Ron Ravneberg, "The Good Old Days - Amateur Astronomy: 1950-1965", Main Tent, Friday 11:00 a.m., is an amateur astronomer, telescope maker and long-time member of the Columbus (Ohio) Astronomical Society. An amateur astronomer since the 1950s, he is a Past President of both the Seattle and Columbus astronomical societies. While he can't spell CCD, he does know into which end of the telescope you look, and spends his astro-time enjoying the quiet pleasures of the night sky.

In this presentation Ron looks back at the times before CCDs, GoTo telescopes, digital setting circles, large Dobsonians, and many of the other conveniences today's amateurs take for granted. For some, the presentation would be a walk down memory lane; for others, it might provide some insight into what inspired some of the old-timers (Ron included) to get started in amateur astronomy and what resources were available to them at the time.

The presentation includes numerous images of telescopes, publications, old advertisements and other miscellany that look back at those "thrilling days of yesteryear."