Hardin Telescope

[Professer Beatz]

Picked it up at Seans Astronomy shop in SW Washington - great little shop and nice service. Candy-apple red tube and a black stand --- looks great. Just finished assembling it very happy with over all with the quality.

Minor issue with the wood screws that hold the sides of the stand together in that they "stripped out" very easy in the particle board - didn't have any problem with the same screws that hold the base to the upper stand. I just coated the threads with Shoe-Goo cement and screwed them back in.

Now the other problem was a bit more dissapointing - but still minor and I can fix it for less than a buck. The main bolt that fits thru the center of the 2 turn tables is really about 1/8 or 1/4 inch too short. They give you a nice ny-lock nut - but the bolt never really bites into the nylon unless you really over tighten it and then the turn tables don't smoothly rotate.

So other wise I'm ready to get out to first light -- but of course its raining But I still need to get the Telerad mounted and sighted in.