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Hi Attilla!? Very nice to hear from you.? My best memories of observing were with fellow Oafs.? Endless Monty Python quips, Nirvana observing trips (the old Irvine lake airstrip) and pre-RASC meeting dinners.? Ah, the good old days.? I actually visited the old airstrip last year while on a camping trip to Bon Echo.? Nostalgia hit hard!! haha. It doesn't look much different, a little more overgrown (without Mike's mower the place has gotten out of hand).? ?The hill up to the strip itself is a little more rutted, and although my truck had no issues, I'm not sure a car could do it anymore..but I may be wrong. I would love to have a "reunion" of Oafs sometime out there, but recognize that may be a little on the optimistic side.?

Beat up?

Ahem. Ingrid (my partner), I and a non-astronomer friend with an
excellent wood-shop, refubished Mike's former 18". We repaired the
woodwork, replaced the alt gearing, re-blackened the paint, and I
drove the mirror to quebec to get it recoated. Since then Richard
Harding, Rick Scholes and many others have worked on improving that
scope. It's a good scope. The only bad part is that Mike should have
sold it to me instead. :(

Ha!? I'm glad to hear it and kudos to you, Ingrid and the others for getting the scope back in tip top shape.? I am happy to see it get a new life. And with Rick Singmaster's passing, it seems to take on more meaning, as there will be no more Starmasters made. I am in the market for a 18 inch class dob these days, though I promised my SO I'd wait at least a year to make sure I'm fully back into the hobby before spending that much money.

Btw, some of us are going to starfest (comming real soon now).
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Unfortunately, I can't make Starfest this year, though it is an event I'd like to get to in future years.? We'll have to see what next year brings.

I hope we have a chance to observe together sometime in the near future.? It would be nice to catch up, as redoing my math, I think it has been closer to the 20 year mark than the 15 (as you alluded to)...sheesh, where does the time go!!??

Clear Skies, as always!!

Matt