A wait of many months has paid off for my intrepid Celestron telescope the CR150. It's stock mount gave it up several years back from constant usage and a heavy load. I love this scope. With CR150 outreach events, double star surveys, open cluster surveys, Jupiter's prancing moons, and Luna surveys were a common treat. CR150 has been more or less on the shelf for awhile. The wait is over and this observing pal is back and ready to go!
This wonderful Alt/Az mount is from Larry over at Universal Astronomics and is able to handle this heavy and long tube. The mount with this pier on concrete has a "damp" time of 3 seconds and it should be less when mounted on CR150's surveyors tripod anchored into the ground! Cool as CR150 does not like the jitters. What a joy to use with smooth movement, balance, and stability too boot! Of course it goes without saying as I set it up first for a peek at the Sun the clouds rolled in just as I inserted the eyepiece - timing is everything! This mount will be able to handle all types of other scopes with ease and simplicity as I expand my outreach efforts this year. One of my dreams is to have a H-Alpha scope this year to piggy back on CR150 for those narrow band Solar views to wow the public. I wonder what CR150 thinks about this, being the pack animal for another scope!The Reality Check:
Oh just to keep me humble Mrs. SUG took this pic today as a reminder has to how she "would like me to organize certain aspects of our kitchen". I may rule the skies of my backyard from time to time
but she rules the roost. NEVER FORGET THIS!
13 comments:
Very sleek and sexy looking and the CR150, UA ALT/AZ mount and pier are pretty cool looking too!
Very sweet SUG. So glad it finally came. The CR150 has been resurrected and brought to life once more. Oh how nice he would look with an H-alpha hitching a ride. They certainly would be ready to "Wow" the local "Sparkians" with their solar song and dance routine with the SUGster. My little 60mm Coronado is buggin' me to take him on a trip to see his pal CR150.
Could you keep a spot open next to you guys for us.
Mrs. Drive-by wishes her cupboards looked so tidy!
Dear Cory the 60mm Coronado,
You are welcome to visit me and my other buddies any time. Mr SUG. has me all ready for a sand bagger oh I mean a piggy backer like yourself.
Yesterday Mr.SUG and I shared a nice but intermittent white light views of sunspots with a cool eruption of plagues on the western limb. SUG really likes these and will spend considerable time following there progress and the "cracks" in the Solar atmosphere produced by them.
We also spent some time on Mars last night and a quick star cluster, and double star roundup before we got hazed out. I am so excited to be back in action! RED and 12.5 were cheering me on and shared the joy of my new life.
But I did notice something. "UA" pronounced "U-hey" comes with a little attitude along with his nice workmenship. I will keep you posted on this.......
Love the new pic on the top of the post . Looks very cool. No outdoor astronomy last night but I did have our yearly astronomy club banquet to which Mrs. Drive-by attended. Excelent food a a good speaker- Local Weatherman.
Much to the shock of Dr. Drive-by, I was awarded with a plaque recognizing all my outreach activities from the "College of Fellows of the Buffalo Astronomical Association". It was very nice but quite embarrassing. Too bad Zhummy, TV101 and Cory couldn't be there and of course the SUGster. I did think of the SUG when I was presented it. What beautiful astronomy we could make together. The house down the street is still available for you, Mrs. Sug, SUG offspring and all the happy astronomy gear clan.
I bet TV101 with his attitude and CR150 would get along wuite nicely.
Hey Drive By, this award is well deserved with your years of dedicated outreach. You and your group have impacted lots of people. Your personal dedication needed to be recognized. I would have enjoyed being there! Was dinner "healthy"?
Questions:
How will your scopes inflated egos handle this?
Are you now getting a free lunch now all across Buffalo land?
Will we see your handsome suntanned face and slimming bod on "Universe"or NATGEO?
Will you now be hobnobbing with the mucky mucks of astronomy - Jeff Marcy, Alex P, Mr.Tyson calling on your cell phone for a lunch appointment?
Will you still lower yourself to hang with the riffraff of this blog world?
Will we see you as part of a major ad campaign for TeleVue, Zhummell, Coranado?
Has a monster been unleashed?
Dear NSG,
Both I and Mr.SUG are sorry about your current state of mind concerning this post. Coffee, astro pjs and some good astronomy with a mirror based cousin of mine will help. We are both glad that you did not pass out.
Yet I hope that you will be happy for the SUG (he's been a patient fellow and a good owner) and for the public that will look through me at the Sun, Lunar landscapes, star clusters, and planets.
I really am a friendly telescope - can you give me a chance?
CR150/UA
P.S Me thinks you have one of my little brothers on Ambrosia & Storey?
Nice award you won there Drive-by! Great job!
And SUG, I agree with Drive-by on the nice pic you put on the very top of your blog. Nice!
How's TV101 attitude been lately? :)
Scopes with attitude. Love it!
Uhhhhhhh Johany you should not have asked TV101 THAT question as you have opened Pandora's box! He is riding high with the award & successful outing last week. We may have a interesting telescope and owner pair to deal with for awhile.
I cannot be responsible for what will come of it.........
"Dobs". I like it!
SUG
Oops! I feel so bad for Drive-by! The poor, poor guy!!!
Thank you Johany for your concern.
It has been becoming increasingly more difficult living with this little refractor with its inflated ego, tack sharp optics and its Nagler/Petzval split personality. The dumbglass actually left for a world tour of Alvan Clark refractors. He is on his way to Wisconsin to the Yerkes Observatory as we speak. I hope he feels very inadequate next to this 40" refractor. The little smart glass wants to hang just with this crowd.
He's in for a rude awakening when he gets back because I'm going back to using the binos and my Astroscan for a while. Just as much fun and really simple down to earth fellows.
Found a counselor for TV101 that specializes in Attitude Adjustments for Refractor OTA's.
Yes SUG I will continue to hang with our fun little Riff Raff crowd, but not until I get back from my visit to the White House and my appearance on the Oprah Show this week.
I would appreciate if you refer to me as Sir "Drive-By the Great" from this day forward. Johany you might want to just refer to me as "The Great One". Carry on my astro bloggies.
I hope that TV101's major attitude changes at this counselor boot camp.
The new counselor is going to tell you "There's nothing wrong with him! See, he's so good and kind and just so much fun to be around. He doesn't need my bootcamp!"
And then when TV101 gets home, WATCH OUT! All hell's going to break loose!
And "Oh Great One," the Queen of England called. She wants you to make an appearance. Whatever you do, DO NOT BRING TV101!!!
Does the "Great One's" swagger know any boundaries? The White House, Oprah, now the Queen of England.
We may need to bid Drive-by and TV101 GOODBYE....
Oh just to stand in their shadow even for a moment!
What I just got a note from Mr.Branson and he is sending over his private jet for you pal so you may ride in comfort to England.
When will this end?
What is really funny is that all this started because of a new mount for my humble telescope without color corrected optics. Go figure!
Forget Mr. Branson! Donald Trump and Bransom are going at it right now. Each of them want "The Great One" to take their luxury jet to meet the Queen of England!
What is poor Mr. Drive by to do now? Such a hard decision to make! Trump or Branson? Only "The Great One" can make that call! Poor fellow, really! I feel so bad for him!
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