It looks like it's going to be an excellent nigh for viewing tonight.
OK, that was the good news.
I still don't have a battery to power my dew heaters yet... so probably won't achieve much with the scope tonight. The new battery is due to arrive tomorrow, and I just have to organise the appropriate lugs for the electrics, and get it installed. I hope to have it all installed and charged and ready to go before the weekend.
100AH of deep cycle bliss should keep the scope and dew heaters happy.
The few times I've been able to get out lately have been cut short by fog, and the dew has been keeping our tanks topped up. Tin roofs are great for catching dew.
YES!!! I have made the effort a little more than usual of late, simply because of the great weather. It's really great when we can get good runs like we have been having of late.
Clear skies around her but that moon is way too bright. Was hoping to get a look at Saturn with my new 6mm Long Perng (thanks Kev)... will have to settle for la Luna I suppose!
Another superb clear night here, but I'm still out of action... but I have nearly all the bits I need now, and I have tomorrow off work to go to my son's graduation. So after the graduation I'll drop into the electronics store and buy a couple of cable connectors that I need, and then I'll install my new 100AH deep cycle battery and charging system into the obs.
its funny for me to read these posts in light of having just passed another american winter. although the northern skies have their many attractions, having to shovel 2 feet deep of snow to get to my observing platform gets boring. winter here lasts about 5 months with almost half of that below zero. it has got down to -22C so i wear so much clothing i can barely move. although focusing is important its more of a decision whether to take the thick gloves off or not. at these temps frost-bite is a reality so you cant spend more than 15 minutes outside at a time but at -10C odd its not so bad - by comparison. plus all eletronics malfunction and battery life dwindles to minutes rather than hours, so the only option generally is star-hopping with the DOB. but then, in such arctic conditions there is virtually no moisture in the air and the sky transparency is astounding.
No clear nights in this hellhole of a climate (Melbourne ofcourse - where else)
It's either clouds or the rotting DSE that ruins it.....I don't know which I hate more....but seeing as the DSE ruined 2 clear new moon periods in a row, I want them smoked off this planet for good.
This Autumn has been the usual wintry rainy and cloudy rubbish here in depressing old Melbourne Sometimes I wonder why I even bother....I could make thousands selling off my virtually redundant astro gear
Yep the skies have been beautiful here all week and the moon is getting brighter grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr oh well im having a few friends over on the weekend and the moon is always the one thing they all get excited about seeing so should be fun anyway
The new battery is due to arrive tomorrow, and I just have to organise the appropriate lugs for the electrics, and get it installed.
I hope to have it all installed and charged and ready to go before the weekend.
So after the graduation I'll drop into the electronics store and buy a couple of cable connectors that I need, and then I'll install my new 100AH deep cycle battery and charging system into the obs.
and the moon is getting brighter grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr oh well im having a few friends over on the weekend and the moon is always the one thing they all get excited about seeing so should be fun anyway 
and more to come. But you get used to that in southern Vic.
