Clear Skies Introduce yourself! · noon · ... · 1 · 125 · 0

Living in northern Orange County, CA under the light dome, I recently became infected with an overwhelming desire to capture multi-million year old photons and I haven't been the same since. I've lived all over the world, to include quite a few rather dark sky locations which I didn't properly appreciate at the time, but now I'm back within a stones throw from where I grew up. 

I've got an overloaded EQ6R with a 38lb 10" GSO f/5 Newt which I've modified with a carbon tube (too thin) and reinforced around the focuser with an extra tube ring and a couple of 12" embroidery hoops. Also upgraded to a stronger spider from Teleskop Express and a 74mm secondary. It actually  I upgraded the focuser to a 2" r/p Feathertouch before I realized that I needed at least a 2.5" focuser to use threaded attachments. She holds collimation pretty well but I wouldn't take her to the ball.

In fall and winter my EQ6 is happier with a Stellarvue SVX80T-3SV for nebula and the like. I enjoy the challenge of mono imaging with RGB and narrowband in light polluted skies and simultaneously dream of one day having a little dome in remote location where there are no clouds, no aircraft overhead on the arrival into LAX, no winds, and the seeing is always pristine.

My wife thinks I'm crazy, but she isn't surprised. She calls my pursuit "Nerding"…."Do you have time to do that? or are you nerding right now?"

We are meant to be.

My kid is into astro, but a few years away from astrophotography… I'll get him hooked if I can. All in good time. 

Wishing you clear skies and a thermally equalized OTA.
Ryan Noonan