1.  On-site training

Working with your own equipment is probably the most valuable and quick way to learn.  You may contract with Menke Scientific to come to your site for an evening (or more) of hands-on observing with you and your equipment.  We generally arrive in the late afternoon to allow time for us to meet, hear more about your goals and review the status of your equipment.  After getting a light dinner and waiting for dark, we will work with you on the techniques you’ll need to master to meet your goals.  The session typically ends about 11 p.m.  We can work with you even if the weather does not cooperate – we bring along image files and computer programs that you’ll need to know.

2.  Email mentoring

Another alternative is to contract with Menke Scientific, Ltd. for personal email mentoring services.  You will identify the skills you wish to improve, and agree with you on an estimated length time you will need to accomplish your goal.  Once we have a written agreement, you’ll send your questions to us by email and we will send quick personalized responses and suggestions for how to tackle the problem at hand.  This works best for individuals who have considerable experience with visual observing, aligning and guiding scopes, and some experience with image processing.  It will help you move quickly to a more advanced level of image-taking or photometry.

3.  Training at our site

If you would like to use our observatory and equipment, we will contract with you for one or more evenings of observing in Barnesville, Md.  We offer time both in the observatory and on the computer which controls the observatory remotely.

Because your training session will likely go late into the evening, you will need to arrange for lodging and meals. (There is no hotel or B&B in Barnesville, but there are many well run accommodations within 15 miles.  If you need a referral, we can make recommendations.)

Service terms and costs

When you call or write to ask us about Mentoring Services, we will discuss the type of service you prefer and what skills you want to improve.  We will then fax you a proposal for review.  This proposal will state the services to be performed, dates, location, costs, estimated expenses and payment terms (Net 10 days after invoice).  You can accept the proposal by signing it and faxing it back to us.  Costs for mentoring are as follows:
 

At Your Site — our fee is $100 per hour or $650 per day/evening session, whichever is less.  You will also pay for our travel time and expenses for lodging and meals.

Email — our fee is a flat rate per month of $150.  This entitles you to any number of email exchanges during the month to ask questions and receive guidance.

At Our Site — our fee is $100 per hour or $650 per day/evening session, whichever is less.