Heavy Al passed away

[wackyscot]

This is text from a Facebook post I made, I hope you allow.

Apologies for a short disjointed report last night. I had prepared for our meet up, albeit it was going to be a wee tribute to Al whom I reported had passed away.
I decided to use all the equipment as a tribute in my own small way. So car was packed with all his stuff and I decided to do an old school evening, no goto, no power, just a manual, find it yourself type of night. I arrived around 7.30 to find John McRobbie with all his kit assembled. We unpacked my car, thanks John, and set up the kit. Sky was looking great, and we were waiting for Martyn and Scott to arrive.
After setting up the kit, we headed to John's stuff, Star Adventurer with a Nikon camera and a Howitzer of a lens which John uses with great skill shooting wildlife. I'd schooled John the night before on the setting up of the S.A. so decided to ask him to have a go himself, between us we were there. 1st target was the Double Cluster, framing was a bit out but focus and subject on a test shot looked great.

Martyn arrived with Scott not far behind, they had other plans with Ham Radio stuff. They were erecting a huge 7 metre aerial in the hope of catching the ISS going over. We heard some stuff - garbled speech but I'm sure I heard Neil Armstrong . Or maybe Tim Peake.
Anyhow back to John and his amazing lens. We tried various things, but kept hitting snags and eventually his Star Adventurer clutch had locked up, we all tried knocking, unscrewing
swearing, tapping with things we shouldn't have tapped with, to unlock the clutch to no avail. John's night was finished, almost!

Martyn and Scott were swapping around cameras and scopes and Scott saw some targets, Mars in probably 5 different eyepieces. He was suitably impressed. I showed the Pixel 4 Astrophotography Mode, and he was blown away, such things from a phone are unheard of until now. Me, I'd seen Mars, Andromeda, Double Cluster, Vega, all thanks to Al - cheers man, I know you were looking down hoping things would go belly up, it did on several counts - oh and John shot off to Newburgh to catch Aurora, but nowt.
RIP ALAN FORD. Your kit will continue to inspire others, and as you did, your kit will be passed to others.
Sleep well big man.

 

Edited September 27, 2020 by wackyscot