How predictable was this?

[russ.will]

Last night, I listed virtually everything I own on UKABS.

Rash? No; I've spent a year playing with an HEQ5 Pro mounted 200p, dabbled with an ST80 guided WO ZS 80 for imaging and generally had a good look around at everything that passed by. I now know what I like and what I like, is viewing DSOs.

If time allowed, I'd like to continue imaging them. As a father of a three year old with a seven day a week, 5:30am wakeup fetish, plus working in construction, I find this severely limits possible late night sessions. Add in the convergence of the moon & cloud with weekends and I'd be kidding myself if I thought I had the dedication to pursue imaging further. I thus decided, that as most of my fun is dim and fuzzy and projected onto my retina, rather than a CCD/CMOS sensor, an EQ mount was surplus to requirements and mucho aperture desirable.

Now, I'm posting all of this for three reasons.

One is that I am bored - I have no mount as of three hours ago and thus no way of mounting the sold scopes that will be posted/shipped after the weekend.

Two is that any n00b reading this (and I am still in that camp) should consider their lifestyle/work commitments when asking what scope is best. I basically ruled out a Dob, because it didn't seem techo enough, or match the visions I had of myself as a crack DSO imager. I may well turn out to be the latter but time, not ability, is THE major limiting factor and I don't have that. The time that I have is better spent looking at fuzzy grey things because, you see, they make me go 'Wow!'

The third is a pure application of the law of astronomy sod. When demoing the HEQ5 to the prospective purchaser, it started to rain and thus, it was all whipped inside double quick. As I bid my one mount farewell, cash firmly in pocket 45 minutes later, the sky cleared over for the first time in three weeks, for nearly two hours....

Russell

[Moonshane]

it will all feel better when you look through your new dob.....

[russ.will]

It's going to be a case of deja vue, all over again.

Like my 200p/HEQ5 last year, it should be arriving just in time for the beginning of June and thus, three months from being useful.

However, the long range forecast for the south east is abysmal until late May, so I'm currently congratulating myself on a) Riding the tail of the BCE and Having done it at time of year which the purchasers may not realize is useless anyway. They've all paid, so I can say this now.

The thing is, I know I have a 2-3 week wait for the Dob. Not because it's out of stock - It's not. No, my local pusher, sorry, dealer has a brand new 300p Flextube OTA in stock. They are getting two damaged GOTO bases, out of which they will assemble a good one. I don't need the Synscan handset, as I will drive it from Sky Safari+ via a Skywire.

Nett result; A 300p Flextube Auto, with full warranty at a considerable reduction on the Auto price, if it were still available. The difference between the sold stuff and the purchase price, should allow me to source an iPad3 (okay, I have sources in my other life) for the purpose of the handset.

Am I sounding smug? Hell yes! But lets face it, these deals don't come round that often and nor am I normally smart enough to time things this right.

Russell