Though we have enough clothes to outfit an Arctic expedition, and have bought a portable shelter-dome from Kendrick Astro Supply to cut the wind, and the neighbours lights; how does one stop a clear sky from clouding over in the time it takes to walk the dog around the block?
Anyway, before it got too thick, we had a chance to try out our new Meade #140 Apochromatic 2x Barlow, and I have to say that you get what you pay for. Even under hazy conditions, with our 6" dob, we got a nice view of Cassini's division at 240x as well as a good look at Jupiter's bands which were definitely an ochre colour. Even the Great Red Spot could be made out, though not well-defined. The Galiliean moons had a definite "round" feel to them and one appeared to have just emerged. Unfortunately, the gods drew the curtains at that point, and we had to pack it in, but it was nice to get a little closer to our scope's potential.
From the images of the stars, when out of focus, I suspect the mirrors are a little out of collimation but am hesitant to mess with them at this early stage of the game. We'll be joining the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers at their meeting on Friday, so may be able to get some help there.
Still, what fun!

Glenn Muller