10/22/2006 - BLURRY SUNSPOTS

Well my first go-around with the 12" LX-90 GPS was a disappointment but I admit that I was ill-prepared and, in hindsight, inexperienced.
The image is blurry. Precise focus is very difficult manually and I didn't have an electronic focuser at the time, something I swear by now. Additionally, the lack of counterweights on the alt-az mounted telescope exaggerated the camera shake, especially since I didn't know about mirror lockup back then. Now, a year later, I have all that equipment and have learned from poor images such as this one. I'll tackle the sun again, if the clouds ever part...

