AOAS New Toy - Canon LV-S3 Projector

Sunday, December 25 2005 @ 02:00 pm EST

Contributed by: bobmoody

Thanks to a very good deal offered to AOAS through Bedford's Camera and Video, we now have our own multimedia projector, a Canon LV-S3. Thank you Bedford's!!

Bedford's Camera and Video's Ft. Smith store has once again been extremely helpful to AOAS. At our December 2, 2005, 20th annual Christmas dinner and meeting, we once again found ourselves in need of a multimedia projector to show presentations through our Dell laptop. We were unable to aqcuire a projector this year, and almost as a joke, I mentioned to the crowd of nearly 40 members and guests that sooner or later we were going to have to have a projector of our own. I also mentioned that I had spoken to Jeff Beauchamp of Bedford's earlier in the year, and we had discussed the purchase of a new Canon projector. Jeff made the generous offer to allow us to buy one at their cost and the approximate price of $800 was what I mentioned to the members.

This Canon LV-S3 multimedia projector is now the property of AOAS. We now have the capability for all types of excellent presentations at every future AOAS meeting, and all area school and civic organization presentations as well.
Near the back of the room, long-time member Roberta Parks spoke up and somewhat startled me by offering up $200 towards the purchase of our own unit, and then our webmaster Dave Grosvold stepped up with an offer of another $100. This was quickly followed by Margaret Brogley offering another $100, and I offered another $100 when my checks arrive in mid-January. Suddenly, we had $500 spoken for in pending donations towards a projector, and I closed the subject after no one else offered anything extra. I informed everyone that I'd contact Jeff again about the upcoming purchase.

When I contacted Jeff again this week, he thought of a new way to help us out by offering us a projector unit that they used for rentals out of the Ft Smith store. The unit is in excellent condition and a super heavy-duty hard case with fitted foam would also go with the deal. Jeff offered us this unit for $675 plus tax for the projector and hard case! The cost for both these items new would have been nearly $1200.

I began contacting all AOAS members trying to see how many others might want to "chip-in" towards a projector. In an email to everyone, I mentioned that we had 10-11 members who's dues would be coming up again in February, and I suggested that if they sent in their dues immediately, they would save $5 since our dues will increase to $40/yr as of January 1, 2006. I also reminded everyone that whatever they donated to AOAS during 2005 and before the New Year, they could count off that much on their taxes due to our tax-exempt status.

The final "push" came from AOAS astrophotographer, Mike Holloway, who offered to loan us whatever we needed to get the purchase made immediately. With what I knew we had coming in from the members who had offered to do whatever they could to help, I suggested to Mike that a $300 loan would put us in good shape to go ahead and make the purchase immediately. He agreed, and the deal was done!

Once again, our membership has come through with enough funds generated by early dues payments and new outright donations to cover the complete cost of this projector and case. I actually went to the Ft. Smith Bedford's store this afternoon and spoke with store manager, Larry Millican, and purchased the unit for AOAS. We now have what we've needed for such a long time, and we'll be able to make every future meeting and presentation that we give a much more memorable event. Along with the Dell Inspiron 1000 laptop computer that we received in the anonymous donation of July 9th, we're set and ready to go.

Bedford's camera and Video has been so kind to AOAS over the years, and we deeply appreciate the efforts of both Jeff Beauchamp and Larry Millican. Amateur astronomers in our area already know that Bedford's is the ONLY place to go to get what you want out of your astrophotographs, which can sometimes require hours of painstaking work to achieve. Only a trained eye will give you what you want instead of dropping your precious film off at some "Quickie" or "Cheapie" photo-processing outfit. We have always recommended Bedford's Camera and Video for all your camera and video needs, and we always will.

Thanks again, Jeff and Larry! AOAS appreciates your continuing support.

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