QLD Astrofest 2014?

[Nortilus]

Just to get things started. Any news yet on dates and what not?

Don't know if I will make it this year but if I can I will be there...

[acropolite]

Wendy might be able to fill us in but I seem to remember 17-27 July this year, hopefully someone will confirm.

[h0ughy]

yes i must remember to book

july

Fri 18 - Sun 27 QUEENSLAND ASTROFEST - Camp Duckadang

from the BAS website http://www.bas.asn.au/Calendar_2014.html

[Nortilus]

ahh...good to see they put it up on the BAS website and not on the QLD Astrofest site...

[stanlite]

I guess I will see you there josh, houghy will you be bringing a small nuclear reactor this year to power the eq8 et al lol

[h0ughy]

yes Chernobyl and Fukashima :rofl:

[RB]

:lol:
Apocalyptic !

[stanlite]

Ahhh yes the twins i see

[RB]

:rofl:

[alan meehan]

Stand back fellas this year we look going 24/7 between deep sky and mass solar during the day ,I really think we are going to need a bigger trailer
AL

[stanlite]

and a small staff to allow you to have a rest lol .... Al & Huffs travelling observatory

[alan meehan]

AH Yes the slaves :evil2:

[batema]

God I wish I could come.

[strongmanmike]

Mate, you guys will need more NoDoz or better still straight ephidrine :eyepop:...I might try and come this year...? :question: :prey:

Mike

[h0ughy]

You are welcome to tag along with us Mike , however it might be a tad squeezy – you know what I had for the Nyngan trip ;) it the best holiday you will ever have:lol:

[strongmanmike]

Yeah but the only reason I fitted in with you and your Himalayan expedition gear :eyepop: was cause Al pulled out :lol:

[stanlite]

mike, if you come you will quickly realize there are two types of people on the imaging field of duckadang. Those who manage to find a different circuit from huffs setup and who have a great time. Then there are those who setup on the same circuit as huffy and realize why he is also known as Fukashima dave :lol::lol::rofl::P

[strongmanmike]

Oh O!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inWKw8nqQlI

[acropolite]

The h0ugh is the astrofest master of awakedness without any chemical or spiritual stimulus, he manages with little or no sleep for days on end. He has been rumoured to nap in the early daylight hours, but no one has ever witnessed this ritual.

[stanlite]

look what has gone up on the QLD Astrofest website people

http://www.qldastrofest.org.au/

only 16 days til registration opens huff ... who will win this years race ...:P:fight:

[h0ughy]

:rofl: yes that would be 4 years in a row:P

[AstroJunk]

Qld Govt is looking to build some new dams (and about time too!). Sorry Houghy, as if your new street lights weren't bad enough, Duckadang is about to be flooded...

"The first of the possible dams could be on the Upper Brisbane River at Linville, north of Wivenhoe and Somerset dams.

A 1991 study showed it would cost $140 million to build a new dam there."

[AstroJunk]

On a happier note, the Village idiots that ran Duckadang in 2013 have moved on: http://www.campduckadang.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=180:camp-duckadang-welcomes-new-site-managers-to-the-local-community&catid=61&Itemid=208

Hope the committee is taking to the new folk :poke:. I had a long chat with the Lions Club director of Duckadang who was disappointed by my tale of kitchen woes...

[h0ughy]

now that is good news;)

[h0ughy]

i read that to mean we will have cooled optics:P

[AstroJunk]

2015 sponsors to include Quintrex and Evinrude. We can swap out the counterweight toss for a casting comp...

[h0ughy]

ohh water bed in the bunkhouse

[AstroJunk]

err, Arc.

On a positive note, we will have to have two of every telescope.

[h0ughy]

:rofl: well thats the easy part - always have a spare:D

[whzzz28]

Aww, i wanted to read.
Account suspended. Guess someone didn't pay their bill.

I might shoot out for a night or two this year, will have to wait until time is closer to see what work is like though.

[AstroJunk]

The site's back :thumbsup:

[Sirius1066]

Hi Guys

Yes last years managers have moved on, and the committee has met with the new managers to sort out the problems from last year.

On our recent visit I was very pleased to find that things seemed to be much cleaner, I walked into McDonald House and the higher standard was noticeable. Lets hope it's a sign of things to come.

We spent a lot of time talking about the food with the new managers. They got the message loud and clear that last year was unacceptable. I'm sure it will be much better this year, especially the Astrofeast.

Only a couple of days now to registrations open... :D I can't wait!

[h0ughy]

now grady the web site will be up soon

Countdown until registration opens
Time left:
0Days
11Hours121Minutes5443Seconds..Count down until Astrofest 2014 starts
Time left:
91Days23Hours121Minutes5443Seconds. .

[stanlite]

10hours 32 mins

iam well aware houghy

[h0ughy]

Countdown until registration opens
Time left:
0Days
09Hours176Minutes0509Seconds..

and thats way up past your bedtime young man:lol:

[stanlite]

i am the night

[h0ughy]

:rofl: :rofl: :stargaze: :lol2: :camera: :stupid:

[stanlite]

hey huff

1hour 30 mins

[h0ughy]

1.23 but who iscounting:P

[stanlite]

obviously both of us

but you have the advantage ... i have no idea how to register with the new system lol

[stanlite]

1 minute

[h0ughy]

well that was an anticlimax - no button no nothing

[stanlite]

yes how am i meant to beat huff to it if there is no it to press

added to that the stress of knowing that there is now only 27days and 23 hours till early bird offers finish

[LyraMoonstarer]

Many apologies to Houghy, Grady and keen Astrofesters. Our webmaster made the last minute decision to push back the Registration by one week to 25 April, due to his involvement with NACAA (he is currently in Melbourne) and unforeseen family "stuff". He was concerned that, if there were issues, he would not be in a good position to resolve them as quickly as possible. The earlybird dates will also be pushed back.

Diane

[stanlite]

haha all good ;)

See you at round two two Huff

[h0ughy]

you're on - dawn service ;)

[Octane]

I might make it this year, as I'll be a Caloundra local come the 30th. :)

Now, to grovel at the feet of my beautiful wife for permission. AstroFest coincides with her birthday on the 22nd of July. :P

H

[allan gould]

Same birthday as me
Allan

[acropolite]

Don't think we'll be there this year unfortunately....:(

Then again we could possibly pop up for the last weekend sans gear... :evil:

[DaveO]

Hi all

Sorry for the delay - too many things to do!! :sadeyes:

Anyway, registrations are now open (actually they have been since about 8pm last night).

Any issues, PM me and I will investigate.

[stanlite]

so who was first???

i paid up and everything at 2:01pm because i thought it was opening tonight at midnight haha

David did you beat me??? :P:P:P:P:P

[h0ughy]

I am so sorry but i hate the registration page - i cant even book for two, and every day?

[h0ughy]

no the registration page is a problem - i cant book two at once - stuff it i will post a reply by surface mail:mad2::sadeyes:

[stanlite]

yeah it took me about 10mins to fill in a booking for everyday plus astrofest

[h0ughy]

the thing that gets me is i should have been able to book from last year - pretty standard order all days, lower bunk and for two people and just fork over the money:P

[DaveO]

Hi guys

Thanks for the feedback.

Unfortunately I inherited management of the site from the previous webmaster, and only had a limited amount of time to get it updated for this year. The site is based on an e-commerce system rather than a room booking system, which has some "interesting" complications, especially in light of the various forms of accommodation bookings available at Astrofest.

And during that period the hosting provider had a major outage that affected us, NACAA, and the AAQ. It was 2 weeks from hell!!

I will watch what happens this year, and hopefully we can improve on it next time. Hopefully you can all persevere with it as it is. Offers to be webmaster are always welcome!! ;)

[allan gould]

Tried to register but the computer keeps coming up with HTTP 403 forbidden. Not too special.
It says this site requires you to log in but it makes it a bit difficult when you cant even get a home page to open.

[DaveO]

Allan

Damn! Doesn't matter how much you test these things, it is never enough!! :confused2:

Can you confirm a couple of things:
1. Were you logged in before trying the registration process?
2. If not, can you log in first and then try, and let me know if that resolves it?
3. If that doesn't solve the problem, can you PM me step by step sequence so I can investigate?

[DaveO]

And to answer a previous question: Grady (stanlite) was the first to successfully create an order at 2.:10pm, 15 minutes after I posted that the site was accepting registrations.

[allan gould]

Dave
Tried to log in using this URL
http://www.qldastrofest.org.au/

and keep getting this page (see attachment.
Wasnt logged in
Cant login as cant get the page

[allan gould]

Trying to access the above URL and same response after rebooting the PC
Allan

[DaveO]

Allan

Can you confirm what version of IE you are using? I just tried it with IE 11 with no trouble. Chrome (my default browser) works fine.

[allan gould]

OK Safari now opens the home page.. What is next step as I dont want this to continue.
Allan

[DaveO]

All

Just a warning. With all the attempts to hack websites that occur each hour, as part of my update of the QAF website I installed a firewall. This firewall blocks most of the common attack vectors, which has made the job of keeping the site secure easier.

:fight:

However it also considers failed login attempts as an attack vector. If you get your user ID/pwd wrong three times within 1 hour, your IP address will automatically be blocked for 1 hour. You are usually advised of this with a message as follows:

Our site software has detected what appears to be the actions of a spammer, hacker or an otherwise bad person. If you have forgotten your password, please contact the webmaster to have your account reset.

Given that most of us only log into the site on a yearly basis, it is easy to forget your password or even your user ID!

To help with this, I have created two new menu options to assist:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/7643024/QAF%20Login.PNG

As always, please feel free to contact me directly via PM or via the email web at qldastrofest for assistance.

[allan gould]

Got this message this time

[allan gould]

Im now an official bad person and blocked from the site.
Hope the food is more enjoyable than this experience.
Allan

[DaveO]

Allan

I have reset the block again. You should get further this time. If necessary, PM me and I will manually reset your password.

[DaveO]

Allan

Sorry you're having so much trouble with the security, but I think you'd all prefer a secure website than one that allows the real bad guys to infiltrate, grab your emails etc and add to your spam count.

[allan gould]

Still locked out with the same last message although I reset my user name and password but when I went to login with them Im still a bad person.
Oh well I give up.

[DaveO]

Allan, I have manually reset your password based on your last failed attempt to login. See the PM I have just sent.

[DaveO]

Allan

I can see that you have successfully logged on and created an order (#2). Let me know if you need any further help.

[allan gould]

Couldnt find the Astrofeast option at the start and so had to add it to another order, but all paid for by bank transfer.
What a shemozzle - could you just have a page to tick one box that applies for all nights, I may have inadvertantly ticked a female bunk in some nights just to get some Frauline company (and NOOO comments JJJ).
A simpler tick the boxes with a number of attendants on one page would have been preferable.
But thanks for your efforts David. I just got there in the end.
Allan

[DaveO]

Allan

Glad to hear you got there eventually.

As to the system, yes, I'd like to see a lot of changes - but in the time between taking on the job and going live it was not possible to redesign the system - as they say, it is what it is. Perhaps next year. At least we had a site for this year's event.

[astroron]

Quick Question:question:
What was wrong with the system that Tony and Anna Luise had for many years and seemed to work so well. :question::question::question:
Cheers:thumbsup:

[DaveO]

Ron

Like all things, time is usually unkind. As I recall, the site that existed previously was developed using an earlier generation of technology, was very time consuming to modify, and didn't provide some of the functionality that people (including the Committee) wanted. Managing the orders was a big job for AL & Tony as I recall when I was on the Committee. And I recall some real issues with the bits developed by the professional developer some years ago.

In the intervening time, a decision was apparently made to redevelop the site so that it would provide some of the functionality needed, using a more modern technology stack, and making it possible for more than one person to work with.

When the previous webmaster became unwell, I offered to take on the maintenance, as it was based upon technology that I already used for many other sites (VSS, AAQ et al). Unfortunately the nature of Astrofest makes the e-commerce tool used for orders challenging.

Various people have described their needs as easy. However when you combine various classes of accommodation (some single, others multiple), with pricing structures that have to include pensioners, adults and 2 levels of children, meals etc, and an earlybird discount period, the problem becomes harder. Especially when you also need to identify all people for insurance purposes and keep track of available beds.

Several people have suggested improvements on this thread, and I will be more than happy to investigate these going forward. However at this stage the site is functional and provides the necessary operations.

Alternatively if anybody else would like to take on the job of managing the site in their "spare time" instead of doing observing or research, I would be more than happy to discuss it with them. :P

[stanlite]

i might consider it, however i have no experience with Joomla (and it looks like a nightmare on back end) i am more of a Weebly fan. Its a mute point as i don't have the time before this years astrofest due to uni and teacher prac. But maybe next year?

[astroron]

Thanks for the explanation Dave.:thanx:
Cheers:thumbsup:

[h0ughy]

managed to invest 40 min to put in the order - the non tech savy are going to suffer big time, as to the thick as two short planks like me. anyway Alan and myself are now booked and paid for. Grady for the record i couldn't get online to book due to the severe thunderstorms we were experiencing - they went all night through to about midday. most interesting really

[stanlite]

Ah so the sacrifice worked then:P

[h0ughy]

yes your mount goes up in flames on the 17th ;)

[allan gould]

I'm afraid a form has to be logical and simple for me to fill out properly.
Any deviation or ambiguity from that and it becomes a rat fest for me.
Old farts like me get confused easily and from then on in it's downward all the way to complete chaos and random ticking of boxes and key pounding on the computer.
The wife had hysterics while I filled it out so I suppose there was some worth to the events.
Allan

[astroron]

One of the reasons I didn't turn up last year was the registration form beat me:confused2:
It made conditions I couldn't except, so called it quits,and was going to come down for the day on Saturday,but then got car trouble so that was that.:(
I will see later on if I am going to try and make it this year.:question:
Cheers:thumbsup:

[h0ughy]

i bet you were suffering terets at the time:lol:

[allan gould]

No Tourett's, you %$#@! idiot

[h0ughy]

yeah thats whot iz mentz:P

[h0ughy]

I'm hoping that a small little project i have been looking at doing will be unveiled at Astrofest - it promises to be something unique and a first for astrofest

[AstroJunk]

Good food?

[h0ughy]

:rofl:no;)

[allan gould]

You are streaking!!!!??????

[h0ughy]

cringe - gawd no!!:question:

[Octane]

Can't go, bugger.

Wife has kaiboshed it. She has a conference in Sydney she wants me to attend with her on that first weekend.

Maybe next year.

H

[LyraMoonstarer]

Just a reminder to all that the Earlybird rates finish tomorrow. Thanks to Renato for jogging my memory about it.

[LyraMoonstarer]

Our whizz of a webmaster has wound back the Earlybird date so now there are 8 days remaining to register at the reduced rate!

[jjjnettie]

:D Woot woot! Just booked in for the full camp.
Next mission, get the camper van back on the road again. :)

[jjjnettie]

:) Hoping the new managers will have their bulk cooking skills honed by the time we arrive.
So looking forward to catching up with you all. :)

[Asterix2020]

All booked, can't wait!

[mental4astro]

Me and Gondwana Telescopes will be there too! :D

Can't wait. It will be my first Qld Astrofest, and my longest stay in Queensland.

I'm hoping to be able to do a presentation of Marana, and a sketching workshop.

Alex.

[h0ughy]

be great to see you there - probably just after lunch night be best - other than that most survivors of the allnighter will have breakky, lunch then crash for the arvo to get up just in time for dinner then push on into the night;)

[jjjnettie]

It'll be wonderful to see you again Alex. :)

[OneCosmos]

Unusually for me I left booking AF until very late this year, today in fact, but at least I will be there. So much going on for me this year it's been difficult to catch a breath, and then at times wished I hadn't bothered :- Looking forward to the food though - not.

I am, however looking forward to seeing everyone again and will become excited as the time time draws near.

I haven't even bought any new equipment this year!

Chris

[Nino]

Food should be better this year, there are new managers at Duckadang.

[OneCosmos]

the new managers were already in place last year. Do you mean it has changed again already?

Chris

[LyraMoonstarer]

Hi Chris,

Yes, these are NEW managers ;)

[OneCosmos]

Whohoo does that mean food is on the menu again ;)

[LyraMoonstarer]

This is the menu we have received for the catered meals this year. The price has risen to $8.

Catered MealsLunch MenuDinner Menu12pm-1pm $8 each </SPAN>5pm-6pm $8 each </SPAN>Friday 18thCrumbed fish, chips and saladSpaghetti Bolognaise, salad and garlic breadSaturday 19thHomemade pie, wedges and saladCorned Beef and vegetablesSunday 20thHamburger and chipsChicken Stir-fry and noodlesMonday 21stLasagne and saladChicken Frittata with vegetablesTuesday 22ndMarinated Drumsticks and saladCurried Sausages and vegetablesWednesday 23rdMacaroni Cheese and saladSweet and Sour Chicken and riceThursday 24thApricot Chicken with RiceBeef Stroganoff with noodlesFriday 25thSavoury Mince with garlic breadChicken Curry with vegetablesSaturday 26thCottage Pie and salad AstroFeast: Roast Chicken or Corned Beef with vegies and Dessert

As with last year, there will be a list in the Kitchen to write your name on to ensure you get a meal for the next day.

[stanlite]

Hey everyone I am thinking i might bring up a network switch and a spare computer I have and setting it up in the dinning room. that way if we install team-viewer on your imaging rig you could keep an eye on your setup while catching that 1 am cup of jo. Anyone interested in doing this ... would require some Ethernet cable (might set up a hub outside and just run one long cable into the dinning room). Anyone interested in joining me in this experiment???

[glenc]

On Monday 21/7 I will take a talk called
Discovering Bright Southern Deep-Sky Objects.
It covers the 21 people that found 110 bright objects south of declination -20.

[mental4astro]

Hey Glen, until will you be at Astrofest? I'm arriving on Thursday arvo. Would be great to finally get to meet you, :)

JJJ, I had hoped to see you at IISAC last April. But, I'll take this coming Astrofest :D

I'll be doing a presentation on Gondwana Telescopes on Saturday 26 at 11am. It was looking to be the day before on the Friday, but a presenter for Saturday has had to pull out, and I've been slotted into their vacancy.

I've also arranged for one of my sketches to be offered as a prize in the raffle draw. Something very much out of the norm from the prizes that are offered, :D

I'm hoping to also do a sketching workshop on the Friday, and maybe a talk on Observing Tips. Final arrangements are being worked out with the event organizers. In the workshop I will go through the Mellish Technique I use for sketching DSO's at the eyepiece, and cover some lunar sketching too. In observing tips talk I'll cover human eye anatomy and how to make the most of our human eyes, a little on scopes and matching eyepieces, and 'tricks of the trade' to suck out every last photon. If you are new to using an astronomical telescope, you may find this a big help in reducing your learning curve. I'll modify this post with news of final arrangements when they are made.

Alex.

[geoffw89]

Now that I'm seeing some of the presentations on offer I'm getting interested. I've been waiting to see a schedule and topic list so I can decide when to be there as I can't do the full camp. Has someone seen a schedule yet?

As someone new to the hobby I want to focus on specific topics and not overload on new detail. I live at Woodford so I'm wondering what the policy and costs are for a day tripper, or should I just book a camp site for those days, pending a schedule of course?

Cheers
Geoff

[h0ughy]

given the changes at home this will be my last astrofest for a while.

[glenc]

Geoff a day pass is $6.
http://www.qldastrofest.org.au/index.php/registration/category/60-day-passes

Lodging per night is
http://www.qldastrofest.org.au/index.php/registration/category/41-lodging

[jjjnettie]

:(:sadeyes: :sadeyes:

[geoffw89]

Thank you Glen. So no schedule yet?

[astroron]

Geoff,my suggestion to you is go for the last few days and take in the talks on the weekend plus the vendors and of course the Astrofeast and Astro awards plus the raffle prizes.
Seeing as you live so close why don't you go for a drive one of the early days and go just for a look see.
I am sure then you will get the best of both times.
Cheers:thumbsup:

[geoffw89]

Excellent advice Ron. Thank you.

[firstlight]

That IS sad news... You may be a foreigner from southern climes but we've never turned you back at the border... yet!

[h0ughy]

but NSWhave won this year:D

[firstlight]

Won what?

[h0ughy]

:rofl: bragging rights for a very short while:help:

[acropolite]

They may have to consider closing the event, Astrofest without h0ughy just wouldn't be the same.... :P

Maybe you should just move to Qld Dave, you could move in to Ponders' garage.

[geoffw89]

So how do you all deal with moisture while you leave your rigs setup? Do you just tarp them over or rig a self erecting gazebo? I've seen the Telegizmos covers in the sponsors section but can't find a local supplier. They look great but I suspect I wouldn't get what I need before the camp if I have to order from the US or NZ. Would the tripod covers be considered overkill for keeping battery packs under cover if I went down that route?

[h0ughy]

well go through the old photos f the event in past years and you will see - you almost answered your own question;):thumbsup:

[geoffw89]

I've had a bit of a look but there are so many hours in a day, and seeing a picture isn't quite the same as getting the good oil from those in the know. If we could learn it all from a stack of pictures then death by PowerPoint wouldn't be such a soul destroying waste of time :)

I've seen plenty of stuff tried by diggers while I was in uniform, and a lot was wasted effort, but ten minutes with an experienced soldier and you would be halfway there. I take it though that I should just throw up a gazebo and tarp down the scopes? I draw the line at the vast techno-sprawl that seems to be h0ughy's operation. 3:)

[h0ughy]

yes tarp, yes big plastic bags, yes toilet tent and yes gazebo

[geoffw89]

Why not just get a container delivered mate? Have the full setup inside with a powered fold out roof. Save all the packing and trying to bend the laws of physics squeezing everything in :D

[geoffw89]

So is the toilet that far away, or is it just fun to sit on a porta potty and gave through an eyepiece? Most people just take a magazine to the toilet, not an entire astro imaging rig. :astron:

[AstroJunk]

When you see the imaging field for the first time you will be amazed just how many folk sit in their dunnys all night long. I now know what 'imaging runs' are all about!

[h0ughy]

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/attachment_browse.php?a=120992
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-UxIm96aI0 hopefully you will pull allnighters and not need to cover the scope

[geoffw89]

Thanks David, very inspirational. So the dunnies are mobile imaging studios as well? :rofl: Great idea.

[stanlite]

mobile imaging studio's tiny asylums for the mentally deranged you say potato i say patatoe :P

[geoffw89]

Reminds me of a padded cell I occupied for a while. Ahh the joys of military weapons engineering and acquisitions.

[GTB_an_Owl]

anyone wanting to be warm and sit up with houghy all nite at astrofest might be interested in the latest expression of interest thread
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=120729

i will close orders in time to ship to you before the 18th

geoff

[jjjnettie]

hee hee
We have the photos to prove it too.
Allan Allan Allan

[geoffw89]

You mean the mushroom farms I've noticed?

So is there a reliable supplier of red gel film, and what type of red perspex is ideal for screen covers? I'd hate to turn up and be a completely unprepared pest. Booked for the first 3 and last 3 days.

[Asterix2020]

I bought some from here: www.fifalite.com, email: lights@fifalite.com
Ask for red spotlight gel sheets. A "half sheet" 50cm x 60cm was $10 when I ordered some in Feb 2014.

They will post.

[astroron]

Thanks for the reminder Paul.:D
Cheers:thumbsup:

[stanlite]

These guys are in Brisbane for those that live down here. If you tell them your after red gel for astronomy they know exactly which one to get (must have a few of use coming in at the moment lol). Cost about $15 for 3 feet from memory.

http://www.productionshop.com.au/

[geoffw89]

My thanks to you both Paul and Grady.

[allan gould]

Just make sure you visit the casino at the back of Houghy's imaging tent, pay JJJ the admission price and you may make a few dollars on the roulette wheel or at least enough to pay for Astro goodies. Then for the ultimate - visit the Escargot tent for pure pleasure (JJJ is the commissar).

[Tandum]

I'm out this year people, someone else will have to take the trophy home.

We are off to New York etc for a 3 week walk about just after the event.

I hope to pop in for a day trip though, if I can get a motor bike going :)

[codemonkey]

I bought a couple from the US via eBay that arrived yesterday only 9 days after ordering, so if you wanted to go down that path I think you'd have a good chance of getting yours in time.

[geoffw89]

Thanks Lee, I'm measuring up tomorrow. They have been very helpful.

[jjjnettie]

:D Never a dull moment at Astrofest.
Step right up!!!

[glenc]

Here is a list of 110 Southern Deep-Sky Objects, 20 open clusters, 20 globular clusters, 20 nebulae, 20 PN and 30 galaxies south of declination -20.

On Mon 21 July at the Qld Astrofest I will talk about the 21 discoverers of these 110 objects.

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=122399

[geoffw89]

What time will you be conducting the presentation Glen? This is one I'm keen on catching but I plan to head home for a few days on that Monday.

[glenc]

I have not been given a time yet.

[geoffw89]

So it could be a case of hurry up and wait. I'm well trained at that :D

[Camelopardalis]

Folks, I'm considering the long trek from Sydney (assuming I'm let over the border!) after all our recently wintry weather :D but how's the weather up there for the event? My sleeping bag is only rated to -3 :sadeyes:

Oh and dew too...my scope is a SCT :help:

[astroron]

There are bunk houses 4 to a room for single people they are usually warmer than outside. ;)
SCT will require a dew shield and heater if you have one,cover to protect it when finished observing.
There will be plenty of SCT's there so you won't be alone
As it is in July it could get down to below freezing C so warm clothes are the call of the Night.
Sleeping bags are not too dear so I reckomend getting a little bit warmer one to be on the safe side.
Cheers:thumbsup:
PS minus 3 sleeping bag will be quite sufficiant witha pair of tracky dacks or something to sleep in.

[Camelopardalis]

Thanks Ron!

[stanlite]

here is the link to the 28 day forecast for Brisbane area ... not exactly same area but close enough for general purposes

http://www.weatherzone.com.au/long-range-forecast/28-day-rain/qld/brisbane

[jjjnettie]

For weather out this way, go by the Ipswich forecast and subtract a 3C from the lows. :)
I think we're in for a cracker Astrofest this year. :)

[Camelopardalis]

Thanks Grady, Jeanette! Just need to get approval from the ahem finance director ;)

[GTB_an_Owl]

7Timer links for Duckadang

http://202.127.24.18/exe/ape.php?lon=152.275&lat=-26.541&en&%3ben&

http://202.127.24.18/index.php?product=civil&lang=en&lon=152.27521950000005&lat=-26.8407815

and don't forget! - still time to order freezer wear to keep you warm

geoff

[geoffw89]

Subtract 3 degrees Jeanette? I left Ipswich because it was too cold. Over here it is more like add 5 degrees. That is positively frigid mate, although on a recent early am trip out west to help out a veteran suffering PTS I did notice the temp dropping a fair bit as I got closer to Kilcoy. Brrr! I better get some USB powerbank/hand warmers as well.

[jjjnettie]

Weather man predicts 1C for us tomorrow morning. I'll have to remember to put out the thermometer to double check the difference. :)
It's nights/mornings like this where a good Freezer Suit (see Geoffs plug above) comes into it's own. :) I have the two piece one for extra cold nights, otherwise I use ski pants, snow boots and a heavy lined jacket. And layers. Lots of layers. :)

[h0ughy]

well i have a treat this year:D, the kids have cleaned up and packed the wine cupboard:thanx:. for those who matter:P, there will be a midnight tipple:hi:. i cant drink this now and appreciate it:sadeyes:, but i can share the appreciation.;)

[jjjnettie]

Are you suggesting that we drink at a Star Party?? Shame on you.

[Asterix2020]

I thought drinks and cold star parties went together. I remember being 15, no um 18, at a SCAS Queen's Long Weekend astrocamp near Kenilworth and while sitting around the scopes someone (couldn't tell in the dark:shrug:) poured some Irish whiskey in my coffee with the advice "That'll warm you up".

And it did :)

And I still like Irish whiskey to this day.

[stanlite]

I will be bringing private cooking facilitates to open up Cafe Huff once again (and hopefully avoid the worse aspects of Cafe Camp lol.

[jjjnettie]

LOL At Astrofest the usual is beer in the day time, wine late afternoon, spirits at night and port at sunrise.
There are usually folk heading out into town for a booze run every couple of days. :)
I'm not a big drinker, but these astro folk are a bad influence. LOL

[geoffw89]

Ooooh booze! You guys are a bad influence. I better revisit the packing list. I'm starting to rethink this astro party thing. :cheers:

[h0ughy]

its moderated and anyone nipped and dissed near my gear will not live to see morning dawn:poke: :bashcomp: :stargaze: :evil2:

[geoffw89]

How about crissed as a picket???

I can barely touch the stuff anymore, which is a waste of a 500 bottle collection of wine. So now I just have to share. ;)

[jjjnettie]

It's astronomy first.
And you really don't want to be so tiddly you trip over someones very expensive gear.

[codemonkey]

So... who's going to have a cheap secondhand Atik 314L+ for me to buy at Astrofest?

[GTB_an_Owl]

just to pop this up again

freezer wear orders close thursday

don't miss out - last chance to order till next year

geoff

[h0ughy]

Once again this year I will be travelling light ;) – one mount only

There will be a lot of gear not returning this year, that should lighten the load for home. I did book for the astrofest but may end up travelling a little way on the way back home after the dinner, not sure yet on that one and will play it by ear. I have a very important date on the Monday and cannot miss it.

Also How are the temperatures going this year, have there been a lot of frosts there so far? Will it finally be astrofrost?

This year will see the eq8 in action again, I haven’t touched it since last year. For those that have one how did you upgrade the firmware for the motor control? Is that only to the handset? To add to the untried and tested I have a brand new Moravian G2 to use, and a FLI 8300 OSC, a Williams optics 110 with moonlite stepper focus and a Lomo 102/650 Apo with feathertouch motor focus control. This will be sitting on top a platform of my own unique concoction with will also house my lunt 60 and a coranado sm40. I intend on making it a solar fest as well :P with both solar and Astro guiders :D :D

I am really looking forward to this:)

[jjjnettie]

Official minimums for the next few days are...
1, 4, 2, 0, 2, 4. But as you know, you have to take a couple of degrees off the official forecast for Duckadang.
It's been a bit blowy of late too. Haven't been able to get my subs over 4 minutes because of it.

[stanlite]

is that the setup i am going to be walking you through on SGP huff lol.

Have you got a plate solver?

trying to figure out what i may need to walk you through lol:P:P:P

[GTB_an_Owl]

temps for the first 6 days from 7Timer

http://202.127.24.18/index.php?product=two&lon=152.275&lat=-26.841&lang=en&ac=0&unit=metric&tzshift=0&site=

freezer suit weather for most of them

geoff

[troypiggo]

If only there was someone that sold freezer suits around here... :P

[GTB_an_Owl]

I'm sure there is someone Troy :question: :P

[jjjnettie]

I bought a freezer suit last year, it's really toasty warm. Just can't remember from whom I bought it. :rolleyes:

[GTB_an_Owl]

and i guess you will be taking it to Astrofest with you Jeanette ? :D


geoff

[jjjnettie]

It's the first thing I pack in the van. You can't do good astro if you can't stop shivering. :)

[h0ughy]

well I m just playing with my new FLI 8300C - need to get some capture software instead of the fli grab window one. only testing to see how it works

[jjjnettie]

nice

[Stillaway]

Hi All,
I am planning on going to astrofest. It will be my first time attending anything like this, also i have never even used a telescope before. I will be going on my own so if any of you have advice for me in regards to accommodation etc feel free to message me.
Or if you just want to say hi that would be cool so i can meet up with some of you at the event instead of walking around lost :)

Cheers,
Kayne
:thumbsup:

[astroron]

I can give you all the info when we meet.
Cheers:thumbsup:

[RB]

Oh can't wait to see some images from it.
Saw it the other night and it looked like a great bit of gear.
Good luck mate, hope you guys have a blast.

RB

[Camelopardalis]

So it looks like I might make it up :D and I won't be needing to rush back - I think I might stop in Brisbane for a couple of days too.

As I'm in no rush, could anyone suggest another site that is astro friendly so I could squeeze out an extra couple of nights?

Also, suggestions for any must-sees in the area, and/or in the Brisbane area, astro or general touristy stuff much appreciated...it's a long drive and I figure I might as well take in as much as I can while I have the opportunity ;)

[glenc]

Windy on Fri 18 July.
http://www.weatherzone.com.au/qld/southeast-coast/gatton
http://www.weatherzone.com.au/qld/brisbane/ipswich

[OneCosmos]

I have managed to leave preparation for Astrofest until the final weekend - never good I know. I have everything out and trying to remember how I connected everything. I want to first update the firmware on the hand controller of the EQ8 but I cannot for the life me me identify which is the direct PC link cable that was supplied with the mount. I have lots of possible cables, but not sure which is the one originally supplied :( Can anyone describe it or send a pic?

Cheers
Chris

[jjjnettie]

Kilcoy got down to -5 this morning. Duckadang would have been -7 maybe. :)
Hope you're all packing your Winter woolies.

[h0ughy]

damn that looks cold:help:

[Camelopardalis]

So I'm guessing I'm not going to have to worry about keeping my camera cooled :lol:

[glenc]

Looks like it will be cooled http://ruralco.weatherzone.com.au/local-forecast/qld/linville

[OneCosmos]

Ok, so I managed to update the firmware, which is good using any old USB to serial cable. Tick.

Next problem, I simply can't remember exactly how I connected to the PC last year and having no joy so far this year! The manual seems to imply it must be via the hand controller but I really don't recall doing that. I used to start up the mount with the controller and then unplug that and plug in my old EQMOD cable. At least I thought so. Can anyone with an 8 please confirm the correct configuration?

If I have the cables correctly connected I don't seem to have any options to choose that work when I run a program that requires connection (e.g. PHD, SG Pro etc). I see the EQMOD 5/6 option I used to use with the HEQ5 Pro but don't recall that working previously and the only option seems to be Generic Hub (Ascom), but that doesn't connect successfully.

Can someone please remind me of the correct config?

Cheers

[h0ughy]

I downloaded elbrus and have installed SGP on two machines

[mental4astro]

Anything like 'sky tours' conducted at Astrofest?

I'd be happy to put my 17.5" dob up for such a session one night. i had a great time doing such a tour at SPSP last May! Very busy four hours :)

Any interest?

[Zubenel]

Would love to know what your observing program list looks like??:thanx:

[geoffw89]

I think I'd get a great deal from it Alexander.

[mental4astro]

Not too sure if I should put up a ‘list’ as such as I don’t know if Astrofest has ‘sky tours’ as part of their program, and I don’t want to tread on toes. Anything going ahead on my part I will only do with Astrofest approval. Which is the reason for my asking if such a thing as ‘sky tours’ is a part of Astrofest.

A ‘list’ would depend on how many people come along as to how many different objects I would show. A lot of the time would be dedicated to discussing what each object is, what is visible in it, what is going on in the object, origins, eventualities, physics, chemistry, and all in a manner that I don’t intimidate and is easy to understand and follow by people who have little knowledge of things astro. I really want to make astronomy not about rocket science, but about how accessible it is, how easy it is to participate, and how amateur astronomers are making real contributions to real science even with modest equipment.

Some time would also be spent on how to use a scope and how to effectively look at dim objects with averted vision. Most of the people who came along to the sky tour I did at SPSP in may had little or no experience with astronomical telescopes, so it is important to be patient and take the time to make sure they don’t rush their time or experience at the eyepiece.

Much of the objects I will be showing are the sky’s show piece targets, and if the timing of the evening allows:
• Eta Carina has so much to examine, from screaming hot new clusters, a giant dying star, cosmic bubbles, and dark pillars hiding protostars
• Omega Centauri with its exotic extra-galactic origin
• Centaurus A, the Hamburger Galaxy and its massive collision that’s resulted in its odd appearance
• M83 galaxy with its soft arms
• Jewel Box, a lovely chest of diamonds with a couple of rubies to spy out
• M20, the Trifid Nebula with its petals
• M22 globular cluster as an example of a ‘normal’ GC

Also if there are any other objects that people would like to see I’ll do my best to bring up or some other example of a similar object that would be easier to see or is actually visible at the time of the session. That I’ll leave to you to consider!

All this though depends on such an event being given the thumbs up.

[stanlite]

i can't imaging why you couldn't do that Alexander. In the past it has been a very wander over and "oh hey what you looking at there" kind of fair.

I will be bringing up a modded version of Kerbal Space Program and operating Astrofest mission control (willing to take scientific mission profiles from interested parties to the Kerbal System).

Provided a safe place can be located I am willing to leave this program running all astrofest to see what missions people come up with.

[astroron]

I and a fellow name Kevin Dixon have been showing people deep sky objects at astrofest since astrofest started just about,but it is normally people being sent to me or kevin to show them objects through our 16" scopes.
No need for permission,just do your own thing.
Nothing formal required at Astrofest.
There are also a few 20" scopes and a 30" scope that are also in the mix.
Cheers:thumbsup:

[glenc]

You can look through my 16" too, I will be at the Qld Astrofest Fri to Wed nights.

[astro_south]

Great Glen - I will be there Sunday to Tuesday (home Wednesday) and I was debating whether to bring my dob up as well as my GEM for wide-field photos, but now I think I will just visit you for my visual fix!! :)

[geoffw89]

Raining on and off here now, only an hour from Duckadang. Setting up conditions for massive frosts I'm sure.

My scopes are out under tarps as I've been tearing my hair out trying to collimate my 9.25 after fitting Bobs Knobs. I'm not sure if it is the collimation but I can't make fine focus. I have only got as far as daytime use of a distant point light and all looks correct so far but nights have become cloudy. I had it out one night and it got drenched in dew while I was waiting for it to cool down and had no dew straps so everything was already blurred. I left it out to warm and dry out the next day with the eyepiece out but didn't look through it so I'm concerned that perhaps the secondary is water spotted. Frustrated doesn't even begin to describe it.

[glenc]

Your are welcome Andrew

[astroron]

I am coming on Wednesday till the following Sunday, I hope to catch up with you for one night at least Glen. :)
Cheers:thumbsup:

[glenc]

Ron, hope it is warmer than Tenterfield.

[astroron]

Wonderful memories Glen :cold::cold::cold: :lol:
Cheers:thumbsup:

[Mighty_oz]

Does anyone know what's on presentation wise etc ? Tryng to work out what days/evenings to visit as we are just up the rd in Blackbutt atm and the Astrofest website is down for me :(

Thanks, Marcus

[astroron]

Our Guest Speaker is Dr Stephen Marsden from the University of Southern Queensland. He will be speaking on Sunday, 20th July, at 2pm, in Hamilton Hall. The topic of his talk is: "Bcool: Observing Magnetic Fields on Sun-like Stars".
Other speakers during the week include: Dr Liam Carroll, Dr Glen Cozens, Alexander Massey and Michael Tubby. On Saturday, 19th July, Michael Tubby will speak on the Terrestrial Planets. On Monday, 21st July, Dr Glen Cozens will talk about Discovering Bright Southern Deep-Sky Objects. On Thursday, 24th July, Michael Tubby is back with Astronomical Interactions on Earth. On Friday, 25th July, Alexander Massey will run two workshops. The first is on Astronomical Sketching and the second one is on Observing Tips. On the morning of Saturday, 26th July, Alexander will talk about his Gondwana Telescope. Finally, on the afternoon of Saturday, 26th July, we will hear Dr Liam Carroll speak about The Sounds of the Stars.
At your service. ;)
Cheers:thumbsup:

[Mighty_oz]

Thanks for the v quick reply , much appreciated. Looks like Friday and Sat for us.

[astroron]

Just a reminder,there is a day visitor charge,$5:00 if I remember correctly.:question:
Also if you are leaving after dark you must leave your vehicle outside the gate before dark.
Cheers:thumbsup:

[glenc]

I will talk about these 23 people and some of the objects they discovered on Monday 21 July.

Aristotle 325 BC, Ptolemy, Amerigo Vespucci, Fernando Magellan (pre 1609)
Giovanni Hodierna, Abraham Ihle, Edmond Halley (1677), Phillippe de Cheseaux


Nicolas de Lacaille (1751), Charles Messier, Caroline Herschel
William Herschel, Karl Harding, Niccolò Cacciatore
James Dunlop (1826), John Herschel (1834), Lewis Swift


Julius Schmidt, Edward Barnard, Ralph Copeland
Walter Gale, DeLisle Stewart (1899), Royal Frost (1904)

[h0ughy]

righto i have the car packed :D and because it is raining:rain:, haven't started on the trailer:juggle:, though everything is in boxes ready to go in:party:. Believe it or not i have less stuff than last year ;) :driving::rover1:

Pat don't panic, the 14" was the first packed into the car:thumbsup::astron:

[h0ughy]

oh no we have some bad news - Alan's Dad has just had a heart attack not more than 40 minutes ago. not too sure what is happening now.

[astroron]

OMG I hope things are not too bad :sadeyes:
Cheers

[h0ughy]

PLease accept my apologies as this years Mission is aborted. Al and I will not be attending. I wish everyone all the best and I hope you all bag a lot of photons. There we are the sacrificial offering to the weather gods (this should make Peter and Grady happy)so its bound to be a beautiful clear 10 days with record frosts. I want a picture of my usual spot with my name on it - be the last time i see that part of the world now for a while. i will miss everyone as i do enjoy catching up and mixing with you Northerners - even if you have two heads ;)

I will pass on a special gift to Pat to pass on to the imaging field……;)

I can't believe how quickly things can change.

As agreed Pat I hope to see you Sunday for the exchange

[h0ughy]

still not sure yet what is happening but he is in the Hospital now being monitored. Al will let me know later.

:question:

[stanlite]

This is indeed sad news Huff. Al has had no luck with family members and Astrofest for a few years now. Please pass on my thoughts and prayers to Al and his family (a sentiment I am sure everyone attending will share).

[Octane]

Sad news. Wishing your dad, you and your family, all the best, Al.

H

[OneCosmos]

Really sad news for sure and no doubt puts things like cooled cameras and EQ mounts in to perspective. It must be a very difficult time for you Al but everyone at Astrofest will be thinking of you. It really is a neat community we have once a year.

Chris

[OneCosmos]

H0ughy, I think I recall an earlier post where you mentioned you may not be at AF in future - what has changed for future years? You're part of the fixture and fittings so it will genuinely be a shame not to see you there. I so look forward to meeting everyone each year and it doesn't seem right for you to be absent!

Chris

[troypiggo]

Sorry to hear that, Alan.

Houghy - you're going to miss out on my new flannel pajamas and dressing gown!

[mental4astro]

I'm very sad to hear the news of Al's dad. It's had me remembering my old man. I miss him a lot. I wish your families well in this trying time.

Thought I'd give a brief on the workshops I'll be holding, following Glen's example.

Observing Tips is a crash course in using a scope effectively. Using a visual instrument is not just about putting your eye to the eyepiece and having a peek. It is important to understand the gear we are using to get the most out of it. It will start with the anatomy of the human eye, what averted vision is and how & why it works. Then a brief discussion on eyepieces and telescopes, and the importance of matching optics for achieving the most effective visual results.Then I will go through some practical techniques on using a scope, and tying it all back to the first item of how the human eye works.

If you are new to astronomy, this talk may demystify a lot, and hopefully help avoid costly poor purchases. If you are an experienced observer, this will serve for some revision, and maybe pick up something new. At the end of the workshop I will welcome questions from newcomers and experienced folks alike. I'll also welcome input from other experienced observers with their own tips, :)

Astronomical Sketching will be a practical demonstration on how simple and effective the Mellish Technique is to achieving amazing illustrations of deep sky objects. Globular clusters are finally pegged down from impossible to stunningly effective and plausible targets. Galaxies do not fall victim to the texture of the paper, and nebulae are tamed to beautiful illustrations. I'll also show how I use the same materials for the Mellish Technique to produce lunar sketches. Lunar sketching is the complete opposite in subtlety technique wise. From softly, softly to all out aggression!

If at the end of the sketching workshop you feel inspired, I'll have a couple of different kits of materials available. One very basic kit to get you or your kids going. The second kit is complete with everything that I use, and the first page of each sketch pad has been illustrated by me with examples of globular clusters, galaxies and a nebula.

In my Gondwana Telescopes presentation, I will present both models of scopes on offer, how they assemble, and the special features of each handcrafted instrument. All Australian made and designed by myself.

[alan meehan]

Well its happened again as david has said my dad who I care for has had a heart attack and is is hospital I cant believe this would happen the same as last year when I got called away from astrofest the first night there when my mother passed away.iam really going to miss being there and catching up with everyone and being under dark skies as its been 12mths since I have even had the scope working .it must be the
new scope mount and camera I was bringing .hope everyone has a good time and plenty of clear skies ,see you next year
AL

[astroron]

Hi Al Sorry about your dad,I hope all turns out ok.
I was looking forward to catching up again.
All the best and try again next year. :thumbsup:

[jjjnettie]

I'm sorry to hear about your Dad Al. :(
I hope they're taking good care of him there.
I'll miss seeing you both this year. :(

[h0ughy]

i want a picky of you in it in the early morning frost;)

[h0ughy]

i will be back one year soon, but with the home move and debt something has to give. appeasing swmbo:help:

[h0ughy]

likewise, i will miss the astrofest crowd

[Zubenel]

Even if we have 2 heads:screwy::confused2::D:question ::nerd::poke::stupid::jawdrop::figh t:

[firstlight]

I echo all the sentiments expressed here for you and you dad, Al. My dad passed a month before the 1998 Astrofest and I didn't have the heart to attend that year. All the best and the deity of you choice (or not) look after you.

How would you be David, first time in 9 years you are ABLE to brag, and you have to forego. We will miss you for sure, if only for the amount of loan equipment we wont be able to borrow this year... and the smell of burning electronics!

Oh oh... I just had a vision of Astrofesters scrambling for position in the vacuum created near Jamison House.

[h0ughy]

well i am crushed for Alan, unbelievable blow that is, but for the greater good i decided not to push the trip further. i will dismantle the doghouse instead and pack more for the move.

it will be like the three bears - who has been sleeping in my bed:P

yes the house of spares will not be there, and i wonder if i should have gone up anyway with the spares to sell ;):lol:

[GTB_an_Owl]

is it possible to have a parcel delivered by post to astrofest????????

geoff

[firstlight]

Thats a BIG parcel :eyepop:

[RB]

Al so sorry to hear about your dad mate.
Our thoughts are with you and your family.
Let us know how he's doing.
David sorry the trip had to be canceled mate.

RB

:sadeyes:

[OneCosmos]

yeah, damn, I was hoping to borrow a remote shutter release timer? mine has decided to pack up just in time :mad2:

Now that the great god of spares won't be there does anyone else have one they don't need?

Chris

[allan gould]

Alan
Very sorry to hear about your Dad so soon after your mother passed away last year. I hope he recovers soon and is well.
Look after yourself and family and I will miss both you and David at Astrofest, but there is a bright side as there will be a huge space for the rest of us to spread out in.
Allan

[jjjnettie]

Twas the night before Astrofest, and all through the house there's camera gear and clothes strewn about and the kitchen is a mess from baking. LOL
Got my van packed and I'll be heading off fairly early in the AM. :)
Looking forward to catching up with you all.

[acropolite]

Al sorry to hear about your dad, hope he makes quick recovery.

@Dave, you'll work out a way to be there next year (with Al) I'm sure.

Wish I were making the pilgrimage, maybe next year. :sad:

[jjjnettie]

:( :(
Next year Phil.

[h0ughy]

this is my trailer now Phil:sadeyes::sadeyes:

[acropolite]

first time I've seen a trailer with a dropped lip..... next year Dave, start working on an escape plan now....:rundog:

[Tandum]

Hope it all goes well Al. Fingers Crossed for ya buddy.

Chris I got one of them triggers here someplace. I'm hoping to to a day trip, I'll bring it if I can find it.

Where is the online menu? I was going to do lunch. Don't want to go on the wrong day :)

[Octane]

I'll see if I can talk the missus into coming out for a day trip.

How far is it from the Sunshine Coast?

H

[Octane]

Oh, only an hour and-a-half! Cool.

H

[mental4astro]

I've had a PM asking what time I'll be doing the two workshops on the Friday. One will be at 1pm the other straight afterwards at 2pm.

I'm looking forward to this trip. Should have I visited my doctor for any shots before heading over the border? My rabies is under control these days, but I'm not sure about the bat virus you have over there... :rolleyes:

Alex.

[h0ughy]

I wish all you astrofesters well for the next 10 days and nights:thumbsup:


:astron: :astron: :astron::astron: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :stargaze: :stargaze: :stargaze: :stargaze: :love: :love: :love: :camera: :camera: :cheers: :cheers: :driving: :driving: :stupid: :poke: :2thumbs: :rolleyes:

[RB]

Geez Dave it's nice to see you're still smilie-ing.

:P

[h0ughy]

i would have finished drift aligning by now and would be targeting either m8 or M31. oh i miss this - be cold and crispy now........:sadeyes:

[Octane]

Hey all,

Is it possible to come just for a few hours on one night to do some visual (through someone else's scope)?

What are the costs?

Cheers.

H

[acropolite]

H, it's possible, as someone already mentioned, if you're leaving after dark park outside the main gate. Doing visual won't be a problem, there's always someone willing to offer some time through their scopes (e.g. Ron). Not sure of the cost, day passes are available, often there are unoccupied bunk spaces, it may even be possible to stay overnight if you have the time (or if Mrs H lets you.....:P)

[Octane]

Thanks, Phil!

I suggested to the missus we go for a day so I could say hello to friends. She said that the kids would enjoy it more if we went at night and actually looked at stuff. Who am I to complain? :P

H

[Tandum]

Hey H, the rego page says it's $6 each for a day pass this year.
I'm sure you can pay on site.

http://www.qldastrofest.org.au/index.php/registration/category/60-day-passes

[h0ughy]

you still have to pay the day costs for the insurance of having the privileged of having you on site -