[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by Pazuzu

So...
5 years ago, somewhere in this thread you guys inadvertently put a bug under my skin, and I ended up making a small company to fix and upgrade telescopes. It was a night and weekend thing, and basically lost me money because I'd do a few a year, and put WAY too much work into each one for what I charged. I even almost quit completely about 2 years ago when some a-hole sued me because his mount wasn't back in the time I had quoted. That cost me about $1000 and a few years of sanity, being sued is surprisingly crappy.

Fast forward 5 years, and I decide to (VERY suddenly) quit my daytime job and go full time with telescopes. Pretty stupid move, but it's my move. That was 2 months ago.

Now I've nearly got 2 local colleges paying me an annual contract for upgrades and maintenance on their campus observatories, a consistent line of individuals that need telescopes worked on, a few small products that I'm gearing up on (custom communication cables), and I am in collaboration with a well known local shop to do all of their mount repairs (they want to stick to optical stuff).

THEN, a well known NATIONAL telescope retailer contacted me and wants me to examine and perhaps fix all of their customer return scopes. Perhaps 10-15 a month. Receive them, check for operation, diagnose, then repair as applicable, so they can resell as seconds.

Sooo many irons in the fire, and I have room for 4 times that. Hoping to parlay the observatory gigs to at least 2, if not 3 more local observatories over the next 2 years.

Outstanding Mike! If you were closer to me I'd come work for you. Well, at least I'd apply.