toy #2

Some time ago I mentioned that I had bought several toys for myself. The first was the Handheld Birding software for my Treo from National Geographic (see my Sept. 23 post).
The second is something I have lusted for since looking at the ads in Scientific American as a teen ager -- a Questar telescope.
I finally took the plunge and risk by buying one, sight unseen, on eBay. I figured that if I got it at a low enough price it would still be a good buy since the Q factory is in the United States and they will readily do repairs and renovation to the extent of even replacing the optics. None of this comes cheap, of course, but at my age I figure I can splurge on some of my childhood dreams.
I've had the scope for about a month now and have no regrets about getting it. The only problem I've experienced so far is a sticking drive mechanism (which automatically follows any star, planet, or the moon) once the scope is aligned and pointed at the object. I talked with the factory yesterday and they gave me some suggestions for solving the problem. If they don't work, I will be sending in the base for repair or replacement with a battery powered rather than the household current motor it presently has.
I'll be posting some of the pictures I've taken so far and let you judge for yourself whether the Q is something you could use in birding, amateur astronomy, or super telephoto photography.
Let me know if you have any questions and I will be happy to answer them.