Testing my new dark site

[Somnium (Aidan)]

i got some promising results from my test run at the new dark site, i published a video showing me setting up my full rig in the field. we used the surefoot foundation system which worked really well. A couple of things were less than ideal but it is looking good

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSuO1Sruktg

[RickS (Rick)]

I wish I could get that much done in 2:01 mins

[Somnium (Aidan)]

Originally Posted by RickS

I wish I could get that much done in 2:01 mins

haha, it was really tough and what makes it worse is that there is a magnetic anomaly on the property, 3 compasses were saying that south was 40 degrees away from true south (as established by the stars) you can imagine the fun that it caused.

[traveller (Bo)]

Looks great Aidan,
What's your power source? Generator or deep cycle batteries?
Thanks
Bo

[Somnium (Aidan)]

Originally Posted by traveller

Looks great Aidan,
What's your power source? Generator or deep cycle batteries?
Thanks
Bo

Thanks Bo, I used a generator this time, but i will rely on solar and batteries in the future.

[el_draco (Rom)]

Nice to see the surefoot idea tested out. Rock solid I imagine?

[Somnium (Aidan)]

Originally Posted by el_draco

Nice to see the surefoot idea tested out. Rock solid I imagine?

once you get it all in and tek screwed down it is solid but it doesn't take a lot to jiggle the poles with a crowbar to loosen the poles up to pull them directly out. so the foundation is solid but it really is quite easy to pull up and redo it

[multiweb (Marc)]

Originally Posted by Somnium

once you get it all in and tek screwed down it is solid but it doesn't take a lot to jiggle the poles with a crowbar to loosen the poles up to pull them directly out. so the foundation is solid but it really is quite easy to pull up and redo it

Hi Aidan, I noticed the base was on a hill with a slight slope. Was that an issue to level the bottom plate while anchoring it? Is it clay soil?

[Somnium (Aidan)]

Originally Posted by multiweb

Hi Aidan, I noticed the base was on a hill with a slight slope. Was that an issue to level the bottom plate while anchoring it? Is it clay soil?

where i set up there, the soil is quite soft, so when i go to build it out for real, i will look at getting larger poles but tbh, the levelling was not a huge issue. all you needed to do was get it roughly right, put level on it then adjust it. the poles hold it pretty stable, once you have found a good spot, i put some chocks under the plate at jack-hammered the poles in. easy

[el_draco (Rom)]

Originally Posted by Somnium

once you get it all in and tek screwed down it is solid but it doesn't take a lot to jiggle the poles with a crowbar to loosen the poles up to pull them directly out. so the foundation is solid but it really is quite easy to pull up and redo it

There's a tool you can get to pull the pins out very easily. Looks like a big pinch-bar. I like the idea of going concrete free, for a variety of reasons. I've used mega-anchors on the obs I am building and couldn't be happier. Rock solid

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Awesome Aidan! what a great video, really enjoyed watching it...actually wished I was there helping! That last shot of the scope perched on the hillside was the money shot for me, a unique shot of a scope I recon

The M83 shot looks promising, was this one expedition enough to convince you to go the whole hog?

Mike

[Somnium (Aidan)]

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

Awesome Aidan! what a great video, really enjoyed watching it...actually wished I was there helping! That last shot of the scope perched on the hillside was the money shot for me, a unique shot of a scope I recon

The M83 shot looks promising, was this one expedition enough to convince you to go the whole hog?

Mike

Thanks Mike, i really like that shot too in fact, i might make that my profile pic ... as to the site, so i have been up a few times and actually the footage of the set up was taken from a different trip to the m83 image. as far as sky glow goes, it is pitch black. you could get better if you went to central aus but i am not that keen. when i set up on the top of the hill i was buffeted by heavy winds all night and wasn't able to get any shots whatsoever, really frustrating. the next time i went up there i re-positioned the pier down the hill a bit and sheltered which worked, unfortunately by the time i got everything set up it was quite late and i only had 1 night. i didnt get to collimate, train PEC (i havent been able to do that in my current location) or get it all set up in time to shoot at zenith. the results i got were far from ideal. i am pretty confident i can get a lot better, ~2.2" fwhm was good (and the best imaging night i have ever had actually) but to make it worth while i want to replicate those results and hopefully get into the 1's. i think the sky that night was good enough for it, i just needed the time. the end result is i got a M83 that i think is pretty damn sharp but didnt collect enough data to make it spectacular (only 1 sub for each colour filter) so i will be heading up there next month to hopefully get something better

[DarkArts]

Was that the SF300 SureFoot plate? With 6 pins? Do you think it's solid enough for a permanent pier?

Nice video by the way.

[Somnium (Aidan)]

Originally Posted by DarkArts

Was that the SF300 SureFoot plate? With 6 pins? Do you think it's solid enough for a permanent pier?

Nice video by the way.

yeah that was the SF 300. when i shot, i only used 4 pins and it was solid as a rock. i will be using it as my perm pier footing, 6 pins will not budge, though i would avoid hitting the pier on the side and loosening the soil (not that you are going to hit your mount anyway)

[pgc hunter]

And it was freaking cloudy after all that work

[Somnium (Aidan)]

Originally Posted by pgc hunter

And it was freaking cloudy after all that work

haha it actually cleared up, but like i said to Mike, it was the wind that killed me

[Atmos (Colin)]

Great setup Aidan! That pier looks quite interesting, not quite as portable as a tripod but more permanent than one
Pity about the wind that night though!

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Originally Posted by Somnium

Thanks Mike, i really like that shot too in fact, i might make that my profile pic ... as to the site, so i have been up a few times and actually the footage of the set up was taken from a different trip to the m83 image. as far as sky glow goes, it is pitch black. you could get better if you went to central aus but i am not that keen. when i set up on the top of the hill i was buffeted by heavy winds all night and wasn't able to get any shots whatsoever, really frustrating. the next time i went up there i re-positioned the pier down the hill a bit and sheltered which worked, unfortunately by the time i got everything set up it was quite late and i only had 1 night. i didnt get to collimate, train PEC (i havent been able to do that in my current location) or get it all set up in time to shoot at zenith. the results i got were far from ideal. i am pretty confident i can get a lot better, ~2.2" fwhm was good (and the best imaging night i have ever had actually) but to make it worth while i want to replicate those results and hopefully get into the 1's. i think the sky that night was good enough for it, i just needed the time. the end result is i got a M83 that i think is pretty damn sharp but didnt collect enough data to make it spectacular (only 1 sub for each colour filter) so i will be heading up there next month to hopefully get something better

All sounds very exciting! ....really look forward to seeing your progress with this, love seeing people take a journey and enjoying it with them

Mike

[stefang (Stefan)]

We used a SF500 with 12 x 1.8m 2" posts for our Pegasus pier.

As Mike will attest when he saw it at SPSP, it isn't going anywhere in a hurry

Sure-footed is the way to go. No more concrete.

Well done on getting the site online Aiden.

SG

[Somnium (Aidan)]

Originally Posted by Atmos

Great setup Aidan! That pier looks quite interesting, not quite as portable as a tripod but more permanent than one
Pity about the wind that night though!

thanks Colin, the rig is not exactly portable ... but it is just for testing purposes

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

All sounds very exciting! ....really look forward to seeing your progress with this, love seeing people take a journey and enjoying it with them

Mike

i am looking forward to it too

Originally Posted by stefang

We used a SF500 with 12 x 1.8m 2" posts for our Pegasus pier.

As Mike will attest when he saw it at SPSP, it isn't going anywhere in a hurry

Sure-footed is the way to go. No more concrete.

Well done on getting the site online Aiden.

SG

Thanks Stefan