I have been observing the skies within Northern Ohio for most of my life, over 30 years. It started when I was a boy, getting a new Sears refractor for Christmas. A small scope, I used it frequently and soon was out in the back yard nightly observing the Moon and stars – the most common targets for a beginner. After buying a few Astronomy textbooks, I started to document my sightings of celestial objects; including globular clusters, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Venus. Using a solar filter, I had recorded many sunspot events. About 1987, I acquired a Mead 6600 6″ Newtonian reflector. No longer manufacutred, I still have it, and it works well – with the exception of a broken tube ring and tripod. But it still stands.

Here is a pic of a 8800 – the 6600 is identicle, except the 2″ difference in tube diameter.