Will I Every Be Dry Behind the Ears ...

[AlBoning]

... probably not.

I got into this hobby for a brief time 30 years ago with the purchase of a Tasco Luna. My how prices have changed! Adjusted for inflation one could likely get a 12" Dob for what I paid for that scope. I never used it much, the primary had a tendency to dew up in 30 min. One would think with all the thermodynamics I took in college I'd have figured out why right away. I didn't learn much at the time, observe at zenith, observe when it is cool and the humidity low, that an alt-az mount is a pain to track with at zenith, and the conclusion that my next scope would be EQ mounted and of larger aperture.

Two years ago I got the itch for another telescope. It was a small itch so I got a small telescope. The Celestron Astromaster 130 EQ. My what an expensive purchase that turned out to be as its most impressive quality was revealing I now had a passion for the hobby.

It wasn't long before I re-equipped with an Orion SkyViewPro 8 EQ, under went an eyepiece upgrade (Baader Planetarium Hyperions), acquired a modest reference library, and added an achromat to what is now a stable of telescopes. Mods to the newt have pushed its weight from 16.5 lb as a bare OTA to 27 lb in the saddle, so it now rides an Atlas. There's pretty much nothing left to do with the newt but get premium optics for it, but I can't seem to decide if I should do so or consider the cost a down payment on a premium scope with premium optics, either a P1250 from Parallax Instruments, or an Ultimate Newtonian from R. F. Royce.

Two years ago I knew next to nothing, clueless about cool down, thermal management, boundary layer, star testing, spherical aberration, the Rayleigh Criterion, you name it I didn't know it, didn't even know a newt would ever need collimation. I now find it difficult to find someone that can make a useful addition to either my theoretical or practical knowledge of collimation.

I've been Director and Star Party Coordinator for an astronomy club and I travel around the state to observe with other amateurs and take advantage of better skies. If you live anywhere close get in touch and let's get together.

To observe as frequently as I like I observe most often from home but I'm blessed with a Milky Way visible, artificial light free site not fifteen minutes away.

Perhaps my favorite observing is prowling the Lunar Terminator identifying each feature with S&T's Field Map of the Moon at my knee. Otherwise I'm prowling a constellation with "Objects in the Heavens."

I still prefer an EQ mounted newt but I find joy in observing with my newly acquired Astro Telescopes 102 mm f/11 achromat. What can I say, I have an unnatural fondness for focal ratio.

In the beginning binoculars were just a wide field finder for me but binocular observing has started to grow on me, or maybe it's just that I'm laid back in a recliner the whole time. Or it could be the minimal kit for binocular observing, because I sure haul a lot into the field when I'm out with a telescope.

My most recent knowledge acquisition has been the Local Hour Angle Method for Polar Alignment. Seems odd this doesn't come up more often and that it took two years knocking about in other forums to come across a hint that this method exists.

I browsed the Forums for a while before writing this. My first impression is that it is very good and that there are quite a few useful resources to be found here.

[GriffinBF]

Hello Al, welcome to the forum!

[bigjack]

Welcome to the forum. We all are constantly learning. It's part of the fun.
Clear Skies

[jproffitt1]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

[GrandPrixChris]

Hi Al, welcome.

[TheDutchman1979]

Welcome to the forums

[vpgaliet]

Hi Al and welcome to the forums. I enjoyed your story. Thanks for posting it!

Vince

[TheOD]

Hello and Welcome. Hope you enjoy the forums.

[AstroSmitty]

Hello and Welcome Al. There is a lot of knowledge here. Enjoy!

[craig1984]

hello and welcome