Greetings from NEAF 2010. It may be cool outside but it sure is hot inside!

NEAF 2010 has been awesome so far. For those of you who can't be here I thought I'd start my reports with some pictures (click on any image to see a larger version of the image). Here's the obligatory view of the exhibit hall:

OK – Now here's what you're really looking for – a new telescope. This is the new Takahashi 250mm CCA-250P. The CCA-250P was developed as a replacement for the Baker-Ritchey Chretien BRC-250. The CCA-250P is a tri-focal astrograph that can be used at three different focal lengths from wide field to narrow field.

Here's a rear view of the Takahashi CCA-250P:

Any Astro-Physics fans out there? Yeah, I thought so. I was very honored to get this picture of Roland Christen with his new f3.8 305mm Riccardi-Honders Astrograph (nearest to Roland) and the Astro-Physics f12.5 305mm Maksutov-Cassegrain with carbon fiber tube. Both are mounted on an Astro-Physics 3600GTO mount.

Speaking of mounts. Many of you are probably familiar with the amazing Paramount ME mount. And some of you, if you're like me, have been anxiously awaiting their new "Mini ME" mount. Well I have good news – it's on it's way. Software Bisque is anticipating availability around sumer/late summer. By the way, it has a real name now – it's the Paramount MX and here is a picture:

Those of you in Europe – particularly Italy – may be more familiar with Officina Stellare than those of us in the United States but they sure make beautiful scopes. Tom Simstad from New Mexico Southern Skies is a new distributor for Officina Stellare and he had a couple of their scopes in his booth. This first image show the Veloce Series F3 RH-300 Riccardi Honders telescope:

This image shows the F7 Hiper APO 115:

Well, that's it for now but I'll have more later!