[wavelandscott (Scott)]

Not much of substance but filled with enthusiasm/optimism...

I finally got a chance to spend a few minutes (and I mean very few) with my recently acquired 12.5" Discovery Dob under the night sky...

I was collimated up and ready...but, between the weather and my travel schedule (which is not letting up anytime soon) I have only had the plesure of staring longing at it in our front room...

Well tonight in spite of some other commitments I noticed that it was "sort of clear" in my backyard and so I wheeled her out for a quick look...

Unfortunately for some reason my neighbors (on all sides) decided that they needed to have their backyard lights on (I've never seen them all on before at the same time) so I only got a little view time...

Truth is, I did not even get a chance to really get the scope cooled down but, like a kid in a candy store I could not wait to try it out.

First impression is that I will fall in love very quickly!!!

I used only my 11 mm T6 Nagler and a few minutes of my 2.5x Powermate (between no cool down and the local seeing the Powermate was too much) so just the 11 mm T6 had to do...

I looked at the moon and it was spectacular...

Unfortunately Venus was behind the trees

Jupiter looked okay but without enough cool down and the not great seeing the image was about the same as what I was use to seeing in the 8"...the powermate was too much for the night...

Then for no reason that I could tell my neighbor's (on both sides) turned their lights on and it made seeing very difficult!

I did get a brief look at the Jewel Box...it was spectacular...I've never seen so much detail...it looks much better than in the 8"

Between my neighbor's lights and some work I've got to get done that was it for tonight...So a very quick look but I am very happy...the scope is a keeper!

I've just got to read the Argo Navis manual so I can use it and I'll be set!

Conclusions:
The motion and movement of the scope is very nice, there was no problem at all with the weight of the T6 and powermate...it can take much more...

The JMI focuser is not nearly as nice as the Moonlite focuser on the 8", I will be switching them at some time in the not so distant future...the Moonlite is too nice for my kids to play with on the 8"...

I've got to get an adjustable chair...my Ikea (non adjustable stool) is not tall enough for this scope...being a "hefty lad", I'll need to find something industrial strength to do the task...I found myself standing/crouching in really odd ways looking through the eyepiece...I will need to fix that...

Anyway, I've got a feeling that this scope will be dynamite under a dark sky...

I can't wait...