Ok...first to SarahMc...thanks for the heads up on the Black River Society meetings...I'll write it down and plan to attend. Guess I'll have to tape Star Trek Enterprise that night :-) I do have to wonder tho...under your name here it says your in New York...how do ya know about Lorain/Black River stuff? Just curious...

Charlie and Aurora...I'm getting there on the eye relief thing...one question tho...how do I know what the eye relief is on my lenses (or other brand lenses for that matter)? The only thing I'm seein printed on the lenses is basically "Meade MA 9mm" (or the corresponding number). Basically when I go to get more lenses, this seems like something that I should at least be familiar with. Also, while I don't actually use my eye glasses at the moment for viewing, its inevidable that at some point in my life I will...and from what I've read wearing eye glasses is a factor with eye relief or something as well. Sorry if I'm fixating on this particular subject.

Also...I do understand about using an actual air compressor for "blowing out dust"...on top of everything else, I'm a PC tech (or used to be at least) and I'm well aware of the need for a condensation filter on a compressor for such things. I usually use either canned air or simply a vacumme cleaner with the nozzle hooked up to the exaust (mind you a dedicated vacumme cleaner...not one thats actually used for cleaning...don't want to be shooting more dust in while I'm tryin to clean it off!). I'm sure I won't need to clean the mirror for quite some time, but I know that eventually it will need a good cleaning...the websites previously provided are bookmarked for when the time comes :-)

I did take the scope out earlier this afternoon during the daylight and was able to get the viewfinder setup...it was still a pain. I've gotten a couple of messages from folks on those Meade forums that basically said, yes, after the warrenty expires, go ahead an drill the sucker. which is probably what I will do. They also said as far as the motor vibrations go to give it some time as the motors/gears are new and just need some time to settle in...sounds logical.

I am happy to say that while I was outside, I played with the Autostar a little bit and have a better idea of how to work everything...unfortnatly, we're supposed to have clouds and bad weather for the next few days or so and I won't get to test it again for a bit (Wahhhhh!). I found a reference on another forum to a comet thats supposedly comin this way, C/2002 T7 and I can't wait to take a look!

Charlie...I do -vaguely- remember the Wilmington area...if I'm not mistaken, the motel I stayed at (cant remember the freakin state route number) was the "New Motel Capri" and wasn't "too" far from there...I also remember finding a dead mouse behind my guitar case the day I left! LOL!

Anyways, thats it for tonight....reading Carl Sagan's "Cosmos" and my head is swirlling with 100,000 million years of microbiology! LOL!!!

Bright Blessings all...and thanks again!
Jim