For three years Australia lay baking under, perhaps, the worst drought in history. Just when it seemed it would never rain properly again, and that the clouds had been banished from the sky, it was then that I bought my telescope....
You suffer from the worst misapprehension of humanity!That there is a link between cause and effect is true.But one act on your part does not control vast effects beyond your control!Yes what sort of telescope then we can work out how much is down to you.Just joking.
Very nice! I hope you get to use it very soon. My telescope is outside cooling down - I don't know whether I'm going to get to use it or not - it's clouded over.
Howdy dude, I am sure Bird will not be too happy given you live in Canberra. Bird is not a species, nor a variety. He is a planetary imager. I am sure you will get the joke in time.
BTW, your not the only one to disturb the weather gods. There are quite few of us responsible for the weather of late. If it rains much more we may need rafts to put our scopes on. As a culprit I can understand your concerns for fine weather.
They're great optics, on the LXD-75 Schmidt Newtonian 8". I'm a newbie and have a LOT to learn, but I can recognise a wide, crisp view, with a sharp image to the edge when I see one. The reason I can tell the difference between bad and good is that until now I've been using a D`ck Smith 4.5" Tasco. Say no more.
I had an awful time with the LXD-75's mount motors and with Autostar when the kit first arrived from Meade. It took a month for Bintel to sort it all out (those Bintel guys were great by the way - young Smokey especially). The RA motor wouldn't train or even track a star, and the Autostar went insane. Both bits had to be replaced.
Anyhow after much angst the motors are now tracking the way that they should be. I haven't done any long exposures, but I'm actually taking a photo or two - god awful weather permitting.
I've been disappointed up until now with the Mars event. I missed the first half because of the mount's problems and then the weather went feral. Even when the weather has been fine the seeing has been bad.
Bird, who I met very briefly in passing at CAS, (seems a good bloke) he got some stunning Mars closeups down south near Ballarat of all places.
2020BC. How's the LXD perform? One of our members has one & it 'looks' O.K. 
L.
