IceInSpace AstroCamp 2013 - 11th to 13th April, 2013

[iceman]

The IceInSpace AstroCamp (IISAC) at Lostock, now in its 7th year, is back again!

After a break in 2012 due to the Total Solar Eclipse, the IISAC has moved to April in 2013! The change in date will mean a change in temperature, a change in scenery and a stunning change in the night sky as the bulge of the Milky Way will be rising in the evening.

IISAC2013 is a star party organised by the IceInSpace community and held over 3 nights, from the 11th to the 13th April 2013, at Lostock Scout Camp in the beautiful Hunter Valley area of NSW. The location was chosen because of its proximity to Sydney, the Central Coast and Newcastle, and at under 4 hours drive from Sydney you'll be amongst clear, very dark skies in a lovely country setting.

The info page is now online (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/iisac) and contains all the information you need to know, including costs and more.
IISAC2013 Info Page (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/iisac)

Registration for IISAC2013 is OPEN!

Info page: http://www.iceinspace.com.au/iisac
Registration: http://shop.iceinspace.com.au/shop/i...-registration/
IISAC2013 T-Shirt: http://shop.iceinspace.com.au/shop/i...black-t-shirt/

To order the t-shirt with your booking, just add it to the cart like any other product before or after you've registered for the camp.

Of course you're welcome to order the t-shirt on its own even if you can't attend the camp. Just tick the shipping option.

Early bird registration gives you $15 off the total price. Use the coupon code IISAC-EARLYBIRD on the cart or checkout page to apply the discount.

And remember, for those that haven't used the IIS Shop site before, it's a NEW user account. You can't login using the same IIS username/password. Just proceed as a 'new user' and enter a new username/password on the checkout page.

Notes:
- School term for NSW finishes on Friday 12th - so it'd be great to see some families at IISAC this time around. Bring the kids! They won't miss anything on the last day or two of school for Term 1 :)

- Daylight savings ends on the 7th April, so IISAC2013 will be in AEST (no daylight savings). Sunrise is around 6:15am, sunset is around 5:30pm. Long nights with the Milky Way rising!

[mental4astro]

WOOHOO!

I'm in!

[MortonH]

Me too. Should have a new mount by then :D

[zardos123]

me too

[Screwdriverone]

Already teed this one up with the missus,

Can't wait.

Cheers

Chris

[Rod771]

Its my wife's birthday on the 12th April.

Do ya reckon she'd notice if I was gone for a couple of days ;)

[iceman]

Attendance was down in 2011, partly because of a dodgy forecast - people thought the weather would be terrible so they pulled out. But it ended up being great!

The lack of numbers certainly puts a downer on the organisation and it was noted by the attendees themselves.

I'm hoping to see a nice turnaround this year . It definitely makes it more enjoyable :) Bring the family too (see below).

Some notes:

Notes:
- School term for NSW finishes on Friday 12th - so it'd be great to see some families at IISAC this time around. Bring the kids! They won't miss anything on the last day or two of school for Term 1 :)

- Daylight savings ends on the 7th April, so IISAC2013 will be in AEST (no daylight savings). Sunrise is around 6:15am, sunset is around 5:30pm. Long nights with the Milky Way rising!

- Confirmed speakers so far:
. Chris Malikoff : Mobile Astronomy Apps
. Greg Bradley : TBA

[Allan_L]

Keep the updates coming Mike.
It is all sounding very promising again this year.
I am already looking forward to it. :thumbsup:

[iceman]

Thanks Allan, look forward to seeing you there!

If anyone has any suggestions or ideas for workshops or guest speakers, please get in touch - especially if you're volunteering yourself or know someone who will be available :)

[mental4astro]

Any 'car boot swap n sell'?

[lacad01]

Super, got it pencilled in :prey:
Is there a FAQ available on the site facilities such as cooking, power, etc? cheers

[Allan_L]

Great suggestion Alex

Mike,
I think one of the talks I found most useful (especially for relative newbies) was one given by John Bambury (I think?) on Southern Sky objects, how and when to find and observe them, and the use of filters and related.

[iceman]

Coming shortly!

[Steffen]

Great, we'll be there! Probably camping this time :)

Cheers
Steffen.

[iceman]

How would people feel if there were no Gresford RFB to provide dinners?

Would most people be happy to self-cater?
eg:
- use the cooking facilities in the kitchen,
- use the BBQ outside,
- use their own camping equipment

While a lot of people (myself included) LOVED having the Gresford RFB there to provide dinners, last year only half the people at the camp (sometimes less) took advantage of it. And it's been reducing every year.

So in the end it's getting hard for the Gresford RFB to justify providing the service.

I don't have confirmation that they WON'T be able to do it this year, but I don't have confidence that they will either.

The other great service they provided was bringing the BINS, and taking them away at the end of camp. That was an enormous help.

[erick]

I hope to be there - full camp this second time, hopefully. Re RFB dinners - yes, that is my preference. I can cope with heating up my own microwave dinners, however.

[rogerco]

RFS catering. I would prefer to have them, but as an RFS member myself I know how they feel if they don't have definite numbers or if most don't use them. Does the kitchen have microwave ovens?

Roger

[Screwdriverone]

+1 for the RFB.

I havent been previously, but I would prefer a hot dinner and self cater the breaky/lunch with camp cooking.

At this stage, probably myself and my eldest son would be coming along for the three days.

Cheers

Chris

[sheeny]

+ another one for RFB catering.:thumbsup: Less food to have to keep fresh... eskys can be put to better use;)... less washing up... just relax and enjoy at the end of the day.:)

Al.

[iceman]

Costs for IISAC2013 are:

Registration: (once-off payment no matter how many nights you stay)
- Adult Registration: $85
- Child Registration: $15
- Family Registration (2 Adults and 1 or more kids): $170

Accommodation:
- Bunkbeds: $7 per person per night
- Camping: $12 per campsite per night
- Off-site: N/A

Optional Extras:
- IISAC2013 T-Shirt: $20
- Gresford RFB Dinners: TBA approx $15 (if I can get them coming)


I've re-jiggeed the prices slightly from last year, with the adult registration cost higher but per-night cost lower. Child registration cost is also lower.

For an individual adult or a family staying for 3 nights, there's only a slight increase on what you would've paid last year (about $10).

If you're staying for just one night, the prices are about $20 more than what you would've paid last year, but evidence from previous years shows that 70+% of attendees stay all 3 nights.

To help with the cost, there'll also be an Early Bird Discount. If you book and pay before the 1st March you get $15 off the total price.

I never like increasing prices, but it's been 18 months since the last IISAC and unfortunately my costs have gone up too.

It also costs me a significant amount of money upfront to put the camp on, and there's a significant amount of risk that you never break even if you don't get enough attendees.

I'm sure you all understand. At least the prices haven't risen at the same rate as electricity prices :)

Registration form will be coming soon.

[iceman]

Costs for IISAC2013 are:

Registration: (once-off payment no matter how many nights you stay)
- Adult Registration: $85
- Child Registration: $15
- Family Registration (2 Adults and 1 or more kids): $170

Accommodation:
- Bunkbeds: $7 per person per night
- Camping: $12 per campsite per night
- Off-site: N/A

Optional Extras:
- IISAC2013 T-Shirt: $20
- Gresford RFB Dinners: TBA approx $15 (if I can get them coming)


I've re-jiggeed the prices slightly from last year, with the adult registration cost higher but per-night cost lower. Child registration cost is also lower.

For an individual adult or a family staying for 3 nights, there's only a slight increase on what you would've paid last year (about $10).

If you're staying for just one night, the prices are about $20 more than what you would've paid last year, but evidence from previous years shows that 70+% of attendees stay all 3 nights.

To help with the cost, there'll also be an Early Bird Discount. If you book and pay before the 1st March you get $15 off the total price.

I never like increasing prices, but it's been 18 months since the last IISAC and unfortunately my costs have gone up too.

It also costs me a significant amount of money upfront to put the camp on, and there's a significant amount of risk that you never break even if you don't get enough attendees.

I'm sure you all understand. At least the prices haven't risen at the same rate as electricity prices :)

Registration form will be coming soon.

[peterl]

Sue and I loved having Gresford RFS catering. definitely our preference,less to carry and no cleaning up afterwards.Would even be happy to pay little extra to keep these guys to continue providing this great service.To reduce their costs and workload and make it more worthwhile for them, maybe they would like to simplify what they serve,for example,just a suggestion, only 2 courses .They have our Vote..They are great..

peter .

[MortonH]

Bed cheaper than camping. I can see my new tent not being used (again).

[MortonH]

Meant to ask. What's the deal with fridges for storing food?

[mozzie]

woo hoo !!!!! myself and my boy lachlan will be there again.out comes the tent he want's to camp...well also support the meals as well mike..alex are you up to camping with us down the bottom field....

i'm bringing the work truck and will throw the mower on the back.if you would like to mow an area for your scope..

[rogerco]

Planning on being there for the full three nights, camping, can cater for myself but would prefer the RFS catering option.

Roger

[mental4astro]

Only if you bring a grader and roller too... :whistle:

Mike, please add my vote in favour of the RFS! The opportunity that a shared dinning experience offers is for me one of the true treasures of the whole IISAC occasion. One of my favourite memories of IISAC11 was this very thing. It brings EVERYONE together, whether one eats or not, the chance to meet in a loud, happy, laughter filled place is really, really good. :thumbsup:

[mozzie]

the grass maybe a little long after all the rain and the cows might not be able to eat quick enough :lol::rofl:

[Steffen]

My vote goes in favour of RFB catering.

Cheers
Steffen.

[iceman]

The IISAC2013 Info Page (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/iisac) is now online. It contains everything you need to know, including how to get there, what to do there, what to bring, costs etc.

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/iisac/iisac2013/iisac2013-web-600px.jpg (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/iisac)

The registration form will be online soon.

[TrevDownUnder]

This will be our first IISAC, so RFB catering and bunk beds will be the go for us.
Trevor

[iceman]

Unfortunately Gresford RFB won't be attending this year.

I'm trying to find a replacement, but otherwise it will be sausage sandwiches, the kitchen, and self-catering.

The booking form will be online soon - just trying to sort some problems with the shop out.

[iceman]

Registration form should be open tomorrow. Sorry for the delay, have been trying to solve some bugs in the IIS shop. Would've been quicker and easier to use the old booking form! :rolleyes:

Here's the shirt design.

The shirt will be a separate product on the IIS Shop, so don't forget to add it to your cart (with the registration) if you want one.

[iceman]

Registration for IISAC2013 is OPEN!

Info page: http://www.iceinspace.com.au/iisac
Registration: http://shop.iceinspace.com.au/shop/iisac2013-registration/
IISAC2013 T-Shirt: http://shop.iceinspace.com.au/shop/iisac2013-black-t-shirt/

To order the t-shirt with your booking, just add it to the cart like any other product before or after you've registered for the camp.

Of course you're welcome to order the t-shirt on its own even if you can't attend the camp. Just tick the shipping option.

Early bird registration gives you $15 off the total price. Use the coupon code IISAC-EARLYBIRD on the cart or checkout page to apply the discount.

And remember, for those that haven't used the IIS Shop site before, it's a NEW user account. You can't login using the same IIS username/password. Just proceed as a 'new user' and enter a new username/password on the checkout page.

[TrevDownUnder]

Hi Mike (& all IISAC attendees)
Booking all sorted now. Shame about the lack of RFB catering, but if kitchen and freezers are good, I'm sure we'll cope.

Clear Skies! :)

[iceman]

Look forward to seeing you there, Trevor!

There's 2 houses, both have full kitchens (microwave, stoves, fridge/freezers and BBQ's).

The bottom house fills up first, and the fridges get quite full with all the soft drink, ice block tubes and water bottles that I bring along. The top house rarely gets used and still has 1 or 2 working fridges (at least, they were last year) if the bottom house gets full.

So while the fridges/freezes are certainly AVAILABLE for use, it's going to be first-in best-dressed, with a bit of common courtesy and sharing. If people have access to an esky or 3-way camping fridge etc, it might be best to use them or bring as a backup.

Of course for those using the kitchens etc to cook, please ensure you clean up after yourselves! No maids on this camp! :)

[iceman]

The daytime activities and talks are all confirmed and locked in.

Please check out the IISAC2013 Programme here:
IISAC2013 Programme (PDF) (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/iisac/iisac2013/IISAC2013-Programme.pdf).

I hope there's some good stuff there that interests you!

[gary]

Booked and Mai and I look forward to seeing everyone there! :thumbsup:

Best Regards

Gary Kopff
Managing Director
Wildcard Innovations Pty. Ltd.
20 Kilmory Place, Mount Kuring-Gai
NSW. 2080. Australia
Phone +61-2-9457-9049
Fax +61-2-9457-9593
sales@wildcard-innovations.com.au
http://www.wildcard-innovations.com.au

[iceman]

Thanks Gary!

There's only a few days left to get the early-bird discount!
Use the coupon code IISAC-EARLYBIRD before the 10th March to receive $15 off your registration.

[absolut]

After my trip to Bintel on the weekend for some gear, I think the Bintel sponsorship is probably sponsored by me... :lol:

All sorted and eager as hell to get to IISAC2013!!

Three cheers for the Mike the Iceman!!

[iceman]

Great to hear, Robert! I'm sure you'll have a great time.

[iceman]

Only a month to go until IISAC2013, and we have over 75 registrations so far.

Keep them coming!

Just a reminder or two:

- The IISAC2013 shirt (http://shop.iceinspace.com.au/shop/iisac2013-black-t-shirt/) is a separate product on the IceInSpace Shop and has to be added to your cart before checkout. It's not part of the IISAC2013 Registration (http://shop.iceinspace.com.au/shop/iisac2013-registration/) product. I'll be putting the final order in for the number of each size soon, so if you want to be guaranteed of getting your size, please get your order in soon.
Of course you can still order a shirt if you're not coming to IISAC2013 - just tick the shipping option.

- The Shop account is *different* than your IceInSpace Forum account. If you haven't bought from the shop before, you need to proceed as a 'new user' and register as a new user on the checkout page using a username/email and a password.

- Don't forget there's no catered dinners this year. You will need to arrange your own food.

[Allan]

I am keen to join the party, but unfortunately my new scope is not going to arrive until after the event. I can already predict what you guys are going to say, but seriously I am going to feel weird turning up to a star party without a telescope. I am disappointed my telescope hasn't arrived, I haven't had a scope for years and I really wanted to use the event to do some eyepiece research. I know the astronomy community is really friendly, but can someone honestly tell me I could come along and not be a pain in the a__e. Cheers

[Carmen4594]

Super keen to go.

Mike I was wondering if it's the same registration fee regardless of how many days are spent there. I'm not able to make it for the entire duration and am a huge fan of your work so would love to come for your talk and also Greg Bradley, which thankfully are on the same day.

Carmen

[Screwdriverone]

Finally Registered as of yesterday.......DOH

Myself and son number 1, Anthony will be partaking of the (hopefully) super clear and super dark skies.

Can't wait. :D

Hope to see you all there.

Cheers

Chris

[iceman]

Hi Allan

Please don't feel you NEED a telescope to come along! There'll be heaps to see and do even without a telescope.
Amateur astronomers are a friendly bunch and are always willing to share the views, and there's also night sky tours by 3RF.




Hi Carmen. The registration fee is the same no matter how many nights you stay. It covers things like the marquee, insurance, hiring the grounds themselves etc.
You're welcome to come for just 1 night, or 2, or 3!
Hope to see you there.



Yay! Look forward to meeting you, Chris!

[gmbfilter]

All registered and ready
It's a shame Gresford RFS aren't doing the catering. I just loved that custard, it had been in their cow that morning!

[MortonH]

Hi Allan,

What kind of scope have you ordered? Maybe someone might have a 'spare' one.

Morton

[iceman]

Look forward to catching up, Geoff!

I agree about the catering :( Such a shame.

[hector]

Hi All

I will be attending at least the Friday and Saturday and bringing the 3RF 18" scope. I will be running sky tours both nights assisted by Gary Kopff from Wildcard (ArgoNavis). So Allan or anyone else that would like to look through a big scope please by all means come down and visit.
Its my Karaoke night on the Friday so I may have to do a little singing.......:eyepop:
Andrew

[iceman]

Great news Andrew, look forward to seeing you there!

Over 90 registrations now, just over 3 weeks to go!

[iceman]

For those that want a shirt, don't forget to include it in your order, or order it separately now.

I won't be ordering many spares of any sizes, so once they sell out they'll be gone.

I have about 1 or 2 days to give the final quantities to the printers, so please put in your orders now!

[Allan]

Hi Morton,

It's an Orion XT12G. Should be a good bit of gear when I buy some nice eyepieces.

Hi Andrew,

Thank you for the offer. That's all the encouragement I needed. I will get to it and register shortly. See you there

Allan

[Screwdriverone]

Same here Mike, I shall bring the scrabble board if there is clouds eh? ;)

Fingers crossed for clear skies. Long range seems hopeful.....

Cheers

Chris

[sheeny]

Scrabble?:) I'll bring Bananagrams (you'll love it;) - no its not as corny as the name sounds).

Al.

[frenchbluehour]

Hi there :hi: Thought about coming along to the camp for a night... although I'm a total newbie and do not yet own my own scope... I thought coming along might be a great opportunity to look through some scopes, ask a bunch of questions, help me make a decision... is this appropriate :question:... My interest really is in reaching astrophotography down the track and I have a love for nightscapes....
After reading loads of threads and all the great info, I'm pretty sure I'll pick up a pair of binos regardless - prior to the camp...

looking forward to looking up :D

[h0ughy]

well i booked for 3 days so i am praying for great weather and good company

[iceman]

Hi Nicole

Definitely! Star parties are a great chance to do all that - talk to others, get advice, ask questions, etc.

Hope to see you there!

[iceman]

Look forward to catching up with you Dave!

[Irish stargazer]

Booked for the Saturday night.

[frenchbluehour]

Great! ..... :) thanks for the reply.

[mental4astro]

Bad news - I can't make it :sadeyes::sadeyes::sadeyes:

With the nature of my work, I need to work the Saturday I was hoping to be there. I won't be finishing up until late arvo, early evening, and I don't fancy a drive to Lostock during the night.

I was so looking forward to this event.

I am so sorry to the folks that were looking forward to my little sketching workshop. I have a few new techniques that I wanted to show too since my last time up there.

Alex.

[iceman]

Sorry to hear it Alex.

Have just sent out the following to all current attendees:

-----------
Hi all

Just a quick touch-base with only 9 days until IISAC2013 kicks off!

- The IISAC2013 Programme (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/iisac/iisac2013/IISAC2013-Programme.pdf) is available online to let you know what's happening with the guest speaker talks etc. One change is that unfortunately Alex can't make it, so there'll be no sketching workshop.

- Please make yourself available on Saturday afternoon for the group photo!

- Unfortunately there's no dinner catering this year. You'll need to supply your own meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The houses have kitchens with microwave and stove/oven and some fridges, and there's a BBQ available for use too. Obviously with potentially more people using those facilities, please ensure you clean up after yourself. There's no maid or cleaners to do it.

- If you haven't ordered a shirt, there'll be some limited quantities of most sizes available to buy on the day. If you want to be sure assured of getting your size, please get in touch and I can add it to your booking. Shirts are $20.

- Anthony Ricketts from Canberra is attending his first star party at IISAC2013, but currently has no way of getting home. He's looking for someone to get a lift with on the Sunday, either back to Sydney (where he can get a train/bus) or to Canberra. He'll pay cash upfront. If you're able to offer assistance, please get in touch with me and I can put you in touch with Anthony.

- If you haven't been to a star party before, don't stress! The IISAC events are fun, no fuss and everyone is friendly so come and enjoy yourself.

- Don't forget Daylight Savings ends this weekend, so IISAC2013 will be in AEST. It'll get dark nice and early - long nights!

- As you know we can't control the weather, but the long-range forecast looks ok at the moment. There's really no way of predicting though - quite a few people didn't turn up to IISAC2011 expecting it to be cloudy, but in the end we had 3 clear or partially clear, beautiful dark nights.

- A message from IISAC2013 sponsor, Phyllis from Knightware:
"Attendees of IceInSpace AstroCamp 2013 can purchase Deep-Sky Planner 6 by digital delivery at a 15% discount from April 11 - 25. This coupon may be applied to Deep-Sky Planner 6 download edition with new user license (DSP6DL).

To receive the discount...<snip>... check your email.

You will see the discount applied before submitting your order.

Current owners of Deep-Sky Planner 6 can download the 'IceInSpace Astro Camp 2013' deep-sky observing plan in the online Plan Library. Visit Help | Community Page in Deep-Sky Planner 6 to visit the online plan library."

-------------

Looking forward to it! Stocked up on toilet paper and loads of soft drink and water. Trailer is getting full!

[iceman]

A favour from me please:

If anyone has a spare 9kg gas bottle, could you please bring it along (with gas in it)?

I'll be taking mine for the bottom house, but
a) not sure how long a full gas bottle will last
b) need another one for the top house

Please let me know if you can bring one. Will happily reimburse you for the cost of filling up ($25?).

[MortonH]

Mike,

I'll be giving Anthony a lift back to Sydney on the Sunday. :)

Cheers

Morton

[Octane]

Was thinking of turning up with a Polarie and DSLR. Turns out I have an event on the 12th and wedding to photograph on the 13th.

Maybe next time. :)

Wishing you all clear skies.

H

[pluto]

All booked, can't wait!

I have a question about power. I'm hoping for long clear nights so I guess that means around 8 hours of imaging. I'll be there for 2 nights and at the moment I think my power supplies will only last maybe 10-12 hours. It'll probably stretch to both nights if I don't charge my lappy for the second night but that'll mean no guiding and just using the DSLR instead of the CCD, which wouldn't be the end of the world ;)

I'm camping but I read that there is power in the buildings, is it available to charge stuff?
I assume many people will be wanting to do the same thing so how many power points are there?

[iceman]

Charging during the day is no probs at all.

Heaps of power points, and people bring power boards. People are always charging batteries, laptops, cameras etc during the day.

Depending on where you camp, if you're on the imaging hill, there's potential to get 240v on tap. Just bring a few extension cords and a power board. They get pretty overloaded with people all piggybacking off a few power boards, but it's only tripped the power once :)

[iceman]

Thanks Morton!

[pluto]

Thanks Mike :D

[Screwdriverone]

Hey Mike,

Another question about camping near your gear.....

I understand that you can on the observing field, but what about the imaging area?

I am pretty much going to stay in imaging the whole time and I saw a few shots with imaging rigs near camper-trailers in the pics.

Is this OK or is it strictly camping only on the lower observing field?

Just dont want to be lugging things back and forth between the tent and the scope and if set up for a run and I fancy a cuppa etc, don't want to leave the scope all by it's lonesome or during the day stuck out like a sore thumb with no "owner" nearby. I know the environment is friendly etc, just feel better if I have the gear close by to where I may be sleeping....

Edit: also, can I confirm that I can pick up the T shirt I ordered with the IISAC registration, when I am there? I did order one....at least I am pretty sure I did?

Cheers

Chris

[sheeny]

You'll be right, Chris. Camp with your gear.:thumbsup:

...and Mike'll have the shirts there as well.

:)

Al.

[Screwdriverone]

Thanks Al!

Sweet :)

Cheers

Chris

[iceman]

Al's right, Chris.

Even on the imaging field, you can camp near your gear.

You just can't camp around the house grounds (inside the fenced area).


And yes, those that ordered t-shirts will be picking them up at the camp when you arrive and come to the registration area :)

[Irish stargazer]

Is there any mobile network coverage at the site (Telstra, Vodafone etc...)?

[iceman]

Your best bet is with Telstra, and there is intermittent coverage up in the high areas but you might need to drive a bit to find it. There's unlikely to be any down in the camp/houses itself.

I usually drive up one of the nearby mountains to check-in each day.

Back in the good ol' days of CDMA, you could get coverage around the toilet block if you were lucky.

[MortonH]

How do you determine the size of spot you need/can have? Is it a case of parking then setting up your tent/scope and that's your space?

[iceman]

Pretty much :)

Common courtesy from everyone and it's all good.

[iceman]

Down on the lower field I set aside an area for driving/walking and people camp/set up scopes behind that.

[MortonH]

Thanks, Mike.

[iceman]

Weather is looking pretty good so far!
http://www.weatherzone.com.au/nsw/hunter/lostock

[Langaandy]

So i havent made a booking but i will hopefully be there. not sure about time off work until thursday morning.

Is it cool if i just turn up without a booking. I will be camping for all 3 nights if im there

[iceman]

Yep no worries at all!

[Langaandy]

Awesome, just got a reply back from the boss. thursday,friday off.

So i guess i'll see everyone there

[iceman]

Great news!

[Deeno]

Looking promising!!

[gmbfilter]

Bugger I'm not going to get there at all
Have a good time everyone

[MortonH]

For those of us arriving on Thursday, are we allowed to arrive and set up before the registration desk opens at 2:30pm or is the place closed before that?

[iceman]

You sure can.

I'll be 'around' from 9-10am on the Thursday anyway and some people come to the house first to register, and I'm usually around to do it. Other people go and setup first and then come and register.

[Rodstar]

Please accept my apologies everyone. I am the Returning Officer at the Newcastle Anglican Synod this whole weekend. We are electing a new Bishop. I had hoped to pop across at some point, but the logistics are impossible barring the intervention of a Tardis or flux capacitor.

[iceman]

Boo :(
Sorry to hear it Rod. RB can't make it either, and you both PM'd me within 5 minutes of each other with the same news.

It's a conspiracy!

We'll have to catch up again soon.

[Rodstar]

Sounds good to catch up Mike. Hope the weather stays clear for you all.

[Deeno]

Boo is right!

Your a nice nice guy and everything Rod but.......I was looking forward to seeing the Mary Rose again. I think she misses my soft caress....?

And RB!:shrug:

[RB]

Well there's been a change of plan.
It looks like maybe my son and I may be coming up for one night, Friday night and leaving Saturday after the talks.
I'll keep you informed.
Looking forward to catching up with everyone.

:)

[iceman]

Fingers crossed RB!

[MortonH]

Car is packed. Heading up to in-laws' place on Lake Macquarie tonight.

See y'all tomorrow!

Morton

[Deeno]

Mirrors cleaned, batteries charged and I'm kind of organized.....

Wonder what I'll forget to bring?

[RB]

Jack, the dog?

:lol:

[absolut]

I've lost count of how many times I've pondered "Do I have everything"...
now there are some organised piles in my living room, and as I look at them I begin to wonder if my poor little car can handle me not forgetting anything!! I think all those wasted hours playing tetris are going to pay off in the morning! :lol:

Reminder: if anyone wants some ruby for laptop screens or creating red lights, I'll have a few sheets with me that will serve extremely well!

Can't believe it is only 1 sleep to go... I'll bet I'm not the only one to doubt any actual sleep will occur tonight!! :lol:

Clear skies to all!

Rob

[Rod771]

I'm all packed ready to go!

Just have to pick up my tent from Rays Outdoor at Lake Haven on the way up.
:question:What could possibly go wrong;)






Rob, would I be able to borrow one of the Laptop screens? Cheers

[absolut]

No problem Rod!

Come see me at my little rodent-sized white suzuki alto when you're ready!

Rob

[HaXate]

Hi all,

Just have a quick question as it is my first time attending. I will be driving up on Friday afternoon and will most probably get there after end of daylight, is it pretty straight forward driving along the path with headlights off or will guidance be needed?

Looking forward to being there:D

Cheers,
Aran

[iceman]

Are you camping or bunking?

If you're camping, It's easy enough to get to, just drive slow and once you get to where people are observing just switch to your parkers and people can guide you in to a clear spot.

[Deeno]

Poor old Jack isn't a starter......
Gee, Elara and Jack camping. I'd be ready for the lunatic asylum by Sunday:screwy:.

Now, where on earth is my red light torch!

[RB]

Ok, looks like now I'll be coming to Lostock with my three youngest ones, Andrew Jr, Rachel and Rebekah.
Aiming to be there for Friday and leaving Saturday, just an overnight stay.
Hope to see you all there.

:)

[Deeno]

Ooo...Instant babysitters!
Will be good to see you.......

[iceman]

Currently in Gresford after heading out to the scout camp to unload supplies from the trailer, and now picking up bins.

A couple of notes.

- there's some loose road surface in the first 5-10km from the Gresford shop. Drive carefully.

- there's been no slashing of the road edge so the grass is long in some sections of the windy road from Gresford, and reduces visibility. Drive carefully.

- lots of flies about. Bring repellant.

- it's going to be clear tonight and looks good for tomorrow too!

- it's very dewey at night and morning. Bring few prevention.

- the camp grounds and imaging fields have been slashed, but there's still clumps of mowed grass around that will no doubt stick to your shoes :)

Look forward to seeing everyone!

[Rodstar]

Deeno, try not to caress Mary Rose when you do see her, I don't want the focal length of my scope to grow any longer than it is already.:P

[iceman]

Hey guys

We've had a fantastic time so far. The sky was beautiful last night. Crystal clear all night. A bit dewey but bearable. Got quite cold too.

The forecast is looking good for the next 2 nights too!

Here's a little sample of last night's efforts!

http://www.mikesalway.com.au/download/390

[sally1jack]

Great shot Mike
phil

[barx1963]

I am very jealous!! Hope you all have a great weekend.
I have a vague hope I may make it up there next year.

Nice shot also Mike!

Malcolm

[h0ughy]

enjoy it while you can. there is lots of low cloud coming through now but you should be ok. enjoy it guys

[The Mekon]

IISAC got a good mention on ABC Classic FM radio this morning. Clear skies and a great time to all, sorry I cannot be with you!

[iceman]

Really? By who?
I had no idea?

[alan meehan]

Wow Mike looks good ,Iam not going to get up there this chest infection
has got me grounded,have a great time ,weathers looking good
AL

[h0ughy]

yes guys if you made it up the mountain to log on then pass this on the other iisers there

[h0ughy]

you guys are just in the edge

[iceman]

Hi guys

Last night was pretty good - some patchy cloud but enough clear sky to photography and look at. It cleared up nicely around midnight and then again at 2am.

Forecast for tonight looks about the same, a bit patchy but hopefully we can beat this change that's on the way!

Here's one of last nights many GB's of images:
http://www.mikesalway.com.au/download/391

I noticed the stars reflecting off the car so decided to incorporate it into a selfie ;)

It's from up on the mountain ridge near where we watched Comet McNaught in 2007, but about 5 min further up the road. Lovely view to the SE and over Lostock Dam.

[The Mekon]

IISAC was mentioned on the morning breakfast show, am not sure if Emma Ayres the usual presenter was on. A regular listener named Mel phoned in to tell them where he was and he was sent a hello. Gave the location as Lostock scout camp in the Hunter valley. Whoever you are, thanks Mel!

[iceman]

ha thanks, could've been Melvyn :)

[Irish stargazer]

Took this shot around 10pm last night from Lostock. Canon 7D Tokina 11-16mm lens and Polarie.
This is a 120 second shot with noise reduction on. There is a green tinge on the bottom of the frame. I am wondering if this is due to the aurora that was expected last night.
I love my Polarie :D

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8109/8646111355_e286c663bc_h.jpg

General night shot of observing field last night

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8399/8646111841_49f4132750_h.jpg

[gary]

Skies proved excellent on Saturday with the cloud clearing around sunset.

Thanks again to Mike for the incredible job he does on putting on the event.

Thanks also to those who came down for the sky tours with Andrew and I.
We enjoyed your company very much!

Best Regards

Gary Kopff
Wildcard Innovations Pty Ltd

[venus]

I was hoping to see some of the predicted aurora and thought I did but I think it was cloud? Was an amazing night's viewing. Great image and maybe it was aurora:)

[gary]

Hi Lydia,

Conversing with Andrew Murrell and he and Mike had green glow in their photos at Lostock.

Alas, Alex Cherney reports there was no auroral activity and it was just airglow.

Best Regards

Gary

[absolut]

Home and unpacked!!

I'd like to convey my gratitude to Mike and all the wonderful people that helped make IISAC2013 happen!

Thank you to Andrew and 3RF for the wonderful sky tour on that 18" Dob!

Thank you one and all!

Rob

[rogerco]

Absolutely Robert :)

Nothing may have worked for me but I still enjoyed it very much and would like to add my thanks to Mike and the others for a great weeend.

Roger :hi:

[venus]

So that was it. A spectacular viewing at Lostock and Mike has done well organising this annual event, my family thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

[Ausrock]

So glad that it was a good weekend for those who made it............I had to make a choice between walking away from a major(ish) house project and going to the camp.............hopefully next year the planets will align in a more favourable position:)

[MortonH]

Yep, it was awesome. Unpacking will wait till tomorrow. F1 on now!

[Irish stargazer]

Thanks Mike for organising a great weekend.
Having been on the organising committee for the Whirlpool Starparty at Birr Castle (Ireland) I can appreciate just how much work goes into putting one of these events together.

[MortonH]

Very nice, John. Might add the Tokina to my wish list!

[sheeny]

Great shot Mike, but first impression, from the way you are standing... well... spectacular place for a comfort stop!:P:lol:

Aurora?! Is it any wonder I'm struggling to remove the green cast from my skies.

Al.

[Deeno]

Thanks Mike for going to the trouble of holding the event, Elara and I had a great time.
Thanks to the guys who had presentations.
Thanks to Gary and Andrew from Three Rivers who set up right next door. Always fun having a big dob nearby and interesting listening to you guys speak.
Thanks to the German contingent on the other side for rustling up an allen key so I could swap over a dodgy encoder.
Thanks Lyn for offering to watch Elara and anyone else who was nice to her. Particularly those who might have been disturbed by her early mornings.......
And thanks to the weather Gods for playing nice.

Cheers
Deeno:thanx:

[acropolite]

Nice widemouth bullfrog impersonation by Elara Deeno, looking forward to the rest of the happy snaps....:D

[iceman]

Will post a full report soon.

Would love to see more pics and happy snaps from everyone! :)

[iceman]

Love the pics, Dean :)

[Rod771]

IISAC 2013 ....... AWESOME

Big thank you to Mike for organising the event, it was put together very well and I found the three days and nights to be very pleasant.

This was my first ever star party and I have to say I was a little nervous coming along, especially with not knowing anyone. Upon arriving I was made feel very welcome by everyone and settle in straight away.

Trevor and friend (so sorry I've forgotten your name) thanks so much for helping me set up my tent, I would have still been setting up in the dark if not for your help. Also, congratulations Trevor on winning the Televue eyepiece and thanks for sharing the view through your scope.. I want to get one of those eyepieces now :rolleyes:

I will definitely be returning next year and cant wait to see everyone again.

Cheers

Rod

[Steffen]

A lot of people (including myself) were inspired by your Nightscapes talk and had a go themselves straight away :thumbsup:

I tried on a fisheye for size, but didn't spend enough time with it. I'll definitely try again another time under dark skies.

Cheers
Steffen.

[peterl]

Some photos then!

1.The road in to camp.
2. early sun on hills.
3. campsite.
4. imaging hill.early morning.
5.Sharks in the camp saturday.
note:- clouds have not been altered.

[Allan]

What a Great Weekend!

I turned up with only a pair of 10x50 Binoculars and no plan as to what I was going to do with them. I started looking for Messier objects and got hooked. During Friday and Saturday I managed to tick off 64 of them. I might have managed more, except for all the hours I spent looking through that awesome 18" dob.

I met so many great people (g'day Rob) and I can't wait for the next star party. My new Dob will be here any day now, and I look forward to taking it along to the next camp.

Thanks again Mike. Absolutely loved your presentation and have been inspired to try my hand at what you do so well.

See you all again soon.

[peterl]

Some gear shots.

1.setting up
2. Guy doing final adjustments
3.Hope it is all plugged in!
4.Chris,scope and refreshments ready.
5.nice binoculars Jim.
6.3RF 18 inch.
7. 24 inch F3.6. Nice!

[RB]

I'm posting this in this thread too.

Thank you so much for all your hard work Mike.
I have a lot of fond memories over the years at IISAC.
Another great year this year, I had the pleasure to share it this year with my three youngest ones.
They had a ball and they finally got to see what it was like to visit IISAC, after all the times they heard me rave about it.

I missed a lot of the usuals but it was a pleasure to meet new people and ones I've wanted to meet for years.
Thank you also to Andrew Murrell and 3RF for the sky tour, the kids and I loved it.

And of course my youngest, Rebekah, was ecstatic in winning a lucky door prize, which was the Deep-Sky Planner 6 software, my thanks to Knightware.
She said I can have it.

Can't wait till next year.

:cool:



She's such a cutie Deeno !

:)

[Retrograde]

Thoroughly enjoyed my first IISAC catching up with old friends and meeting lots of new people.

Thanks to Mike for all his work in organising the event, Andrew & Gary for the sky tours with the 18-inch and all the others who were more than happy to share views through their scopes.

My own humble attempt at a nightscape with The Emu rising above the trees:

[norm]

Thanks Mike for organising another successful IISAC. Whilst we only stayed for the one night it was great to be part of the astro community and this could not be done without your efforts and skills.

Norm :) :thumbsup:

[lacad01]

Likewise, thanks Mike & all for a great camp - a first for me. While I mostly kept to myself, was great to make the acquaintance of my immediate camp neighbours and have a chat around our gear :) Looking forward to the next one.

[Dave2042]

I'll add my thanks for organising a great event, Mike.

[iceman]

For those that attended IISAC2013, I'd appreciate it if you could spend a few minutes filling in this survey/feedback form.

http://iisac2013.questionpro.com

It'll only take a few minutes and your responses will be confidential. All questions are optional.

[iceman]

I guess it's time for my report!

Wow, what a great camp. We couldn't have asked for better weather. Beautiful warm days, not much wind, not much cloud, no rain.
The nights were spectacular.

Thursday night was 100% clear all night, with some reasonably heavy dew making dew control important!
Friday night had intermittent high cloud, but left large parts of the sky clear. The cloud added some great depth to the timelapses and nightscapes anyway :)
Saturday night was 100% clear all night again, with just a few minor passing clouds, and a slight breeze kept the dew away. Definitely the pick of the nights.

It was a shame that a lot of the 'regulars' weren't there, people I was used to seeing every year, but it was balanced nicely by the fact that there were so many first-timers! During the Saturday afternoon speech, I asked how many were first-timers, and about half the crowd put their hand up! We had about 118 attendees all up.
That's fantastic - and makes me feel great about the ongoing success of IISAC - that there'll always be people to come and enjoy their first star party!

It was certainly different in the evening, both due to lack of catering and no daylight savings. It got dark earlier, and with no catering it meant there was no reason for people to mingle around the marquee area. It seemed to lose a bit of the great spirit we had around dinner every time in previous years (for those that bought dinner).
Not sure what to do about that yet, maybe have a sausage sizzle one night to get people together - but nice and early so people can still get back to their scopes before dark. Will also try and get the catering back for next year but no guarantees.

On a personal note it was great to see so many people at my Nightscapes talk, and great to hear and see so many nightscape shots over the following nights. I received some great feedback and I'm glad I can do my part in helping to inspire people to get outside with their camera and tripod.

The camp itself went nice and smoothly, and thanks to the volunteers who helped me setup and pack away. I might miss one or two and if I do I'm sorry, but special mention to:
Al Sheehan, Anthony, Fred, Trevor and wife, Bronwyn, Al Meehan (for the shirts), Mark and David (Guest speakers) and anyone I've forgotten.

Thanks as always to the sponsors who supported IISAC2013 - Bintel, Wildcard Innovations and Knightware. I appreciate your ongoing support, it really means a lot.

Thanks as always to Andrew Murrell and Gary Kopff who as part of 3RF, gave night sky tours on the Friday and Saturday night. I heard lots of great feedback from those that took part in it.

Chris Turton's son Anthony brought along his quadcopter which was certainly something amazing. I want one! I've got some video of the group photo and a flight along the field to chuck up on YouTube soon.

I've also got GB's of nightscape images to process, including a timelapse or two I hope. It's going to take me forever! :) Hopefully before IISAC2014 :)

Anyway I'm sure I've forgotten something, but here's the group photo:

IISAC2013 Group Photo (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/iisac/iisac2013/iisac2013-groupphoto-1200px.jpg)

And of course I'd love your feedback:
http://iisac2013.questionpro.com

I look forward to seeing you all next year in 2014 - definitely keen to keep it around the same time (April). Just have to check new moon dates, Easter dates, school holiday etc. A busy time of year but a lovely time of year for the night sky with so much to look at.

[peterl]

Nice image Retrograde (Pete)

Many thanks Mike for another great astro camp.
Enjoyed it very much.

Just a few more photos.
Tell me when to stop!!

1.Takin it easy.
2.deep discussion.
3.Al and time lapse unit.
4.playtime with the Quadcopter.
5.sketching with Jim.
6.solar opportunity.
7.setting up.

[Screwdriverone]

Nice pics Peter,

Great to meet you and Sue and to borrow your hammer.....D'oh! I knew I would forget something.

Cheers

Chris

[absolut]

Loving the photos guys!

This was my only "adventure" in photography...
It's a selfie with some class, I used the primary on the 18" dob! lol

[RB]

Nice one Robert !

[Retrograde]

Thanks Peter. Thanks also for posting those candid pics of the camp.
That's me in your final image: "setting up" :thumbsup:

[sheeny]

I've done a little timelapse video of IISAC:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcsGT3d7aXc

There's a little bit of video shot with the Oly OM-D at the start, and I've stolen (with permission) Mike's group photo to include. It's a bit rough but I'm only learning this video business. I need longer star timelapse segments!

Select 720P for best viewing.

Al.

[Deeno]

Nice one!
Just like being there.....

[iceman]

Nice work, Al.

That little unit doesn't do a bad job :)

[pluto]

Here's another quick timelapse from Friday evening: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7iVa1IXH8c

Thanks Mike for your efforts, it was a great experience meeting others that share this hobby. And great to look through that 18"!! :eyepop:

[iceman]

Nice one Hugh, great to see structure in the clouds.

[RB]

Very nice guys !!
Love 'em.

[iceman]

If you missed out on picking up an IISAC2013 T-Shirt while at IISAC2013, you can order online here:

http://shop.iceinspace.com.au/shop/iisac2013-black-t-shirt/

Limited sizes available, first in best dressed! Best dressed in a fabulous IISAC2013 Black T-Shirt :)

[Rod771]

Very nice time lapse video's Al and Hugh

Well done :thumbsup:

[peterl]

thanks for the videos.
That time lapse machine works well Al. :)

[iceman]

Here's the 3 prize winners.

1. Bintel : Televue Delos Eyepiece: Trevor Oates
2. Wildcard : 50% off Argo Navis: Anthony Ricketts
3. Knightware : Deep Sky Planner Software : Rebecca Catsaitis (RB's daughter).

Thanks to Brad Le Brocque for the short notice photos (so short notice, he still had his camera on bulb or something ;)).

Thanks again to Mike at Bintel, Gary at Wildcard and Phyllis at Knightware for supporting and sponsoring IISAC2013.

[mathewb]

First ever photo from my 8" f5 Newt..

Only the second time its been out of the box. Was mightly impressed with the amount of help that I got with setting up and polar alignment of my scope. I'd only had it out of the box once before and had no clue how to drive it. Much better at it now. This is my 30 sec image of Orion, processed in about 5mins on photoshop. Just need to get my drift alignment working now :)

Cheers,
Mathew.

[MortonH]

Cool. I just saw myself putting up my tent in around 2 seconds! :lol:

[Ijay]

What a great weekend and thanks to all.

I have attached a couple of sketches that I attempted on Thursday and Friday Nights. Dew was a major problem and played havock with my sketching paper, and tended to turn the paper into mush. As a result of the dew I did the sketches early in the evening.
These were done in pencil and charcoal then inverted in photoshop.

Cheers
Ivan

[TrevDownUnder]

What a great group of people and a chance to share ideas and learn new tricks.
Had loads of fun with my scope and planetary camera (even though camera is a bit dodgy chinese ebay cheapie.

First images of Saturn via LX90-8inch with cheapie camera

First images of sunspots (Close-ups) via LX90 / Baader Solar film and cheapie camera

(Images are in Forum: Solar System)

And a pathetic attempt at a couple of nightscapes with my Canon SX1-IS (no don't laugh) :lol:

Images are in Forum: Nightscapes

[Rod771]

Nice sketches Ivan.

I appreciate you letting have a look through your sketch books on Saturday night :)

Thanks very much, you've got a great talent there :thumbsup:

[stardust steve]

Hi all. First off my wife Melissa and I would like to say a big thanks for giving us the opportunity to attend our first ever star party/camp.
We had a relaxing time away with the sounds of the birds, the running creek and great dark skies.
After arriving, we decided to set up on the lower field and it was good to meet Adam our neighbor. The next day we decided to relocate to the top field where we met some more people. We found it very easy to start talking with anyone:)
Here a few photo's both of Lostock and out adventures on the road trip.

1. 10x 20 sec stack + 1 x 20sec for the foreground. EF-S 18-55 @18 f3.5
2. I found this lone grave with detailed iron work on a walk and returned to it for a Nightscape pic. Single 30 sec.
3. A tree silhouette against the night sky.
4. The famous 5 tree on the hill that feature in many nightscapes :)
5. A stop in Victoria provided a nice photo opportunity.
6. i had Melissa on the lookout for Nightscape objects to include in pics. Fun game that made the trip exciting. SHe found this beaut windmill, after a quick fence jump, i set up in an empty dam which allowed me to look up at it from below. The Moon and Jupiter and conjunction with Aldebaran just visible.
7. Here i caught a truck passing us as we were taking another break and i had the camera with me in country Victoria.

We had a great time and would love to be able to make it to many more.:thumbsup:

[lacad01]

Same with me, Ivan was good to meet you and was fascinating looking through your sketches as well as getting a low down on the techniques, etc. Hope you can post some more sketches in the future :thumbsup:

[Ijay]

Adam and Rod,

Thanks for the feedback.:thanx: I will definately get more sketches done, working on the dew problem!

Cheers
Ivan

[peterl]

Great images Steve..Well done.

[Rod771]

Yeah nice shots Steve, I like the truck one.

[csmi98]

Canon 5D Mark II
1. 14minutes (approx) 400iso. Edited in Lightroom to lighten the foreground, and used Tungsten WB, which added some nice blue.
2. Same pic, with just the shadows lightened
3. 6400iso - 30secs - Samyang 14mm f2.8
4. Star trails - 6400iso - 10minutes - Samyang 800mm f8

Good to see other peoples great photos!
I had a great time at my first star party... thanks Craig

[Screwdriverone]

Great pics Craig!

Love numbers 1 & 2, I like how number 2 looks almost daylight, number 3 is pretty awesome as well, bugger it, they are all great now that I think of it.

Well done, nice work!

Cheers

Chris

[iceman]

Great pics Craig! Glad you enjoyed the star party!

[Star Catcher]

Hi All
Thanks Mike for your efforts. My friend Geoff and I had a great time and met plenty of the new and plenty of the old crowd. I was not particularly productive in my imaging, seems a few wines and a few clouds will do it every time :). I did manage a reasonable NGC4945 see here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/74075989@N00/8657005341/sizes/o/in/photostream/

Ted

[iceman]

Beautiful image Ted!

[Larryp]

Nice pics, Craig!

[absolut]

Loving all the photos guys!!

Getting me all inspired to get DSLR and get out there!!

Keep up the good work! :D

[lacad01]

Great shots Craig, especially like the reflections :thumbsup:

[csmi98]

Thanks for the comments :). Pity I just broke my camera :(. Will have to get another so I can get out and about at night again soon...