NEWS FROM MAUNA KEA SUMMIT ADVENTURES
MKSA Guides get pumped up for new Bigger telescopes!
September 2006
With quivering biceps and sore backs we proudly introduce our new 11"Celestron telescopes. Two years ago when we moved up to 9.25 inch scopes people were surprised that we could manage such large instruments. Now that we are using 11 inch scopes we have twice the light gathering and resolution as the standard 8 inch units in common use by other tour companies. Although scopes of this size are a bit more work it is quite satisfying to see almost everyone enjoying even the faintest and most obscure deep space objects. As another benefit we are getting less sand kicked on us at the beach lately.
New menu for 2006
December 2005
Staring January 1st, we will be serving an all new menu for supper. This menu was developed to travel well, be delicious and healthful. Below are our choices:
 | Kho Chu Jang glazed Beef ribs (spicy sweet) Jasmine rice and a Namasu (cucumber) salad (served hot) |
| Teriyaki glazed Chicken Jasmine rice and a special pineapple relish (served hot) |
| Tofu Spinach wrap with cream sauce and a Cranberry Tabouleh salad (served cold) note :can be made completely vegan |
All items served with a big homemade chocolate brownie
Bring your own beverages (no alcohol) water and other beverages are available at the visitors center
The van terra's are here!
May 2005
Passenger comfort:
Same passenger capacity(13) as a normal van but 50% more interior space
Entry and aisle are 6' 2" in height
Overhead bag storage
Huge non-tinted windows for expansive views in true color
MOR/ryde suspension reduces vibration and shock about 50%
Massive heating and air-conditioning system
More hip room than a van
7 seats have unlimited legroom
Lower step in height and bus type door
Cargo and parkas are stowed behind a soundproof wall
Red Nightlight system for easy entry and exit without loosing your night eyes
Individual reading lights
Mechanical Features:
2005 Ford E350 dual rear wheel chassis w traction control
6 liter PowerStroke turbo-diesel engine 235 HP 440 ft. lbs. torque
TurtleTop Van Terra Bodies w rear storage
Special gauge package
GPS fleet tracking system
We have moved our operations from Pat's home in the rainforest to a new and spacious building in the Kailua Industrial area. This allows us to keep our fleet indoors, service our own vehicles and gives us about 5x more office space.
Telescopes:
We are now using Celestron Nexstar 9.25" GPS telescopes. At 9.25"s they gather 45% more light than the models used by other companies on the mountain. They are equipped with Celestrons new Starbright XLT coating which further enhance the light throughput by another 10%+. I think we were most impressed by the quality of the optics which are the sharpest I have ever seen from a Schmidt Cassegrain telescope. Our customers seem most impressed by the computer control. Using GPS and a computer these scopes can find 40,000 objects automatically. The computer allows us to show you some more exotic objects that were too time consuming to locate previously and they look much brighter and clearer because of the bigger optics. It was quite complicated engineering a way to transport these big scopes but we now have a very well cushioned home for them in the roof top boxes. We also replaced all of our eyepieces etc. We are using Celestron, Televue and Lumicon optics.
Laser Pointers:
Since 2003 we have been using green laser pointers to show stars and constellations. These pointers are 50 times more powerful than ordinary red laser pointers and now everyone can see where we are pointing.
Other News from the Top of Hawaii:
The new Saddle Road is under construction. Work began earlier this year and there is a great deal of construction in several areas. Initially they will only build the part through Pohakuloa Training area, about 15 miles.
