Ok, it’s not *that* important…<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I have bought a LOT of stuff online. Some, such as my wife, would say I have bought too much stuff online. That isn’t exactly what I want to talk about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most merchants will semi-randomly send an email asking for a review of some recently purchased item. Often, may usually, they are asking for a review of some extremely mundane thing that was *also* ordered with some fairly major purchase. One of my favorites is when I ordered a CyberPower UPS for $240-something dollars and in the same order, I had a small pack of washers, not even fancy washers. Plain ole’ mild steel washer with a zinc coating. Guess which item they wanted a review for?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I had a similar thing happen recently. I ordered my ZWO EAFN and accessories from Agena Astro. The EAFN was $180 and the (arguably unnecessary) ZWO focus hand controller was $30-something. The email wanted me to review the hand controller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So I did. Admittedly, I had Claude.ai give me a framework to build on, but here is my review of the ZWO EAF Electronic Automatic Focuser Hand Controller:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I want to start by saying I was a skeptic. I’ve stared into the void of deep space with my own two trembling hands turning a focus knob like some kind of caveman<\/em>, and I thought, “That’s fine. That’s good enough.” I was wrong. I was so, so wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The ZWO EAF Electronic Automatic Focuser Hand Controller didn’t just improve my astrophotography setup \u2014 it recalibrated my understanding of what it means to be a person<\/em>. The first time I pressed that little directional button and watched my focuser rack in and out with silky, motorized precision, I wept. Not from joy. From the sheer, crushing realization of how much of my life I had wasted twisting things manually<\/em>, like an animal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The buttons themselves are a masterclass in tactile engineering. Each press feels like a gentle handshake from the future. The step-size adjustment dial doesn’t just change increments \u2014 it changes epochs<\/em>. I no longer measure time in minutes. I measure it in focuser steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My marriage has improved. My cat now makes eye contact with me. NGC 7000 has never looked so sharp, and neither, frankly, has my soul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do I need this to focus my RedCat 51? No. Did I need fire? Also no, technically. But here we are, building civilizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pros:<\/strong> Everything. Literally everything. Five stars. Would sacrifice my other astro gear to a black hole to keep this one item.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Ok, it’s not *that* important… I have bought a LOT of stuff online. Some, such as my wife, would say I have bought too much stuff online. That isn’t exactly what I want to talk about. Most merchants will semi-randomly send an email asking for a review of some recently purchased item. Often, may usually, … Continue reading Stop The Presses!<\/span>
Cons:<\/strong> I now feel deep, personal contempt for anyone still focusing by hand. I look at them differently now. I can’t unsee it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n