Doc won't believe this!!

[calibos]

I actually had my LB16 out for more than 5 minutes last night!!

Bless me father for I have sinned. Its been 9 months since my last observing session!

As some may know, between my scope being in bits for months on end while I modded it to the max and my house being in bits while I'm re-modding it(renovations), I just haven't had the time or opportunity to observe.

I still don't really. Things wont be back to normal till the middle of this year, but I was damned if I didn't get to look at Mars at least once this apparition. Still haven't had the time to fit the servocat drive that I bought for the scope last October so this session was non tracking and just a handful of objects that I could find without a computer.

Still lots of bugs to work out with some of the mods already on the scope but enough went right to keep me motivated and keep the frustration at what didn't work at bay. Thrilled with the Dew Control. The dew would have killed the session within minutes but the dewbuster and dewnot strips cleared the dew off the eyepieces within seconds and then kept it off. The TNT drive didn't really work at all although I think its not so much a problem with the JMI as its just not designed to move such a heavily modded scope with all the stuff I loaded on it. It probably works fine with a non modded Lightbridge. So I am glad I ordered the servocat and this motivates me to make the time to finally fit it.

But anyway, I posted this in the observing report forum and not the equipment forum for a reason.

M81/82 looked great despite the moon being up and LP in that direction from the house we are renting while the renovations in the other house go on. Can't wait to point the LB16 at them from a dark site. The moon looked fabulous with 'The Wall' really standing out. M42 looked better unfiltered in the LB16 than it did with a UHC in my old 12" and with the UHC in the LB16 it really looked great. 'The arms' curving around a lot further and faint nebulosity visible between the arms. ie the pink area one see's in Astrophotos. (I didn't see any colour but what I mean is I could see that nebulosity) Again, can't wait to get the scope finished and to a dark site.

Mars however was a revelation. Last apparition with the 12" I could see a white disc and faint grey Syrtis Major when its was facing us. That was pretty amazing at the time considering it was analgous to seeing Africa and Eurasia on earth from Mars. However, I was always disappointed that I couldn't see colour and that a white polar cap was basically invisible on a white disc. Thrilled with the view in the LB16. Mars was actually an orangey colour unfiltered and this meant that the polar cap really stood out.

So I am re-motivated now to get the scope finished at try and get over the exhaustion from other events/circumstances last year/this year and get out observing again.

[pvaz]

Nice to hear your putting that great scope to use. I hope you get all that stuff sorted out, renovations can be a pain!

[Doc]

I can finally put that "Flying Pig" smilie in the bin

Well done Keith and I bet you were so exited as well. I'm glad you had a great night and your dewbuster worked fine.

So you just need to fit your servocat and you will be up and away observing at every oppertunity.

Once again I'm made up for ya.

Ps I cannot wait for those yellow highlighted words

[Lifeisgood0414]

glad to hear that you made a observation!

i saw your post about modification, and it was awesome!!

hope i see your servocat...