I was lucky with my scope, I won it in 1999 by winning the AStronomy Magazine millenium trip prize to see in the new millenium in 2000 in new zealand. BUt the US travel company went belly up and the trip was canned. So I asked gordon and Gotch If I can have a telescope up to the value of the prize. They agreed and in my case it was to the value of $10000. So I got a 12" LX200, plus as many accessories as I could muster. Since then i have added another $6000 on equipment. All of that raised by building PC systems and servicing PC's for people.
The kicker was you had to write in 25 words or less why you deserved the trip - I wrote that my wife hates astronomy as much as I love it, and that it may break the ice and warm her around to tolerating it. So its trip 0 and very large modern scope for me 1, marriage 0.
ANd yes I have used the one line Oh but I go it cheap, it only cost me "same as striker"! i don't think she believes me??
Houghy
