ATM First Light for Scroung-o-porto-scope (dim)

[Dale Campbell <campbeld@abs-lcms.com>]

My brother and his family back from Wheaton, IL and are staying at our mom's house for 
Christmas.  They made the 2.3 hr drive south yesterday and stayed with us last night so 
he could pick up his scope.  We put the finishing touches on last night, except for the 
light baffle behind the secondary.  All in all, I think he was pleased.  We kept looking 
outside for clearing in the clouds in the central NY skies, gave up and decided to focus 
on some distant *security* lights.  We suddenly saw a couple stars in Cas showing through 
and went for it.  Good clear images in the 25mm eyepiece, and that was all it took to 
make him happy.  He had brought the 50mm Tasco he got at a yard sale.  I commiserated 
with him.

The scope is 6 inch f/6, with the secondary mounted on a ring, rather than the Alice 
type.  I think next time I'll try the Alice format (this was my second scope, the first 
was a plain Dobson).  It all packs into a 12 inch cube to travel.  It uses 3 half inch 
metal conduit to hold the ring.  The base has folding sides held in place by 4 
turnbuckles.  This allows it to fold relatively flat for those long trips out west.  Time 
will tell if it is practical.

I had to work today, so didn't see him before he left today.  I got a call mid-morning.  
My wife said our daughter looked in her room where my brother and sister-in-law slept.  
My daughter caught them and said "I think Uncle Keith forgot his eyepieces" and sure 
enough he had left some old S and T's and a basic book, as well as the eyepieces.  
Everyone gave him a hard time, and Keith said if he had forgotten them he'd have come all 
the way back.

Half an hour after they drove away my son said "Mom, I think Uncle Keith forgot his 
eyepieces..."  Sure enough, they were still at our house, though he had the mags and 
book.  We'll see if he meant it about coming back.  I hope the skys don't suddenly clear 
tonight.

Best Regards,

Dale Campbell
Senior Research Scientist
Advanced BioAnalytical Services, Inc.
Ithaca, NY 14850 
USA

42°6'N 75°54'W