From: "Christoph Bosshard" <chboss@hispeed.ch>

Date: December 23, 2008 2:47:27 PM MST

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Re: Out in the cold..

Hi Milton

Also good luck from my side for your next imaging session...

Man -33 degrees celsius, this is sure going to cause problems with the

mechanical components. If you use an EQ6 make sure you have the grease

replaced with something that will work at these temperatures.

In any case I wish you all merry Christmass and hope you also get some

clear weather for imaging. ;-)

P.S. Writing this I am taking a series of M45 with my DSLR guiding

with my Imaging source camera.

regards

Chris

Actually the cold isn't a big problem for me. One just has to be very  

carefull you don't move cables too much or they "snap" off.

Unfortunately the RA gears are messed up again and started to grind /  

bind once the temperature drop down to -33°C. The Dec rotation worked  

great, but RA never work well with > 10°C changes in temperature  

occur. So I spent 30 minutes barehanded loosening bolts and adjusting  

the tension on the two allan wrench before my frozen fumbling fingers  

dropped the 2 mm allan key in the snow and lost it.

So I packed it in and will try again on tuesday night, if the sky  

cooperates. It's too bad because the night was really great with very  

low turbulence.

TTYL..

Milton Aupperle