TenChain is Up!

[pmrid]

G'day all.

I'm back from my Tassie trip - sooner than expected. Marie had a bad fall on Cradle Mtn and busted her upper arm in 3 places. That happened within 3 hours of getting off the boat at Devonport, so our adventure quickly changed in scope and character.

Anyway, I managed to get home yesterday and am glad to say that we were not washed away in my absence.

So we have a new moon coming up and weather permitting, it looks quite possible to be cold and clear.

Peter

[ozstronomer]

Peter, sorry to hear about Marie's accident, that certainly would have thrown a spanner in the works. All the best for a speedy recovery.

Weather permitting i'll be up next NM

Geoff

[Regulus]

Glad to hear you made it back safely Peter, and to an undamaged house.
Sad about your trip though and hope for better next time.
Do hope Marie's arm recovers quickly.

Trev

[RickS]

Hope Marie is feeling OK now and that you managed to have a good holiday anyway, Peter!

Weather permitting I'm heading down to Glen Aplin this new moon for a couple of nights.

Cheers,
Rick.

[pmrid]

Thanks Trev, Rick, Geoff. Marie's mending slowly. Age and the location of the breaks make that process difficult but she's a tough cookie.

The new moon is the 18th so Saturday 16th is probably the better date although the 23rd is also an option or and additional date - weather permitting. The forecasts I've seen so far tend to suggest the 16th will be cold and clear.

Peter

[ozstronomer]

Hi Peter, the clouds are rolling in as predicted so I won't be up today.

Catch you next time.

Cheers Geoff

[RickS]

Yep, I'm spending the weekend at home doing some processing. Good luck dodging the clouds if you're out tonight, Peter!

[pmrid]

I won't be bothering with it tonight either. Thursday night was a cracker though and I did get a session then but it got down to zero on the grass by midnight and my enthusiasm got a little stretched.

My "house-husband" responsibilities these days are absorbing a fair bit of my attention anyway. The medicos now want Marie to have a full shoulder replacement since her Cradle Mountain fall hasn't healed as well as it was hoped. So it'll be a couple of months before I really get back into it with any kind of energy.

You gotta do what ya gotta do - as the prophet says.

Peter

[RickS]

That's a shame. Hope it all goes well...

[Spookyer]

Hope it goes well for her Peter.

Brett

[pmrid]

Well, I suppose it was to be expected! The sky here is as clear as a bell. Bugger!
Peter

[RickS]

I wish you hadn't told us :lol:

[pmrid]

Weather looks lousy for the coming weekend so I'm pinning hopes for this month on the following weekend - Saturday 20th.
This weekend looks better suited to Ugg Boots and a warm fire indoors.

Peter

[pmrid]

Well, it looks better that it did a few days ago. Anyone had their crystal ball out? Skippy seems to be leaning towards Saturday being clear. You may want to get your %^&* together for Astrofest and the opportunities for that are getting fewer by the day. So keep your options open for next weekend.

By the way, I'm putting the farm on the market. Anyone want to buy an observatory with farm attached?


Peter

[ozstronomer]

I'm away on holidays Peter so won't be up this weekend. Fingers crossed the skies clear.

Cheers Geoff

[pmrid]

Cheers Geoff. I hope you are recovered or at least mending.

Peter

[ozstronomer]

Thanks Peter, finally back on track

Had heavy fog for the last two nights, hopefully skies will clear over the weekend and we can do some imaging :)

I hope Marie is feeling better, looking forward to catching up next new moon

Cheers Geoff

[pmrid]

Hi guys,
just a heads-up to let you know that we'll be open this weekend (weather permitting) for the last NMN before Astrofest. Want to get the wrinkles out of your ski-pants before then? Here's your last chance.

Peter

[RickS]

I'll have to give it a miss unfortunately, Peter. Booked out with social events and my favourite camera is still away undergoing repairs :sadeyes:

Good luck with the weather. Hopefully, the wind will drop by the weekend.

Cheers,
Rick.

[ozstronomer]

Hi Peter, I can't make it up today.

I hope the weather holds for a good night

Cheers Geoff

[pmrid]

Hey guys, does anyone have a smallish mount I could borrow for a few days for Astrofest. A HEQ5 etc would be ideal. I have one but it's so thoroughly screwed in and bolted down to a pier up here that I would like to avoid having to undo it all and then rebuild it, if I can.
I've got a little FS60CB and a QSI683wsg I plan using for a few nights of widefield if I can. I'll be up there for the first 3 nights.

Peter

[pmrid]

Blow!!
I didn't get any responses to the request below (asking to borrow a light mount for a few days at Astrofest.

So, it looks like I'll have to unplug all the bleedin' wires and doodads I have on my HEQ5Pro after all if I'm going to do anything at Astrofest other than complaining about the cold.

So with that in mind I set about deciding what to take with it. And of course I'm now in another bind - the weight shaft on my HEQ5 is quite short - shorter than I remembered them from earlier ones I owned. I'm going to have to add another weight if I'm going to have a workable imaging rig.

Does anyone have a spare HEQ5 weight I can borrow for those few days?

I promise to treat it gently, wrap it in cotton wool when not in use and polish it every morning!!!!

Peter

[AlexN]

Bugger mate. I've got two but just started my imaging project for new moon with the 8" so I need them both. If I had of stuck with the 5" last night I would have been able to spare one for ya.

[troypiggo]

G'day Peter. I have a spare EQ6 weight I won't be using. I'll bring it with me, but I'm only there Tue/Wed/Thu nights.