First light! Achieved atop Kitt Peak, Arizona. On the TAAA's spring Star-B-Que I setup the scope outside for the first time. My traditional first light target is M42 and this was no exception. It was tough waiting for it to get dark enough with the covers on. When I put in an eyepiece and focused the first thing that appeared from a hazy blob was the trapezuim. As it got darker we were all amazed by the image and the extended detail the nebula offered despite being low in the sky. As my wife remarked "my dark adaptation is ruined!" looking at the core of the nebula.

Note the original elevation bearings.

Desert observing. Set up amoung the Saguaros of the Tortillita Mts. The new elevation bearings are installed as well as the encoders. The Sky Commander had not yet arrived.

Also shown well is one of the two afgani hand woven wool rugs I picked up for very little at the Tucson gem show. These rugs were originally designed by nomads for uses just like this. The rugs works well and adds a touch of class to the setup. No astroturf here.

Awaiting the dark at the All Arizona Star Party 2003 at the Arizona City site. The scope is still seeing heavy use almost three years after completion. Deep Violet has been a joy to use, performance is as good or better than any scope I have ever seen in her class.

There have been some modifications at this point, a new diagonal mirror and the replacement of the first stage spreaders in the mirror cell when the originals started to bend. The replacement were manufactured from 0.35" aluminum and anodized... violet.

Violet set up at Las Cienegas early Thanksgiving morning enjoying a crisp Arizonan fall sky. Violet is still regularly used five years after completion. A few dings from the wear and tear of use, but no real issues have cropped up, indeed I have continued to work on the scope and solving the few issues that remain.

I had finally completed a finishing touch too long ignored. I had taken the time to sand blast and anodize the truss tubes. This resulted in a very flat black finish without adding any weight to the front of the scope. No longer are there funny eight spiked patterns around a very bright object like Jupiter or Sirius.

Another addition has eliminated the balance issues. A sliding weight added to the mirror box allows tuning of the balance point as well as adding another violet anodized piece of aluminum.

In 2007 Violet left her native southern Arizonan skies to travel to the excellent skies of the Big Island, Hawai'i. Here she can use the dark skies available high on the slopes on Mauna Kea to enjoy starlight from objects previously too far south to enjoy before, Eta Carina, the Jewelbox and other southern sky sights are now reachable!