Hello Mr. Wmccall!

[UnderTheStars]

Enjoyed the comet pics!  and. . .24" PLUS!?  Wow, you travel in a pretty serious circle of friends - LoL.  Anyway, it's taken me back to years ago bundled up and huddled over my TINY 4" relector at 2am mid-January.  Ouch!

On a spa related topic, I never thought about binos in the tub.  I always liked winter best because the air seemed clearer to me (don't know if that's true) and I like the stuff I had to look at.  Now mid winter in the tub with binos . . . that sounds pretty comfy to me!  Isn't steam a problem?

[wmccall]

Enjoyed the comet pics!  and. . .24" PLUS!?  Wow, you travel in a pretty serious circle of friends - LoL.  Anyway, it's taken me back to years ago bundled up and huddled over my TINY 4" relector at 2am mid-January.  Ouch!

On a spa related topic, I never thought about binos in the tub.  I always liked winter best because the air seemed clearer to me (don't know if that's true) and I like the stuff I had to look at.  Now mid winter in the tub with binos . . . that sounds pretty comfy to me!  Isn't steam a problem?

Steam can be a problem, but the wind can help/hurt that. With no wind I can lean to one side and look around the steam, or if your looking straight up it isn't too much of a problem.   If there is a slight breeze I set at the upwind side of the tub and keep the binos on top of the filter compartment.  I keep a softcloth to wipe the lenses with.  (These aren't top quality binoculars, but good enough to see a few things while I'm out early, or late anyway.


I also check for the ISS passing over, or Irdium satelite flairs before going out in the spa as well.   (More info on that can be found at http://www.heavens-above.com

[Chas]

Hey - stargazers! Me too. I just ordered my daughter a 6" reflector telescope. Waiting for it to come.

We have a place in a famous 'dark sky' location in southern Cal, and we are excited to take the big tube up there as soon as we can.

[UnderTheStars]

Awsome Chas!  Enjoy it.  For now I think I'm going to give the "bino in a tub" a try. . .well, once I get delivered and set-up!

[wmccall]

Hey - stargazers! Me too. I just ordered my daughter a 6" reflector telescope. Waiting for it to come.

We have a place in a famous 'dark sky' location in southern Cal, and we are excited to take the big tube up there as soon as we can.

Find a local astronomy club.  Even if you don't want to be full participating members, they can show you amazing things that can be seen in a 6".  Hopefully you will get it before Jupiter dips below the horizon till spring. Tell me this scope has 1.25" eyepieces and not  .965" ones

[Chas]

Here's what we ordered:

* 6-inch hand-figured PARABOLIC overcoated mirror, 48" F.L.

* Superior tube venting system for steadier images

* Integrated Balance System ready to take on any accessory

* Free Rigel Quick Finder projects a red "bull's-eye" onto the Sky for aiming this scope with unsurpassed ease!

* Included 1 1/4-inch 17 mm Plossl Eyepiece gives 71 power with a 2/3 degree field.

I added another eyepeice, but I don't recall which one - I think it was a wider field for lunar viewing.



No tripod, equatorial or go-to electronic drives, as this is our first step up from Bino viewing! We may go to a motor drive if the interest continues.  

We have been to a couple of events with the local astronomy club. Very fun - and some of the members have set up some very expensive 'scopes on some amazing stand/drives.

We plan on inviting them up to our place in the mountains once we get some more trees cleared and a power pole put in.

[wmccall]

Looks like a well built dob. One small piece of advice, take a look at the battery that the quickfinder uses and buy and extra one and put it in your toolbox with a small piece of sandpaper.  Its easy to forget to turn off those finders, though a battery will last weeks even when left on, but nothing is worse than getting out to the middle of nowhere and finding your finder battery dead.  (The sandpaper is for those times when dew rusts the contacts a little bit.  

[johnnythunders]

I have Bushnell Telescope still in the box for 2 years,Have lots of stars but have no time playing with it.too busy writing to this site and not enough time in the spa lol....Jt