Taking a gamble that UPS was more reliable than Meade's estimate, I reported yesterday that Bertha was due to arrive today. Fortunately the gamble paid off and Bertha was delivered! After carrying the box inside and unpacking her, I carried up to her spot in the dome and set her back up. This time when I turned on the power, the handset actually lit up properly and the buttons worked.

Of course, Bertha came home on a rainy night. The only good news is that I was able to get her inside before the rain started. I also tested the declination drive by slewing the scope a bit manually, and it sounded much better than when I shipped her away, so hopefully they adjusted that too.

I say, "Hopefully" because I received nothing in the way of documentation on what was done. I guess when you're getting service done "for free" on an insurance package they can do whatever they want. I still would like to know what they repaired or replaced. Oh well. The good news is that after almost three months, I'm back in business. Now for some clear skies!