bellevue. He sold Zemax a few years ago. It is now Radiant-Zemax. Ken is now the Chief Technology Officer. But, really, I think he just drops by once a week to count his money! There are a couple of routines I inspired, and I really miss having the time to use it. I have two hard keys in the drawer, but haven’t turned it on since about 2001. And, being an old guy, will probably never use it again.