12" GSO Arrived!!!!!

[Mikezoom]

:eyepop::D:scared::cool:..........w hat more can I say.......... and thats just about the 2" EP!

Well I heard the truck pull up out front and my GF has never seen me jump so high. Wouldn't you know it.... it arrived just 1 Hour before I had to start work so I only had time to quickly pull out the OTA (Holy Mother of God) to give it a hug and make sure it was alright, and then put the base together.

Bintel were very helpful with my purchase. I explained to them that I already had the 15mm & 9mm GSO EPs so they threw in the Orion Collimating EP along with a fistful of filters. What a great bunch of guys. :thumbsup:

Now Im at work for the next 24hrs so as you can imagine the time is DRAGGING out like never before :help3: but will get back home around 3pm tomorrow and get some pics to show you all how Im progressing.

P.S: My GF also noted that the OTA box was big enough for it to be used for my coffin. :shrug:

Mike.B. :clap::clap::clap:

[ving]

:party:

[astronut]

:party2: :stargaze: :clap: :cheers: :rofl: :rofl:

[Starkler]

Onya Mike ;)

[Astroman]

Geat to hear it arrived safely, remember if you need me to spend any more of your money for you, don't hesitate on calling me up :)

[cjmarsh81]

Congrats Mikezoom. I hope you have clear skies to try it out. I was just as excited when my scope arrived. I had interstate visitors, but I still had to put it together and see what the beast looked like. Have Fun!

[anthony2302749]

Hi Mike

Well done on your purchase, but I need to ask is there an Astronomical Club in Wagga. As a past resident of Wagga I was a member of the "Wagga Amateur Astronomical Society" (WAAS). It was a small group of about ten people, which included people like Micheal Maher and John Cooper, who would gather at Mount Austin High School for monthly meetings and attend observation nights on the public reserve near the Wagga City Golf Club. The WAAS had both a 6" Newtoian donated by Bob Price and an 8" Newtoian on load fron the City Council. It was a great club, but it fold after a couple of years of operation.

Also do you know much about the Wagga Wagga Observatery project.

Anthony

Ex Wagga boy

[Mikezoom]

Hi Anthony,

The name Michael Maher is very familiar to me, I went to Mt Austin High and am thinking that he was a Teacher there??? I have seen this page before...

http://www.waggawaggaobservatory.com.au/home.html

and might have to give the mobile a call to see if they still hold obseving nights as that is the only information I have seen to do with Wagga Wagga. Not sure if its still current info though as its 2003 information.

Mike.B.

[Wombat_In_Space]

Mike welcome to the 12" club, also don't give the GF any idears for the box. :thumbsup:


:party2: :astron:

[Rastis]

Bintel must be doing all right this year. I got my 8 incher off them as well about a month ago. There has been a few jokers with new scopes lately.
Rastis.

[mickoking]

FANTASTIC MIKE

You are gonna love your scope :thumbsup: I have only had mine for a few days and its a B_____y ripper.

[anthony2302749]

Hi Mike

I went to Mt Austin High as well, I had the best time there, built an 8" Newtoian as part of my Year 10 metal work project, Got a couple of awards for it. I finish my my high school education in 1984 and joined the Army in 1985 and left Wagga for good.

Michael Maher is not a teacher but has been involved with astronomy for a very long time. He probaly does a lot of workshop with school kids in and around Wagga. I know he had a really great job in the 80's work at one of the Resorts in the Northern Territory giving night time tours to oversea visits.

I also check out the site below, did you read that they have a 17" dob plus a larger scope in the 21" range. Should give him a ring it.

Bye for now

Anthony

P.S. What Primary School did you go to, I went to Turvey Park PS

[mickoking]

Did you know Kunming the capital of Yunan province in China is the sister city of Wagga Wagga. I was walking thru a large park in Kunming and I came across quite a large (and popular) monument declaring in both english and chinese that Wagga and Kunming are sister cities. Kunming must be the LARGE sister coz it's population is greater than Melbournes.

Sorry for this pointless digression :P

[dhumpie]

Congrats on you new light bucket :)

Darren

[Mikezoom]

And here it is....... :eyepop:

Collimated and rearing to go, bring on dark skies... :thumbsup:

Mike.B.

[Astroman]

look small doesn't it :D

Good to see you are happy Mike.

[Starkler]

The smile should be just as big when you get to view through it :)

[mickoking]

Whats going to be your first object mike?

[matt]

That's great Mike. Got yourself a real cannon there!!!!

At least I know you've got plenty of EPs to use:lol:

[ThunderChild]

Hey Mike, can you move that cannon out of the way? I can't see your scope.

.... oh hang on .... :eyepop:


I dream of being at that stage one day..... congrats!

[astronut]

Nice legs Mike;) Ohhh!!! The scope is great!!! I'm waiting on my 12" to arrive. John

[Mikezoom]

Hahaha, you should see them shaved...... kiddin :lol:

Well, just Bl___y awsome, my first view was M42 and I was stuck on that for at least 40mins. I could not believe the detail I could see as soon as I put my eye to the EP and I had only just walked outside after spending the last hour under huge fluro lights at indoor cricket. Straight away I could see the greenish color that was not visible before in my Binnoculars or wobble-matic.

The rest of my time was spent on Saturn and it was the first time I was able to see banding and the CD with my own "eye". :eyepop: I knew not to expect to see Hubble shots with this scope but its the closest that I have seen. ;)

Quickly had a roam around Eta Carinae and ended up getting lost :screwy: around the LMC before the missus reminded me it was 11:30pm and I had to start work at 6am. :zzz2:

Only thing I need to do ATM is the milk bottle washer mod as the movement was a little sticky at times, tried loosening the bolt but did not want the base to fall apart on me.

Can't wait to finish work today so I can get the beast ready for an allll nighter tonight.

Mike.B.

P.S: Anyone else have trouble ripping up the lawn draggin this thing around? Might need some wheels.

[astronut]

Mike, I'm jealous I can't wait to look through my own 12". I've looked through a friend's 12" G.S.O. and WOW!!!:eyepop: .It will be so much better seeing the old favourites in a new light ( pardon the pun ) and being able to resolve the deeper and fainter fuzzies. Roll on Next week!!:rofl:
P.S. Post a first light report when you can Mike. Cheers, John.:D

[RB]

Awesome Mike, I'm so happy for you.
Thanks and keep us posted.

:)

[xstream]

Well done Mike, I'm glad to hear it's up to your expectations.
It wasn't to bad a night last night, was it?
Seeing could of been better though but I still didn't get home till some crazy hour of the morning. :lol:

[jackenau]

:) Glad to see you are enjoying the views of your new scope. The feeling you have related when experiencing your views on Saturn and m42 are similar to what I felt when I first viewed them through my scope.:eyepop:

Those views really wet the appetite and encourage you to look for more. There is a lot up there to see and through 12" with the right seeing conditions is simply breathtaking.

Better ep's and filters add to the enhanced views, but there is nothing wrong with the views when first experience with the basic ep's as supplied with the scope.

Views definately are better if you are light adapted.

And as for dragging your scope around the lawn. Not really a good idea. Buy a trolly, they are reasonably cheap $20.00 - $ 50.00. Better still do as I did pave the area. Convinced the wife rather than spend, waste my money on the hobby it was about time to change the yard around and give it a new look.:D

Now you have the scope, are there any regrets as to its physical size, shape, or ability to move it around.

Onwards & Upwards

Ken M

[h0ughy]

Congratulations, I will blame you for our weather at the moment

[Mikezoom]

lol, would not mind a bit of rain here to be honest.

No regrets RE: scope size, I had it measured out long ago so was expecting it but nothing can prepare you for when you open that box and see YOUR HUGE scope for you only. ;)

I LOVE IT!!! :thumbsup::prey2::party2::cheers::c lap:

Mike.

[mickoking]

Love mine too Mike :thumbsup: