Hi All.
This is my first post on the forums, and what better place to start. After nearly a 20 year absence from practical Astronomy I thought I'd dip my toe back in to see what's changed. So in early December I purchased a Celestron Nextstar Evolution 9.25. As luck would have it it's been pretty cloudy on every occasion I've had the opportunity to get out, so I've only used it once. That got me thinking about my first and only other scope, which I bought in 1992 and I seem to recall having to wait 6 weeks for clear skies before I could use that for the first time. I remember having great fun with it all those years ago. Anyway after some rummaging through cupboards and under beds I finally tracked down all the parts; a Vixen FL102S on a Super Polaris mount. On reassembling it I was quite surprised that it seems to be in very good condition. However compared to modern telescopes with Go To capabilities, the motor drives on the SP mount are very antiquated and slow. Although they do seem to be working. That said, I decided that whilst I wait for clear skies I'd rejuvenate the old girl with a new mount and focuser.
The new mount is Skywatcher AZ-EQ6. I've also fitted a Moonlite focuser to replace the original, which seemed to wobble and grind slightly when moving. The Baadar Sky Surfer V RDF is a new addition to replace the original 6x30 finder, which I never liked. The additional white tube rings serve dual purpose; the rear one now provides a carry handle and the front one is covering up a few small marks on the OTA. The final accessory is a 2 inch diagonal. The wooden box in the picture background is a wonderful storage box for the OTA that my Dad made for me as a birthday present when I first got the scope. All-in-all I'm quite excited at the prospect of trying the old Vixen alongside the new Celestron. All I need now is clear skies :-).