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Sun in H-alpha Inverted10 Jul 2022

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Re: Do people do astronomy with annoying friends?

Started by dave hurst, 01/09/2012 11:16PM
Posted 01/09/2012 11:16PM Opening Post
My brother's neighbor found out that I am into observing the night sky. At a fourth of July party we talked for a good while. He bragged about viewing dark nebula and feint galaxies from his backyard. I agreed to go check out his scopes.

Similarly, when I went to his house, he had about 15 small (under 4 inch) reflectors and refractors in a closet. He had a cg4 mount with motors that was missing the counter weight shaft and weights. He, obviously, had never used any of the equipment. He had no idea how to set up the mount, attach the motors, nor did he know he was missing parts to his mount.

I went home to retrieve and let him borrow an old shaft and weight. I set up his mount, got the motors all working, and told him to bring out one of the small reflectors with a dovetail on it. I went to use the bathroom and when I came out he had mounted his 4" reflector upside down and was trying to view through it like a refractor cwy HAHA!

After some basic instructions, we viewed a few objects. I soon left kind of disgusted that he had lied. He had no clue about magnification, feild of view or even the simple basics of observing with a telescope.

Even though he was full of crap, he was pleasant, but very weird, eccentric and creepy. For months afterward he called me weekly wanting to go observe, but I really wanted nothing to do with the guy and shunned him each call. He finally relented and I haven't heard from him for several months.

I really don't know why he had to lie, nor why he had so many cheap scopes and one mount that he didn't know how to use. Some people!!!!

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