Hi I am new....

[ving]

Hi i am new to astro stuff. about to purchase a ed80 f5.5 for wide views and a little photography....

ok just kidding, i have obviously been around the traps for a while, but after a few years without a telescope i am about to jump back in :)

should be about a week (2 tops), unless i get hit with a massive bill for something like car expenses.

EXCITED!

[Lee]

Welcome back ving.... I've been absent for 5 years myself, just 're-igniting' as my wife put it.... funny, can't find my credit card anywhere??

[h0ughy]

wow two ghosts from the closet!! JK glad to see you going for gold with getting a new scope Ving

[leon]

Well blow me down, welcome back Ving.

Leon

[Miaplacidus]

Hi again, David. Double star champ, if I remember correctly. I hope you fill us in on what you've been up to.

Just a heads up. All the stars are different now...

[erick]

Hey there David! :hi:

[astroron]

:hi:David, Missed ya wild life photo's and stuff:(
:welcome: back:)
Cheers:thumbsup:

[astroron]

:welcome: back to you Lee:)
Cheers:thumbsup:

[Octane]

phw0ar, welcome back. :)

H

[Ric]

Hi David

How have you been keeping.

[MrB]

HAH! :lol:


Yep, the monthly Photo Challenge hasn't been quite the same.

Welcome back!

[sheeny]

Welcome back!

Al.

[iceman]

Welcome back Dave! Nice to see you again :)

[Saturn%5]

Nice to see ya back Dave, also getting back into the hobby after many years.

[acropolite]

Welcome back to the fold sir...
any progress on the straw propulsion theory... :P

[RB]

Nice to see you posting again David.

:)

[ving]

thansk guys, its been an interesting few years... especially the last 8 months.

bought a house, sold a scope, bought camera gear, took up a bit of cycling just to keep fit... nothing ground breaking.
did a telescope show and tell representing MAS a week ago at Concord Library. I was the support ask for fred watson which was quite an honour. Fred launched his new book and did a great talk then the hordes came out to me on the balcony (north facing) to do some observing. has quite a que happening.

the past 8 months have been hard tho. Cheryl (my wife) has a degenerative spine disease which basically means that the discs between the vertebrae are "going" a bit faster than that of the average human. she had mid last year a fairly severe spinal cord compression. she was lucky with that in that she could have ended up in a wheelchair with no bladder or bowel control (scary stuff), but she came out surgery pretty good, just a wonky walk that was getting better. then last december she pinched a nerve in her neck on the left side (hard!), was in hospital for a while trying to get the pain under control now she is back in again with a pinch on the other side and a mild cord depression. its more surgery soon but we dont know when. till then she is all doped up on strong pain killers (which have their own unpleasant side effects). cant wait for this surgery...

in to hospital today to find out when it all happens.

[ving]

phil, dont you watch the news. there was a recent launch sending a space probe to pluto to plant and australian flag on it! :p

[ving]

ps, this forum needs to go mobile! (or tapatalk app)

[wavelandscott]

Ving, Welcome back!

Sorry to hear about all the poor health of your wife...hope she gets back on track soon and that you enjoy some time back under the stars.

[Astroman]

Welcome Back David! :)

[ving]

2 lots of good news...

1: cheryls surgery is tomorrow! (goodbye pain)
2: picking up my ED80 f/5.5 TODAY!

if the surgery goes well, the drinks are on me! :D
its so good to see some light at the end of the tunnel :)

[h0ughy]

hope there is Dave! best of luck for Cheryl's op

[Octane]

Glad to hear it, mate. :)

H

[ving]

Humayan, your avatar... was that taken by chris?

[ving]

woohoo! got my ed80! :)

need a diagonal now :/

[Octane]

No, David. It was a self portrait while I was messing with my Profoto gear. I stood precisely one metre away from the lens, and set the focus to 1 metre and shot at f/16 or something similar hoping to get my whole head in focus. It kind of worked! :D

The avatar he's using on Facebook (or was... I'm not sure if he still is) was one of my images of him that I took while I was over his place, messing about with strobes, that he's processed.

H

[ving]

you look so serious! lol.

[jjjnettie]

Hey David,
It's good to see you back into it again.
Great to catch up with you on FaceBook as well. :)

[ving]

hi nettie :)


ok now that i have a nice GSO quartz diag its pouring down with rain.... DAMN YOU MURPHY!