the
HOME PLANETARIUM              ASSOCIATION
The Home Planetarium Association welcomes all those who build small planetariums for home, school, museum, or other personal use.  A quarterly newsletter is produced;   This includes collecting toy planetaria, operating older or small professional units, or just fondly remembering childhood trips to planetariums around the world.   The stars await, always...
    The Dusty Shelf
 
HPA has exclusive archives for one of a kind old and home built planetarium assets!  HPA collects
lectures, thesis, articles, and all related history from the pioneers of home planetariums, write for list!
Sumner Countys First Star Theater!

Located 2.2 miles from 31E and the Krystals) on Red River Road (Highway 25) toward Cottontown, 1203 on the Mailbox, just across from Douglas Lane (grey farmhouse right on Highway 25

Shows are by appointment, call
615-451-9178.

Some weekdays are available as well as weekends and evenings!

Seats 14 adults (chairs are low) and about 8 more kids on the floor per show!

Star shows last about 30 minutes and cover a wide variety of basic astronomical topics, with emphasis on stars and constellations!

No admission for school groups.  Private group admission is flat rate $20 per group.

Waiting area provided for larger groups if show must be split into 2 parts.

Warm in the summer, cool in the winter, dress appropriately!

Sumner Skies planetarium is completely home constructed and unique - come see the stars!
HPA produces a quarterly newsletter (or every so often) .  CDs and printed materials available at modest cost, email me!  If youve EVER wanted your own stars, Please join us!
The categories of Home Planetariums
  1.  Home scratch built
  2.  Restore old commercial units
  3.  Hybrids - combo commercial/home built
  4.  Sophisticated modern toys (Homestar)
  5.  Stellarium Video Projection
  6.  ???  what have YOU done!
www.observatorycentral.com
http://planetariums.blogspot.com
   SUMNER SKIES               PLANETARIUM
Hello from Gary (goes by Gare) !!

HPA started in the late 90's for 13 issues, took 6 years off, and now is back for good!  I live on an old farm outside Nashville TN, where I've built a 15 foot domed theater.  My main projector (right) ) is a 20 inch  cylinder with about 90 lenses. I also rotate in a variety of homebuilt and old projectors, including an original Emmons starball, the dodecahedron from a Spitz A2, and other planetarium kits from decades past.  Please join us, HPA newsletters are a little 'how to', a little philosophy, some history, planetarium fiction, childhood memories, and alot to ponder in this era of ever more FLASH.. And we love the technology.   We just don't want to lose the substance!              Gary Likert  Updated Dec 2007
The Home Planetarium Association and Sumner Skies Planetarium welcome all those who dream of the stars, all those who have ever looked up and WONDERED .....  Come see us!!

                                Gary Likert
                1203 Highway 25, Gallatin, TN 37066
                                615-451-9178
                          mrgare5050@hotmail.com
SUMNER SKIES
PLANETARIUM
615-451-9178
gare with homemade projector
rare spitz sky 'zoo'
spitz A2 dodec remounted
sumners projector!
Star Party Planetarium!
  
(under development)
  HPA Back Issues 1 - 17
       Available on CD !
HPA Vintage Lecture Series!
 
Hubert Bernhard (remember advertised in old S&Ts?)
    Richard Emmons - the Ohio 'father of home planetaria'
    Steve Smith - the Arizona builder of Sumner's Star Cylinder
    Astro Society of the Pacific - Seasonal shows from the 70s

          
Looking for MORE vintage star lectures!!!
www.geocities.com/mrgare5050/HPA.html
HPA SPECIAL EFFECT SERIES!!
   HPA is making available simple digital planetarium effects for use in your own shows!  Email for copies today!
www.pictorialism.com
HPA IS PROUD TO BE IN AFFILIATION WITH THE PLANETARIUM MUSEUM!!!
                                           www.pictorialism.com  (unbelievable website!)
above is link for newsletter backpages and color photos
www.geocities.com/mrgare5050/HPA.html
www.pictorialism.com
above is link for planetarium museum
http://planetariums.blogspot.com
above is link for exclusive HPA blog mini-essays ...
www.observatorycentral.com
above is link planetariums as a hobby online bulletin board
mrgare5050@hotmail.com
HOW TO BUILD A PROJECTOR IN SEVEN STEPS!
                 (notice we no say EASY steps....)  please cut and past link below
DRILL BIT TABLE

mag   hole size          bit number
0-1    .076 - .089        48 - 45
1-0    .046 - .063        57 - 55
2-1    .040 - .033        68 - 60
3-2     .028 - .025       71 - 70
4-3     .0225 - .020     76 - 72
5        .0125                  80
http://www.ehow.com/how_2250075_build-planetarium-projector.html

and finally ....   for those about to drill
            WE SALUTE YOU!!