>I am not a techno-geek. My computer ignorance is matched by very few. I shudder at the prospect of reprogramming my VCR or following computer menus. My unenlightenedment is similar regarding astronomy. I know what the moon and the big dipper are and that’s about it.
Charged by my boss to test the new Meade My Sky, I unwillingly took it home as asked. I left for home a bit early because it was for work, not fun.
After kissing my dog and petting my wife, I fixed a drink and settled into a comfortable folding chair in my garage. Both garage doors were open, and I was inside far enough for protection from the drenching thunderstorm outside.
No manual in the box. Great. Cheap looking egg carton type cardboard holding the unit in the box. The unit is shaped like a pistol with a protrusion on the bottom to hold the batteries similar to a cordless drill, and on top of the unit were rudimentary front and rear sights.
I pressed what was obviously the power button on the side of the unit, and the viewing screen lit up. I stuck the ear jack in and put the buds in my ear and listened to a narrator welcoming me and thanking me for buying the unit. The narrator was pleasant, professional, and easy to understand. He spent a couple minutes explaining the basic controls in such an easy to understand fashion that I was no longer intimidated, and in fact was now eager to continue. Hitting the “next” button, the My Sky gave me a quick preview of what is possible with the unit, and I was hooked.
One of the menu choices is the Skymap option, and along with it you can choose “Tonight’s Best Tour.” “Tonight’s Best Tour” will take you to the most interesting objects in the sky for your time, date, and location. During this menu choice an arrow appears in the LCD screen. Move the My Sky in the direction of the arrow. When you get close, the arrow becomes smaller. Closer, and the arrow turns into a crosshair, and the crosshair blinks when you are centered on the object. The My Sky will then audibly identify the object. So cool.
I went out in the storm for the My Sky to acquire satellites, but it was unable to do so. My limited testing was done. I had to return the unit the next day, but not before I told My Shirley what an exiting product this was and that I couldn’t wait to continue my testing and that she needed to buy me one. If my continued testing goes as planned, I will recommend the My Sky to everyone, especially with kids. It’s so easy to use, anyone can do it, even a techno-challenged person like me. I’ve always wanted to know what a few of the regular night lights were, either stars or planets. With the descriptions given to me by My Sky, now I’ll know.
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