Posts Made By: David Eccles

Ben,

I haven't read all the replys yet, but if no one has suggested Mt Pinos, it's a great place to go and observe other scopes. Hwy 14 is the easy route there from LA LA land. Right now probably wouldn't be a good time to go though, as the parking lot where people go to observe sits at about 8500 ft. During the spring and summer however, it's probably the best spot in SoCal that's a convenient drive.

For myself, Figueroa Mtn in Santa Barbara County is the place to be.

Clear Skies,

David Eccles
Lompoc

I'm crying and my wife is laughing.

David Eccles
Lompoc ,CA

I saw this question posted either here, or at another site a while back. According to the person who wrote the reply, it was interesting to discover the only telescope which could possibly resolve the lunar lander (and only if modified) was the Hubble.

What you're attempting to resolve is an object that is approximately 3 meters wide, in a crater (if I remember correctly, and 225,000 miles away.

I'm not sure about the calculations behind this, but he definitely seemed to know what he was talking about. If anybody out there remembers seeing this post, share the info with us.

Clear Skies,

David Eccles
Lompoc. CA

Ben,

If you take Hwy 99, about 10 miles south of Bakersfield you'll see an exit titled "Bear Mountain Road". From there you'll pass through a small town (I forget the name). Keep going straight through and you'll see it wind up the mountains east of the town.

It'll get you about 1000 ft above the valley floor and there are a few turn offs up there. Not much traffic at night, so you should get some pretty good darkness up there.

Have fun and clear skies to you.

David Eccles
Lompoc, CA

There's a Kendrick for sale on this site right now. Posted under "observatories" in classifieds.

The seller wants $350.

Debbie,

Mt Pinos is one of the best observation points in the So Cal area. It'll be aneasy drive for you from Frazier Park, but here are some useful resourses for you to use.

http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/lospadres/maps/

http://www.frazmtn.com/pmcwebcam/

http://cleardarksky.com/csk/prov/California_clocks.html

Clear Skies,

David Eccles
Lompoc, CA

Beautiful Mosaic!!!!

Your time and effort is well worth the results.

Clear Skies,
David Eccles
Lompoc, CA

You know it is a dark sky site when.........

You can read your sky atlas without a flashlight.

My observing location (Figeuroa Mtn) is 30 miles from the nearest town. That town has a population of about 2500, and has mostly tree cover, so the town lights get blocked out.

On one of my recent trips, the moon was only 1/2 full and I was able to read my sky atlas without a flashlight!!! I was also able to pick up shades of green and blue while viewing the Orion Neblua through my Nexstar 8 using a 40mm Plossl. Amazing!!!

Clear Skies,
David Eccles
Lompoc, CA

Instead of forming groups such as this and wasting time, why not start asking why these people are coming up here in the first place? I can tell you without hesitation the influx is the result of America's own foreign trade policies in relation to NAFTA.

The minutemen should be blocking the steps of the DC capital, instead of trying to prevent a bunch of peasants from seeking a better life.

Jim,

I would have to say that I have had both positive and negative experiences in contacting and receiving replies from Celestron support. I've had relatively good luck calling (you have to be persistent), but have never received a reply from any email I've sent them.

John is the man you want to deal with on the phone. He takes a genuine interest in your questions and/or issues and is easy to talk to.

having worked at a support call center before (temporary position with Microsoft) I can tell you that for the most part, very few, if any call centers have ever made a profit from providing support. Microsoft loses millions each and every year running their call centers, so the company doesn't give it the attention it needs and deserves. Perhaps this may be the case with Celestron too.

I've read through most of the replies to your original post and have a question. Have you considered writing letters to the CEO and Board? Doing so might make a difference, especially if you mention the messages posted here on this site.

Anyway, good luck with getting the help you need.

David Eccles