Well, guys, it's been a bugger of a week for some of us. It started with Aidan's mishap with his new telescope and last night, it was my turn, but unfortunately, I was unable to avoid catastrophe...
Awful cloud outside last night, so I set up the APM 152mm Apo(for the very first time) facing east over the balcony, looking out across the Derwent River at the city lights on the eastern shore, many kilometres away. tried out all of the Pentax EPs and the 42mm Vixen LVW and was pleased with all the views. Then my wife took a quick photo of me (see pic) before I detached the scope from the mount to pack away. The dew cap (well over a foot long) was a bit stiff but I pushed it back into its fully retracted position (with the dust cap on) before detaching the scope. That was fine. Once the telescope was on the carpet, I thought I would look once more at the objective to see all was in order and blow of any dust.
So what did I do? Stupidly, I grabbed the dust cap and removed it with one hand - of course, it flipped onto the carpet and during its downward trajectory, I heard a sickening clunk. It sounded as if it had connected with the objective which, of course, was now close to the end of the tube as I had fully retracted the dew shield. I looked at the objective with my LED torch and there, off centre, was a tiny 2.5 - 3mm fine mark resembling a tiny straight line. I felt vomitoriously ill and angry with myself for being such a stupid, clumsy oaf. It was one of those moments in life you just don't forget.
I don't know what to do now. I checked it again today and there it was in daylight, though still hard to see. I have no idea how this will affect observing and photography, but I am, to put it mildly, crest-fallen. I suppose I could send it back to Germany, (get new optics in the same tube) but I might wait and see what happens when I observe first. Alas, no stellar photons have passed through this scope and it is all very depressing.
My wife, the little angel, looked at me and said, 'We can buy a new one'. I looked at her dumbfounded, and said (somewhat weakly but also lovingly), 'No, I wouldn't do that!'
So what I have learnt from this experience? A new golden rule:
NEVER REMOVE A DUST CAP FROM THE TELESCOPE UNTIL THE DEW SHIELD IS AT FULL EXTENSION!
On my way to archery this morning, I cursed and swore at myself- torrents of abuse - and then remembered those lines by Chevy Chase (Clark Griswold) from 'the immortal movie, 'Christmas Vacation' when he rants and raves about his mean boss who had refused all employees a Christmas bonus: '"Of all the low-down, ...." I said the same: 'Of all the moronic. half-witted. clumsy, oafish,...."and much worse, which shall not be repeated here.
The custom-made telescope case is being sent to me on Monday, but at the moment, I can't really get excited about anything....
Why does this stuff happen?? Somewhere out there in the universe, there is a killjoy...
Richard