Astronomy Club Budget

FY2015 (July 1, 2014 - June 30, 2015)

We promote amateur astronomy on campus. All members of the campus community are welcome, no matter how familiar or unfamiliar you are with the field. We try to have weekly presentations by club members or university faculty on astronomy-related topics, or events like model rocketry. When weather permits, we take telescopes out to Flagstaff Hill to get a glimpse of whatever is visible that night. Meetings are held on Fridays at 7:30 pm, in Doherty Hall A301D.

JFC Rep: Edward McFowland (emcfowla)

Summary

Requested
Expenditures $1,520.00
Capital $1,920.00
Revenue ($310.00)
Final $1,210.00
Recommended
Expenditures $1,520.00
Capital $1,315.00
Revenue ($310.00)
Final $1,210.00
Final
Expenditures $1,520.00
Capital $1,315.00
Revenue ($310.00)
Debt ($57.39)
Rollover ($0.00)
Total Subsidy $1,210.00
FY15 Starting Balance $1,152.61

Debt/Rollover Explanation:

Income and Revenue

Object Code Requested Recommended Final Description
Revenue-Fundraising Income (-) $150.00 $150.00 $150.00

Bake Sale/Star party registration fees

Revenue-Membership Dues (-) $85.00 $85.00 $85.00

17 people, $5 each

Revenue-Fundraising Income (-) $75.00 $75.00 $75.00

selling leftover t-shirts from last year. ~15 shirts, $5 each

Food-Refreshments for Events (+) $0.00 $0.00 $0.00

None

The JFC will fund $100 per semester for food for rush/recruitment, $200 per semester for food at events, $5 per person per semester for food for general body meetings, and $15 per person per event for food at a cultural event, at a cap to 2 events. All of your food line items are complient.

Sub-Total -$310.00 -$310.00 -$310.00

Capital Expenditures

Object Code Requested Recommended Final Description
Capital Expense Fund (+) $960.00 $960.00 $960.00

"Orion ED80T CF Triplet Apochromatic Refractor Telescope." In FY2014, we purchased an equatorial mount for this telescope using capital expenses, and our plan is to purchase the optical tube in FY2015. We decided on this model telescope for several reasons: 1. The design of this telescope is more portable/mobile than any of the high quality telescopes that we currently own. Considering that we like to take our telescopes to rural locales for better observing conditions, and considering that we often transport telescopes across campus, portability is a significant factor in our ability to use the telescopes that we have. 2. The optics of this telescope are particularly well-suited for astrophotography. This is an apochromatic refraction telescope, which is among the best for use with DSLR cameras or other astronomical camera equipment.

Capital Expense Fund (+) $420.00 $0.00 $0.00

"Nikon D3000 DSLR Camera with 18-55mm Nikkor Zoom Lens" This is an inexpensive DSLR camera model that comes paired with a zoom lens. Currently, Astronomy Club does not own a DSLR camera of any kind. There are several reasons why we are interested in purchasing such a camera: 1. We often take photos of club events and activities (trips to observatories, camping experiences, rocket launches, telescope repairs, general observing, Pitt fireworks shows, etc). These photos are used for marketing purposes on our facebook page and are sometimes used in other promotional materials (such as posters). These photos are also the primary means of documenting our club's long history. Having a professional-grade camera to take these photos would be very helpful to these marketing/record-keeping efforts. 2. In order to do high-quality astrophotography, we have to depend on members to own a DSLR camera or otherwise seek to rent one. Having one on hand at all times would eliminate the need to depend on membership to provide a camera, and would allow astronomy club to continue doing astrophotography for the foreseeable future.

Capital Expense Fund (+) $100.00 $100.00 $100.00

"Variable focal length "zoom" eyepiece from 8mm-24mm." Prevents losing the object on which the telescope is centered, which often occurs when replacing eyepieces in the telescope to increase magnification, this would also fill in the gaps in magnification in our eyepiece collection.

Capital Expense Fund (+) $45.00 $45.00 $45.00

"Celestron telescope vibration reduction pads." On Scaife roof, walking often causes vibrations in addition to the vibrations from the heating and cooling machinery. Having these pads would preserve the orientation of the telescope as members approach it.

Capital Expense Fund (+) $60.00 $60.00 $60.00

"Celestron PowerTank astronomy lantern with 12v output and built-in flashlight with red filter" Prevents light interference with night vision while allowing telescope setup in the dark and use various electronic equipment to aid observation

Capital Expense Fund (+) $120.00 $0.00 $0.00

"Pair of binoculars." It is much easier for astronomy novices to use binoculars than to set up a telescope. This will allow greater participation from less experienced members in our club. And also create another "station" from which to view objects so that more members can be involved simultaneously.

Capital Expense Fund (+) $80.00 $80.00 $80.00

"Celestron X-Cel LX Barlow eyepiece magnifier (3x)." Paired with a variable eyepiece (see above) would give us a full range of magnification without having to switch eyepieces out.

Capital Expense Fund (+) $65.00 $0.00 $0.00

"Rubbermaid 1785784 Clear Roughneck Storage Tote Box (5-pack)" Five clear plastic cases for storing astronomy equipment. Most of our equipment is currently being stored in degrading cardboard boxes. It would be preferable to transfer these items to plastic cases which are a more permanent solution to storage issues. This will also facilitate organizing the overcrowded closet.

Capital Expense Fund (+) $70.00 $70.00 $70.00

"Orion LaserMate Deluxe II Telescope Laser Collimator" (Really #4) Will allow us to align the optics for all the existing telescopes in our supply. Additionally, the physics dept. has requested that we assist them in aligning the optics of their telescopes. This item will allow us to complete this task and augment our reach on campus by providing a valuable service.

Sub-Total $0.00 $0.00 $0.00

Printing

Object Code Requested Recommended Final Description
Ops-Advertising and Publicity (+) $120.00 $120.00 $120.00

Large format poster (roughly 36"x 72") for promotional purposes on Astronomy Club's 7th floor Wean bulletin board.

Ops-Advertising and Publicity (+) $30.00 $30.00 $30.00

flyers and general marketing

Sub-Total $150.00 $150.00 $150.00

Telescope Maintenance Supplies

Object Code Requested Recommended Final Description
Ops-Equipment Repair (+) $30.00 $30.00 $30.00

telescope batteries

Ops-General Supplies (+) $5.00 $5.00 $5.00

cotton balls

Ops-Equipment Repair (+) $15.00 $15.00 $15.00

mirror cleaning solution

Ops-Equipment Repair (+) $15.00 $15.00 $15.00

lens cleaning solution

Sub-Total $65.00 $65.00 $65.00

Carnival

Object Code Requested Recommended Final Description
Ops-Rental Equipment (+) $90.00 $0.00 $0.00

U-Haul Truck Rental

Ops-Charges, Fees and Fines (+) $60.00 $0.00 $0.00

Registration fee

Equip-Non-Capital Equipment (+) $200.00 $0.00 $0.00

replacement lumber for warped wood as a result of poor storage conditions in the cage space

Equip-Non-Capital Equipment (+) $120.00 $0.00 $0.00

4 colors latex paint (~$30/gallon)

Equip-Non-Capital Equipment (+) $100.00 $0.00 $0.00

replacement plywood

Equip-Non-Capital Equipment (+) $100.00 $0.00 $0.00

candy/prizes to hand out for game

Equip-Non-Capital Equipment (+) $80.00 $0.00 $0.00

assorted building equipment (power drill battery, screws, nails, circular saw blade, etc)

Equip-Non-Capital Equipment (+) $0.00 $750.00 $750.00

None

JFC has changed its booth metric to a flat fee, set by the JFC at the start of the JFC Budget Review Process. This year, we will be funding student government recognized organizations $2,500 for a full booth, $750 for a Blitz Booth, and will provide groups doing Booth for the first time with a $750 bonus.

Sub-Total $750.00 $750.00 $750.00

Activities

Object Code Requested Recommended Final Description
Ops-Event Supplies (+) $60.00 $60.00 $60.00

Egg drop group activity supplies (popsicle sticks, eggs, scissors, foamware and plasticware, rubber bands, glue, tacks, tape, aluminum foil, rubber tubing, cotton balls, string, paper, pipe cleaners)

Ops-Event Supplies (+) $25.00 $25.00 $25.00

Constellation spatial visualization; demonstration of the 3 dimensional nature of space and how stars in constellations are at varying distances.

Equip-Non-Capital Equipment (+) $50.00 $50.00 $50.00

Basic Rocket Kits.

Equip-Non-Capital Equipment (+) $80.00 $80.00 $80.00

Advanced Rocket kits. Due to club's increasing interest in advanced rocketry, we want to move to wards focusing on more complex models

Equip-Non-Capital Equipment (+) $50.00 $50.00 $50.00

Rocket engines

Equip-Non-Capital Equipment (+) $40.00 $40.00 $40.00

paint & glue

Food-Refreshments for General Body Meetings (+) $150.00 $150.00 $150.00

pizza for 2 general meetings (one/semester), $75 each

Sub-Total $455.00 $455.00 $455.00

Truman Kohman Observatory Maintenance

Object Code Requested Recommended Final Description
Ops-Equipment Repair (+) $40.00 $40.00 $40.00

vinyl latex repair solution for rips and microtears in Scaife roof canopy

Equip-Non-Capital Equipment (+) $25.00 $25.00 $25.00

replacement telescope shroud to protect from elements

Ops-Equipment Repair (+) $15.00 $15.00 $15.00

industrial lubricant for mechanical components of clockwork tracking mechanism

Ops-Equipment Repair (+) $20.00 $20.00 $20.00

all-purpose cleaner for clearing environmental residue from parts of the telescope and room exposed to elements

Sub-Total $100.00 $100.00 $100.00

By Object Code

Object Code Requested Recommended Final Description
Capital Expense Fund (+) $960.00 $960.00 $960.00 "Orion ED80T CF Triplet Apochromatic Refractor Telescope." In FY2014, we purchased an equatorial mount for this telescope using capital expenses, and our plan is to purchase the optical tube in FY2015. We decided on this model telescope for several reasons: 1. The design of this telescope is more portable/mobile than any of the high quality telescopes that we currently own. Considering that we like to take our telescopes to rural locales for better observing conditions, and considering that we often transport telescopes across campus, portability is a significant factor in our ability to use the telescopes that we have. 2. The optics of this telescope are particularly well-suited for astrophotography. This is an apochromatic refraction telescope, which is among the best for use with DSLR cameras or other astronomical camera equipment.
Capital Expense Fund (+) $420.00 $0.00 $0.00 "Nikon D3000 DSLR Camera with 18-55mm Nikkor Zoom Lens" This is an inexpensive DSLR camera model that comes paired with a zoom lens. Currently, Astronomy Club does not own a DSLR camera of any kind. There are several reasons why we are interested in purchasing such a camera: 1. We often take photos of club events and activities (trips to observatories, camping experiences, rocket launches, telescope repairs, general observing, Pitt fireworks shows, etc). These photos are used for marketing purposes on our facebook page and are sometimes used in other promotional materials (such as posters). These photos are also the primary means of documenting our club's long history. Having a professional-grade camera to take these photos would be very helpful to these marketing/record-keeping efforts. 2. In order to do high-quality astrophotography, we have to depend on members to own a DSLR camera or otherwise seek to rent one. Having one on hand at all times would eliminate the need to depend on membership to provide a camera, and would allow astronomy club to continue doing astrophotography for the foreseeable future.
Capital Expense Fund (+) $100.00 $100.00 $100.00 "Variable focal length "zoom" eyepiece from 8mm-24mm." Prevents losing the object on which the telescope is centered, which often occurs when replacing eyepieces in the telescope to increase magnification, this would also fill in the gaps in magnification in our eyepiece collection.
Capital Expense Fund (+) $45.00 $45.00 $45.00 "Celestron telescope vibration reduction pads." On Scaife roof, walking often causes vibrations in addition to the vibrations from the heating and cooling machinery. Having these pads would preserve the orientation of the telescope as members approach it.
Capital Expense Fund (+) $60.00 $60.00 $60.00 "Celestron PowerTank astronomy lantern with 12v output and built-in flashlight with red filter" Prevents light interference with night vision while allowing telescope setup in the dark and use various electronic equipment to aid observation
Capital Expense Fund (+) $120.00 $0.00 $0.00 "Pair of binoculars." It is much easier for astronomy novices to use binoculars than to set up a telescope. This will allow greater participation from less experienced members in our club. And also create another "station" from which to view objects so that more members can be involved simultaneously.
Capital Expense Fund (+) $80.00 $80.00 $80.00 "Celestron X-Cel LX Barlow eyepiece magnifier (3x)." Paired with a variable eyepiece (see above) would give us a full range of magnification without having to switch eyepieces out.
Capital Expense Fund (+) $65.00 $0.00 $0.00 "Rubbermaid 1785784 Clear Roughneck Storage Tote Box (5-pack)" Five clear plastic cases for storing astronomy equipment. Most of our equipment is currently being stored in degrading cardboard boxes. It would be preferable to transfer these items to plastic cases which are a more permanent solution to storage issues. This will also facilitate organizing the overcrowded closet.
Capital Expense Fund (+) $70.00 $70.00 $70.00 "Orion LaserMate Deluxe II Telescope Laser Collimator" (Really #4) Will allow us to align the optics for all the existing telescopes in our supply. Additionally, the physics dept. has requested that we assist them in aligning the optics of their telescopes. This item will allow us to complete this task and augment our reach on campus by providing a valuable service.
Equip-Non-Capital Equipment (+) $200.00 $0.00 $0.00 replacement lumber for warped wood as a result of poor storage conditions in the cage space
Equip-Non-Capital Equipment (+) $120.00 $0.00 $0.00 4 colors latex paint (~$30/gallon)
Equip-Non-Capital Equipment (+) $100.00 $0.00 $0.00 replacement plywood
Equip-Non-Capital Equipment (+) $100.00 $0.00 $0.00 candy/prizes to hand out for game
Equip-Non-Capital Equipment (+) $80.00 $0.00 $0.00 assorted building equipment (power drill battery, screws, nails, circular saw blade, etc)
Equip-Non-Capital Equipment (+) $50.00 $50.00 $50.00 Basic Rocket Kits.
Equip-Non-Capital Equipment (+) $80.00 $80.00 $80.00 Advanced Rocket kits. Due to club's increasing interest in advanced rocketry, we want to move to wards focusing on more complex models
Equip-Non-Capital Equipment (+) $50.00 $50.00 $50.00 Rocket engines
Equip-Non-Capital Equipment (+) $40.00 $40.00 $40.00 paint & glue
Equip-Non-Capital Equipment (+) $25.00 $25.00 $25.00 replacement telescope shroud to protect from elements
Equip-Non-Capital Equipment (+) $0.00 $750.00 $750.00 None
Food-Refreshments for Events (+) $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 None
Food-Refreshments for General Body Meetings (+) $150.00 $150.00 $150.00 pizza for 2 general meetings (one/semester), $75 each
Ops-Advertising and Publicity (+) $120.00 $120.00 $120.00 Large format poster (roughly 36"x 72") for promotional purposes on Astronomy Club's 7th floor Wean bulletin board.
Ops-Advertising and Publicity (+) $30.00 $30.00 $30.00 flyers and general marketing
Ops-Charges, Fees and Fines (+) $60.00 $0.00 $0.00 Registration fee
Ops-Equipment Repair (+) $30.00 $30.00 $30.00 telescope batteries
Ops-Equipment Repair (+) $15.00 $15.00 $15.00 mirror cleaning solution
Ops-Equipment Repair (+) $15.00 $15.00 $15.00 lens cleaning solution
Ops-Equipment Repair (+) $40.00 $40.00 $40.00 vinyl latex repair solution for rips and microtears in Scaife roof canopy
Ops-Equipment Repair (+) $15.00 $15.00 $15.00 industrial lubricant for mechanical components of clockwork tracking mechanism
Ops-Equipment Repair (+) $20.00 $20.00 $20.00 all-purpose cleaner for clearing environmental residue from parts of the telescope and room exposed to elements
Ops-Event Supplies (+) $60.00 $60.00 $60.00 Egg drop group activity supplies (popsicle sticks, eggs, scissors, foamware and plasticware, rubber bands, glue, tacks, tape, aluminum foil, rubber tubing, cotton balls, string, paper, pipe cleaners)
Ops-Event Supplies (+) $25.00 $25.00 $25.00 Constellation spatial visualization; demonstration of the 3 dimensional nature of space and how stars in constellations are at varying distances.
Ops-General Supplies (+) $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 cotton balls
Ops-Rental Equipment (+) $90.00 $0.00 $0.00 U-Haul Truck Rental
Revenue-Fundraising Income (-) $150.00 $150.00 $150.00 Bake Sale/Star party registration fees
Revenue-Fundraising Income (-) $75.00 $75.00 $75.00 selling leftover t-shirts from last year. ~15 shirts, $5 each
Revenue-Membership Dues (-) $85.00 $85.00 $85.00 17 people, $5 each

By Ocode

Requested
Capital Expense Fund $1,920.00
Equip-Non-Capital Equipment $845.00
Food-Refreshments for Events $0.00
Food-Refreshments for General Body Meetings $150.00
Ops-Advertising and Publicity $150.00
Ops-Charges, Fees and Fines $60.00
Ops-Equipment Repair $135.00
Ops-Event Supplies $85.00
Ops-General Supplies $5.00
Ops-Rental Equipment $90.00
Revenue-Fundraising Income $225.00
Revenue-Membership Dues $85.00
Recommended
Capital Expense Fund $1,315.00
Equip-Non-Capital Equipment $995.00
Food-Refreshments for Events $0.00
Food-Refreshments for General Body Meetings $150.00
Ops-Advertising and Publicity $150.00
Ops-Charges, Fees and Fines $0.00
Ops-Equipment Repair $135.00
Ops-Event Supplies $85.00
Ops-General Supplies $5.00
Ops-Rental Equipment $0.00
Revenue-Fundraising Income $225.00
Revenue-Membership Dues $85.00
Final
Capital Expense Fund $1,315.00
Equip-Non-Capital Equipment $995.00
Food-Refreshments for Events $0.00
Food-Refreshments for General Body Meetings $150.00
Ops-Advertising and Publicity $150.00
Ops-Charges, Fees and Fines $0.00
Ops-Equipment Repair $135.00
Ops-Event Supplies $85.00
Ops-General Supplies $5.00
Ops-Rental Equipment $0.00
Revenue-Fundraising Income $225.00
Revenue-Membership Dues $85.00

Summary

Requested
Expenditures $1,520.00
Capital $1,920.00
Revenue ($310.00)
Final $1,210.00
Recommended
Expenditures $1,520.00
Capital $1,315.00
Revenue ($310.00)
Final $1,210.00
Final
Expenditures $1,520.00
Capital $1,315.00
Revenue ($310.00)
Debt ($57.39)
Rollover ($0.00)
Total Subsidy $1,210.00
FY15 Starting Balance $1,152.61

Debt/Rollover Explanation: