NavList:

Frank,

Thanks for the quick and informative response.  Yes, I do have a scope. Not much printed on it but it reads "COATED 7X35 FIELD 6.5°".  Don't know where it's made. I wear glasses but dont used them with the sextant. Though there is a slight bloom to stars, they are still close enough to points for CN.

One of the reasons I purchased this particular scope from Celestair was its mounting fork. The fork and monoclar case are a single molded or welded metal unit. My previous scope used small screws to mount the arm to the case. The whole assembly wasn't as sturdy.

I have been taking a lot of lunars; by now, a couple of hundred. For both star and sun shots, it took me quite a while to learn what kissing-the-limb really looks like. By looking at my past lunars, I realized the vast majority of my sights were over-shoots - a little past the limb - distances were too large. It had to really concentrate to break the habit. How I would like to have had a through-the-scope CCD camera taking a picture at the same time I took a sight. It would be wonderful to associate the view with the result.

Another help in lunars has been to use my lighter Astra IIIB sextant instead of my heavier brass C&P Horizon. Add a 7X35 to a C&P brass sextant and you have real weapon. Although the Astra's vernier is not as good as the C&P's, its lighter weight is a real plus when you are in some contorted viewing observing position so typical of lunar observations.

Ed