I was on a business trip with Lenscrafters to my hometown of Calgary, and I had previously done astronomical business there at a place called Quasar Optics. I had a few hours free, and took a cab to the store, looking for goodies to add to my stuff. There, among all the shiny new Meades and Celestrons was this beat-up looking old Cave Astrola, on consignment for $800. I looked it over, then poked around the store, bought a couple of eyepieces, a book and some other bits and pieces. On my way out looked casually at the Cave again. Hmmm...

During the rest of my conference in Calgary, on the flight back to Victoria, and for the next couple of days I kept thinking of that lonely, unloved Cave. So I called up Quasar -whew! the scope was still there- inquired about the cost of shipping it out to the coast ($50)......and soon me and $850 parted company and a couple of days later, the Cave and I were reunited.

That was in 1994. I stripped it down, cleaned it, freed and greased the rusted the wheels and leveling screws, greased all the bearings, collimated it, made a finderscope and some other accessories. The primary needs recoating now, but otherwise it's still a wonderful, stable telescope! ( the attached pic shows it in my backyard observing enclosure, with homemade dew/light shield, 4" B&L Criterion guidescope and ccd camera installed.

Sherry B