Can Astronomy Ireland really be considered an 'Astronomy club' anymore?

Linguo

Seanie M wrote: »

And in some cases, lithiumoxide, one does it for no charge out of the interests in promotion education to the kids for love of the hobby... speaking from experience. Most of those in the rest of the "legit" astronomy clubs around the country acknowledge and support local groups and schools on request for an astronomy and/or space lecture or exhibit. It's not rocket science! The fact that Moore et al DEMAND a fee, even very local to their (Artane?) location, is abominable to say the least. For him to use this for the betterment of the hobby of astronomy, in my opinion, is what's damaging to allow him to call his organisation a "club", when it is clearly a business in this regard.

Seanie.

Well said Seanie, me thinks Lithiumoxide has ties to AI and that's why he's defending them....how you could though is beyond me!

Iridium

Received the following e-mail from AI about an hour ago:

During the cold snap I want to boost the heating in the office in the mornings, wondering can you help?

Does anyone have a Superser heater they can loan or donate to the society? Or even empty gas cyclnders for same?

It's this kind of switching between "we're a profitable business but we're a charity when it suits us" that really annoys me. This is just the latest in a long line of e-mails I've received, asking for donations. Anything from computers, photocopiers and printers to office furniture. From the sounds of it they don't ever buy anything.

ednwireland

even managed to get thheir premium phone lines and text service in our local paper
last paragraph
http://www.donegaldemocrat.ie/donegalnews/Goodness-gracious-great-ball-of.5982708.jp

Jeanne Gallagher

Just thought I would add my 2pence worth to this thread.

Have tried to contract AI numerous times regarding the Star BQ I attended in Sept 2010. I was advised that I would 'probably' get a refund on the tickets I bought (because of numerous complaints I was trying to make to them) but as of yet have been unable to talk with David Moore or any staff member who can make decisions.

They are a joke. I would not buy anything from them, attend any of their events or even go into their shop in the future.

That's my advice anyhow.

dmcdona

Jeanne Gallagher wrote: »

I was advised that I would 'probably' get a refund on the tickets I bought (because of numerous complaints I was trying to make to them) but as of yet have been unable to talk with David Moore or any staff member who can make decisions.

Jeanne - out of interest, what issues did you have?

Dave

Pat Dunne

I emailed them several times in recent months but never got a response, which I found a little dissapointing as I am currently in the process of buying a Celestron CPC 800GPS.

dmcdona

Pat Dunne wrote: »

I emailed them several times in recent months but never got a response, which I found a little dissapointing as I am currently in the process of buying a Celestron CPC 800GPS.

Some of the folks on www.irishastronomy.org have a lot of experience of buying such equipment and may be able to help.

Also, quite a few telescopes and other equipment regularly comes up for sale on the boards. You might find something there.

Of course, it is completely free to register.
Dave

Jeanne Gallagher

I had a few issues but mainly the fact that they advertised the Starbq to include a bbq "provided by Michelin-experienced chefs" including vegetarian food. I phoned the office to confirm the veggie food would be on offer before I booked the tickets and was told of course yes. On the night I got a bun burger and was told there was lettuce, tomatoes and salad at a table at the end. This was the veggie food!! In all my 20 years of being a vegetarian, the takes the biscuit.

dmcdona

Jeanne Gallagher wrote: »

On the night I got a bun burger and was told there was lettuce, tomatoes and salad at a table at the end. This was the veggie food!

That's very disappointing - essentially you got a beef burger without the beef...

I hope you get your refund.

Dave

Seanie M

That's very unfair Jeanne and when you think what the actual cost of that 'veggie burger' was, it sounds shameful on their part. Keep pestering them and keep us posted.

Seanie.

dublin_daveyboy

Ive done a fair bit of buisness with astronomy Ireland and have not got a bad thing to say about them.found them very helpfull and the 1st scope i bought off them i took apart to clean and made a balls of it,i dropped into the shop and they fixed it for free,and this was months after i bought it.

Ive had no burger dealings with them so i cant comment on that.:D

Plug

dublin_daveyboy wrote: »

Ive done a fair bit of buisness with astronomy Ireland and have not got a bad thing to say about them.found them very helpfull and the 1st scope i bought off them i took apart to clean and made a balls of it,i dropped into the shop and they fixed it for free,and this was months after i bought it.

Ive had no burger dealings with them so i cant comment on that.:D

Is your second name Moore?

bogman

dmcdona wrote: »

Some of the folks on www.irishastronomy.org have a lot of experience of buying such equipment and may be able to help.

Also, quite a few telescopes and other equipment regularly comes up for sale on the boards. You might find something there.

Of course, it is completely free to register.
Dave

And its not a limited company either, the IFAS bunch are a great lot and not in it to make money either

dublin_daveyboy

Plug wrote: »

Is your second name Moore?

No.im just saying my experience with them,that alright with ye?

Pat Dunne

dmcdona wrote: »

Some of the folks on www.irishastronomy.org have a lot of experience of buying such equipment and may be able to help.

Also, quite a few telescopes and other equipment regularly comes up for sale on the boards. You might find something there.

Of course, it is completely free to register.
Dave

Cheers for the link, but the website appears to be not working or is under repair at present.

I might call out to AI shop to see if they have a CPC800. However I would be reluctant to do business with them as they wouldn't even reply to my enquiries.

Seanie M

The IFAS website is back up now: www.irishastronomy.org

Novaman

Just thought I would add my 2pence worth to this thread.

Have tried to contract AI numerous times regarding the Star BQ I attended in Sept 2010. I was advised that I would 'probably' get a refund on the tickets I bought (because of numerous complaints I was trying to make to them) but as of yet have been unable to talk with David Moore or any staff member who can make decisions.

They are a joke. I would not buy anything from them, attend any of their events or even go into their shop in the future.

That's my advice anyhow.

Ditto, I have to say from my own personal experience, communication from AI leaves a lot to be desired, I had been involved for some time with 'them' however I will never deal with 'them' again, can't say much unfortunately as this is a public board. www.irishastronomy.org is a great site, with lots of helpful people and advice there, as already stated.

Pat, how about looking for the CPC 800 from andy mccrea in north down telescopes or telescope-service in Germany to name but a few?

NM

Tomk1

Thanks for the insight, read 10+ pages. The IFAS site is great a real CLUB, why don't they start a mag up.

Seanie M

Tomk1 wrote: »

Thanks for the insight, read 10+ pages. The IFAS site is great a real CLUB, why don't they start a mag up.

The guys in IFAS will like to hear that, Tomk1.

IFAS is not a specific club itself but an umbrella organsation made up of all the clubs themselves in Ireland that are freely organised and run by a democratically-elected committee in each. It has no specific powers like a club does though it is also run by a committee of members elected from the various member clubs throughout Ireland to hemp in the promotion of Science and Astronomy in Ireland.

It is voluntary and non-profit. The monies it makes by way of memberships and funding go to things like paying for website hosting, insurance for member clubs, promotional aides and more.

Often the people involved have ordinary lives of their own and freetime can be hard to come by to by used for things like a magazine. The co-ordination of more than one person is needed. A free download (Arcturus) was produced freely before but its editor (John Flannery) later became swamped with Special Olympics committments, as a example.

In the past (and still available to download) are published Observing Handbooks, free to anyone that wants them to help in their quest to learn more about Astronomy in different fields.

If anyone is interested in the kinds of things IFAS does or how it could help you in your area where there is not club then visit www.irishastronomy.org to find out more.

Seanie.

emo72

Jeanne Gallagher wrote: »

Just thought I would add my 2pence worth to this thread.

Have tried to contract AI numerous times regarding the Star BQ I attended in Sept 2010. I was advised that I would 'probably' get a refund on the tickets I bought (because of numerous complaints I was trying to make to them) but as of yet have been unable to talk with David Moore or any staff member who can make decisions.

They are a joke. I would not buy anything from them, attend any of their events or even go into their shop in the future.

That's my advice anyhow.

hi jean your post reminds me of the very first star b q AI organised in....i think it was the early 90s? it was near enniskerry.

we all decided to go because it advertised "FREE FOOD AND DRINK".

now, i dunno what you regard as drink but i was seriously seeing stars when i turned up and was handed a beaker of LEMONADE!!!!!

i nearly went supernova there and then.:D just goes to show that things havent changed much since then, we were led to believe that alcoholic beverages would be served, oh and we got no refund either.

we use to refer to david moore as "our autonomus leader". i think all the early members eventually buggered off and drifted away when the commitee split and dm set up a ltd co. such is life.;)

tricky D

Rip-off merchants. Spammers too. Reporting sightings gets you on their spam list which is illegal without consent.

squonk

tricky D wrote: »

Rip-off merchants. Spammers too. Reporting sightings gets you on their spam list which is illegal without consent.

Saw DM on the news on RTE the other night asking people to take part in a europe-wide survey to count how many geminids could be seen by those out observing. The people were to report their observations to AI.

I figured this had to be another email acquisition scam because it's a meteor shower, so of little scientific interest, so why survey it, and that's even leaving out the lack of rigor involved in having punters send in random observations with no structure whatsoever. He shouldn't be allowed get away with this crap and, even worse, use the national airwaves for it as well!

Novaman

Still up to the same old tricks so......

NM

Peter M. Gibson

They call themselves "the biggest astronomy club in the world" because they never delete anybody from their books.
My name is still registered as a member even though I've had nothing to do with them ever since I bought a 'scope off them when they were starting up in the early 1990s.

LOL.

thecommander

emo72 wrote: »

we all decided to go because it advertised "FREE FOOD AND DRINK".

Scrounger.

emo72

thecommander wrote: »

Scrounger.

haha:D we werent really scrounging cos we paid about 20 pounds each! for a poxy burger:o

thecommander

emo72 wrote: »

haha:D we werent really scrounging cos we paid about 20 pounds each! for a poxy burger:o

You were paying for a astronomy meeting, not an open bar.

Orion

Why should you have to pay for an astronomy meeting at all? They're held on public land, people bring their own personal scopes and the stars aren't owned by anyone. So where's the added value for the money?

squonk

Macros42 wrote: »

Why should you have to pay for an astronomy meeting at all? They're held on public land, people bring their own personal scopes and the stars aren't owned by anyone. So where's the added value for the money?

Well, you need public liability insurance. Theres going to be a cost in that. I've had one or two viewing nights in a public area in Skerries when I was trying to set up an astronomy club but down the line if the club got going we were going to need to formally put public liability in place. £20 is a bit steep though all the same!

dbran

Macros42 wrote: »

Why should you have to pay for an astronomy meeting at all? They're held on public land, people bring their own personal scopes and the stars aren't owned by anyone. So where's the added value for the money?

Actually you are not allowed bring your own scope to any AI events unless it is one that is sold by Astronomy Ireland Shop. This applies even if you are a member of the so-called club.