Thursday, February 28, 2008

Fun and Games with the LX200

Once a year it's silly season for my LX200 Classic. For whatever reason, it thinks objects are about a degree or so away from where they really are. For instance, after performing a two-star alignment, it goes to about a degree or so away from where the next selected object really is. Then I try again, it goes to the the second alignment star no problem, then to maybe the first three or four objects I select and then it goes off again. Planets are way out! It does this about once every year. I need to keep playing with the time and GMT settings until I get it right. It's annoying but I know it's just a temporary thing.

Despite me wanting to throw the scope down a cliff, I was able to get perhaps the best collimation I have ever had with the scope's optics. Stars were tack sharp across the FOV. Also, I got an amazing view of Saturn through the binoviewers. A really nice 3D image with differing shades of color on the planet's cloudy surface. Very pleasing and made the night out worth it.

Next time out with it I am sure I'll get the kinks worked out.

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