Well... not the one you probably were expecting for sure, but my big bang on astronomy. Since young I was thrilled about stars, planets and so on. During my youth I always lived on the countryside where lights during the night were minimal. I remember I could see very well the milky way and a night sky full of stars. Now... I live in the middle of a city where I can see about 10% of what I could see by that time, but once in a while I go to my parents home and when the night comes, I stay outside for a while appreciating the show the skies are presenting.

 So, now was the time to begin a "thing" a always wanted to. It was though to "convince" my wife to buy a telescope... I even had to "put" some new ideas in my older daughter first in order to have the job half way done ha ha! But it was after all no big deal. Anyway, after reading some reviews and users comments, I've decided on the Celestron CPC 9.25 since I was curious not only for the observation itself, but also about getting some images of what I was able to see.

 Here in Portugal when products arrive, they are amazingly high, so I had to get the scope and the extra material from outside, and like many of you I believe I started to search on the internet stores in Europe that would offer the best price. Built an Excel spreadsheet with all the stores, it's prices, the shipping cost to Portugal, and after that the analyses were must easier to do and I could see that in U.K. there were the best offer, the prices were great since the Sterling pound were getting weaker than Euro by this time, so I had the opportunity to save some extra Euros with this. So, I picked Opticstar to deal with, decision that I later deeply regretted. From the beginning it was all great, they offer me this and that and I was really happy with the potential transaction, however when I put my order online the problems started. Mr. Karbolounis asked me after this to make 1£ transfer to their account in order to have my bank account data (since I was paying by credit card) and to secure themselves that I was a trustee person. This transfer cost me 17€ in fees (money that I never got back), and know they were expecting me to send a confirmation number in order to release the telescope! A confirmation number I asked ? but... I never received a e-mail or what so ever with a confirmation number... I reply! Mr. Karbolounis, keep saying that without it they could not send the goods, even after I transfer 1£ to their account. So I thought, that all of the talk Mr. Karboulonis were saying was "crap" (I'm sorry for the language) and he was just lying to me all the time, promising he could deliver the telescope and the extras by a deadline date I established but he could not honour from the beginning. So I removed the order, by credit card company deleted the transaction and I turned to the second store on the list.

 Like someone said... "One happy customer worth ten, one unhappy worth an hundred..."

 Mr. Simon and Mr. Neil Richardson from Telescope Planet has been outstanding with me and within 1 week after committed  the transaction, I was receiving 2 big boxes with my new "toy". Now I'm awaiting for the Celestron eyepiece kit and some filters in order to enjoy the full capability of the CPC 925.

 So, I hope skies keep clear like it has been for the past 2 weeks and let me play during late hours for a while... I'll try to keep this blog up to date with my feelings, achievements and disillusions...

 Clear skies to all!