Hi,
I was afraid to open it, expecting the same unit, the original one bought a year ago, which worked first with limited accuracy until 07 turned to 08, and thereafter into a dead loss of enraged frustration, and so the newly arrived parcel lay around for a fortnight untouched.
The unit had been been returned again for adjustment before this mailback and harbouring no hope of success my unputdownable angry astronomical inner voice yelled, '$560 down the b---dy drain. B-gg-r Meade'.
Patience and common sense fought and won over the lingering anger but slowly, until finally the breaking point arrived and that inner voice spoke up again ', I just can't leave this d-mn thing lying around any longer!’.
I had a surprise, instead of the old unit I yanked out a brand new mySKY plus.
bl--dy clouds. A couple of nights later a lucky break.
I put the time in as requested, went for the Moon high in the NE, ‘I won’t rise till 06:20 UT’ appeared on the screen.
I half remembered reading somewhere a while or so ago that the time should be entered in hours UT. Riiiiiight, I went to put in 20:30 hrs. BUT IT WOULDN’T ACCEPT THE 2 IN THE FIRST SPACE. GOD, WHAT NOW! I thought UT was always expressed in 24 hour format.... isn’t it? - the sceen required an AM or PM format.
Back inside to confirm the UT on the computer.
Finally. finally put the UT in as 0847PM and pointing to a star, not too bright, visible in small space between the cumulus and lo and behold it identified Enif. I thought well I’d expect it about there in the NW at this time o’ night. OK there are possibilities and hopes! Then to Canopus just visible through the YES! YES!
BLOODY BRILLIANT! The kids’ll be stoked.
Pity about the Crisis Financial though. The AR6 to partner the mySY will have to await the upturn.
A big belated thank you to BINTEL, sorry for the ill tempered thoughts silently directed against you and Meade. All is forgiven. I’ll be in touch as soon as the graphs point up.
Steve
Have fun with it!
