Astronomy Equipment Beginners’ Clinic

Astronomical Society of Greater Hartford
Meeting In-Person, Only

The Jan 21, 2026, meeting of the Astronomical Society of Greater Hartford (ASGH) was an
Astronomy Equipment Beginners’ Clinic.

The Astronomy Equipment Beginners’ Clinic was started informally at about 7PM and formally
begun with a welcome and introduction by ASGH Vice President Dean Kavalkovich at 7:45PM.
There were 15 people in attendance at the Rocky Hill Community Center. As this was a hands-
on clinic, there was no Zoom meeting.

The January meeting was an in-person Astronomy Equipment Beginner’s Clinic. This clinic
provided amateurs who had new equipment or equipment about which they had operational
questions, or who were considering what equipment to purchase, the chance to work with
experienced ASGH club members to better understand and be able to utilize their equipment
more effectively and rewardingly and to determine what additional equipment might best benefit
them and their goals with astronomy.

Al Johnson set up the ASGH Club’s 17.5-inch diameter mirror Dobsonian and explained its use
while Jeff Benoit set up his new 8-inch Schmidt Cassegrain ‘goto’ telescope. The clinic guests
brought various telescopes and mounts for discussion and assistance. Discussions focused on the
telescopes in the room and ranged from aligning an equatorial mount to the use of various star
finders from basic up through a TelRad as well as astro-imaging. Snacks and refreshments were
provided, and a lively and educational time was had by all.

As this meeting was a hands on clinic, there was no video recording of it.

Talks from prior ASGH meetings can be found on the ASGH YouTube Channel here:
Astronomical Society of Greater Hartford – YouTube,
<https://www.youtube.com/@ASGH_CT>

Standard meeting elements such as officers’ reports were not performed so that all
available time could be dedicated to working with clinic attendees on their telescope
questions.

Clinic was concluded at approximately 8:50 PM.