(SNES) Astro Experience

[Albireo54@aol.com]

In a message dated 7/19/01 8:50:37 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
colemans@riconnect.com writes:

<< All kidding aside, several of us are really old hands. I built my first 
 telescope in 1949 and I had been a regular if very unscientific younger 
 star gazer for two years before that. And Doug has nearly as many years 
 under his belt. >>

Hi everyone,

Les' comments about his early years make me think of something that might 
make for interesting group reading. How did we all get involved in this great 
hobby in the first place? What was our first scope? I'll bet we have a VERY 
wide range of stories to tell!

I've told this to folks at FDO, I'm sure, but in my case it was 1958, in 
Waterbury, VT (LONG before Ben & Jerry's was born in the center of town). My 
grandparents gave me a 3" Newtonian by Gilbert Scientific. Spiral cardboard 
tube, a clamp for a mount, and shaky metal legs. The two cheap-o eyepieces 
were Ramsdens - almost unknown today. But that little scope and a couple of 
other small clunkers, including the obligatory 60mm refractor (on fine 
"Philippine mahogany" legs), kept my interest fired until I could buy my 
first true astronomical scope 9 years later in 1967. It was a fine RV-6 6" 
Newtonian by Criterion - complete with clock drive and sturdy mount for 
$174.95! (Ernie Evans still brings one to FDO today!) My Celestron C8 came 
along in 1983, and it is still my primary scope 18 years later. Binoculars 
were usually around as well, but I didn't have a good pair of 10x50's until 
the mid 70's - and I wish I'd owned them much earlier.

So in a nutshell that's my 43 years of experience, interrupted only briefly 
by college and some time living in large cities, when books and charts had to 
suffice for most of the time. 

I also second Steve's comments about the importance of learning from others. 
Even with my decades in the field, I've learned a lot from guys like Les, 
Joe, Dave Etris and others. And I've had the pleasure of imparting more 
astronomy knowledge to more people at FDO in one year (I'm sure) than in the 
previous 42. What a joy that has been! I just wish that such knowledgeable, 
friendly and helpful people had been available to me when I was cutting my 
astronomical teeth!

How about everybody else?  

Doug Stewart
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