IISAC2014 - 24th to 27th April 2014

[iceman]

http://iceinspace/iisac/iisac2014/iisac2014-web-600px.jpg (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/iisac.html)

The IceInSpace AstroCamp (IISAC) at Lostock, now in its 8th year, is back again!

IISAC2014 is a star party organised by the IceInSpace community and held over 3 nights, from the 24th to the 27th 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 IISAC2014 Info page (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/iisac.html) contains all the info you need to know about the star party, as well as links to the booking/registration page.

The registration/booking page is coming soon.
T-shirt information coming soon.

[iceman]

Logo done :)

Page will be updated in the coming days.

[iceman]

The page is now updated:
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/iisac.html

More details coming soon, such as the registration/booking page and t-shirt info.

[iceman]

Programme is finalised!

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/iisac/iisac2014/IISAC2014-Programme.pdf

Includes a collimation and beginners workshop! Finally :)

Thanks to Alex who is going all out with talks and workshops this year :) I don't know how he's going to find the time :)

[iceman]

Registration is now open!

Register online here: http://shop.iceinspace.com.au/shop/iisac2014-registration/
And don't forget to add the shirt to your cart if you want one: http://shop.iceinspace.com.au/shop/iisac2014-black-t-shirt/

If you register on or before the 1st March, you can get a $15 discount by entering the IISAC-EARLYBIRD coupon code on the Cart or Checkout screen.

Don't forget that if you haven't used the IceInSpace Shop before, that the shop registration is separate from your forum registration. You will need to proceed through the shop as a 'new user' and register an account at the end.

[iceman]

2 months to go!

A few registrations now starting to flow through.. get yours in now!

[stringscope]

Mine is in :D

[Rod771]

Mine too:)

Can't wait, hope we get nice weather like last year :prey:

[AstroDiggle]

Hi Mike...just registered. Haven't been before but looking forward to it very much. I see there is plenty of camping area available...but I have a question...my wife and I are coming in a camper van. Would this be OK in the area....I noticed most of the photos show cars and tents....the van is a bit bigger. Do you think it would be ok....we'd prefer to camp at the site....or should we go try the caravan park nearby...what do you think?

[iceman]

Hi Donn

Campervans are no problem - there's lots of people with bigger vans there.,

Hope you enjoy!

[Logieberra]

I'm excited. Thanks for putting this on Mike!

P.S. I made it within the early-bird discount by 35mins! Phew!

[AstroDiggle]

Thanks Mike...now I just gotta work out how to drive the thing...haha.....

[iceman]

36 people currently registered.

A mix of familiar names as well as some new ones!

I look forward to seeing everyone there. Get your regos in!

[absolut]

I'm registered!!

I can't wait for Lostock!! :D

See you all there! :hi:

Rob

[mental4astro]

I'm very much looking forward to this Star Party, :). Gonna be a busy one for me, :D

My biggest worry - I'm gonna run out of coffee, :scared:

[uwahl]

Are caravans OK on the IISAC site?

[iceman]

Hi Ulrich.
Yes, caravans are ok.

[iceman]

I'm pleased to announce that there'll be 3 door prizes available to win at IISAC2014, thanks to our generous sponsors - Bintel, Wildcard Innovations and Knightware.

The following prizes are up for grabs:


Bintel GSO RCA-200 f/8 Astrograph (Steel) , sponsored by Bintel (valued at $899).
50% off an Argo Navis Digital Telescope Computer, sponsored by Wildcard Innovations (valued at $246)
Deep-Sky Planner 6 software, sponsored by Knightware (valued at $72.00)


Please support our sponsors and show them some love, as they show you love by offering these prizes for you to win!

There's just over a month to go before IISAC2014 kicks off! Get those registrations in! Head to http://www.iceinspace.com.au/iisac for more info.

[AG Hybrid]

50% off an Argo Navis unit? Before you had my curiosity. Now you have my attention.

[GraemeT]

Is there something wrong with my 'puter or are others getting the message that the skylists file is invalid?

[Rod771]

I would say nothing is wrong with your computer Graeme.

Same for me.

[iceman]

Hey Graeme - thanks for the heads-up. I've re-uploaded the file and it's working now.

[mbaddah]

Hey guys I'm thinking of making my way there this year, but have a concern regarding leaving the premises once I'm finished observing. Is it easy to drive out of the observing field without disturbing everyone's night vision? I'm not keen on putting red gel or replacing all my headlight covers for 1-2 nights :question:

Also is there any other accommodation other than Lostock caravan park?

[AG Hybrid]

Onsite with a tent.

[mbaddah]

Apologise should have specified I meant offsite accommodation :)

[iceman]

Hey

You can park facing out, near the bottom house. That way you can make your getaway without driving through the observing or imaging fields.

Lostock Caravan Park is the closest offsite accommodation, but I've heard of someone staying at Vacy or Patterson before. Obviously quite a bit further to drive at night then back again each day.

[iceman]

So far we have almost 60 people coming.

If you haven't ordered a shirt yet with the plan to get one at the camp, I'd prefer you put the order in with your camp booking.

I'm using a different supplier this year because Al isn't printing shirts anymore, so my cost has gone up significantly. For that reason I won't be ordering as many excess, and will only have a few spares of each size.

So to avoid disappointment, please order your shirt in the next few days if possible, so I can give the final numbers to the supplier.

If you've already registered for the camp and would like to add a shirt to your order, just get in touch and I can add it to your booking. Shirts are still $20.

[killswitch]

FYI, Aldi has a camping gear sale on today

https://www.aldi.com.au/en/special-buys/saturday-12-april-2014/

[mbaddah]

Is it possible to register on the day for IISAC?

[mental4astro]

Mohammed, I believe you can. I'm sure that there would be several people who would only be able to confirm a place pretty much on the day.

I'm really looking forward to the Camp. Tried hard to convince my missus to come, but no joy. Looks like I'll just be cuddling the eyepiece case those two nights...

[iceman]

Absolutely can register on the day.

I obviously *prefer* registrations ahead of time as it helps me plan how many people are coming etc, but I know a lot of people wait and see - whether it's weather, work, family etc.

[iceman]

Only a few days to go!

75 registered attendees so far. Numbers down on last year at this stage, hoping more turn up on the day. I was hoping the school holidays and public holidays meant more people could come with their families, but it's not turning out that way yet. :(

Just ordered all the sausages and bread for the Saturday arvo sausage sizzle! Have to pick them up Saturday morning. Will be looking for volunteers to help with the cook-up!

Weather is looking mixed at this stage, but then it's been that way every year and in most cases we've had fantastic skies despite the forecasts. Hoping for a repeat again this year!

[sheeny]

We should be able to give you a hand with the sausage sizzle Mike.

Al.

[sheeny]

Damn! The dog has chewed the gas hose for the fridge. Wasn't able to get one in Oberon today, so I'll have to try to hunt one up on the way to Lostock:rolleyes:.

Al.

[Steffen]

I'm happy to help with the sausage sizzle.

Cheers
Steffen.

[Allan]

Is there any word on which Dob(s) 3RF are bringing along this year?

[iceman]

I think Gary will be there with the 18".

[Allan]

Thanks Mike. I will be in the line again this year for a look.

[Stringer]

I wish I had registered to this forum earlier on. I'm only starting to get into this hobby after building myself a 10" Dobson. It's to late for me this year, but I'll very interested to join your party next year.

[iceman]

I'm on my way.. Getting some coffee and brekky!

I did forget a beanie and gloves, so if anyone has a spares please bring them up! :)

[iceman]

For anyone coming up on Saturday, just be aware of the music festival in Maitland. Likely extra traffic and pedestrians.

[absolut]

Hey Mike,

Got a preference for fingerless or regular?

Just packing my stuff now, I'll arrive mid arvo (best guess).

Clear skies!

[iceman]

Checking in at the beginning of day 2!

Last night was fabulous. Wispy cloud cleared after sunset and we had perfect viewing until after midnight. From around 3am the storms started, and this morning we had the most ferocious storm I've ever seen been in up here.

Incredible amount of wind, rain and thunder that echoed and rolled through the valleys. Quite an experience.

Cleared up now though, and the forecast is looking pretty good for tonight too!

Hope to see more of you soon!

Here's a frame from last night - 90s on the polarie, 5DMk2 and Samyang 14mm.

[iceman]

We had another storm this arvo, but it's cleared nicely and it's looking beautiful for tonight.

Forecast has improved for tomorrow too! W00!

[Bolt]

Wish I could be there! Hopefully next year I can make it down.

[iceman]

Another perfect night!

Clear all night until about 2am. Very dewey after the storm that went through in the afternoon, but it was beautiful.

Forecast not as good for tonight but hey, they've been wrong before! :)

[osteoblast]

Thanks Mike for organising a great star party. I had 2 great nights there with clear skies for much of both. The biblical storm late on the first night was also something I'll not forget. I've always found starparties friendly but this one was especially so, thanks in particular to all the people at the far end of the camping people.
I've included a couple of attachments of images which qualify as nightscapes. This was my first opportunity to have a go. These were taken before the nightscape talk and I must admit my focus was almost exclusively on the sky and I'll need to think more about the foreground content in future.

[Steffen]

Another great astro camp, thanks Mike and everybody who helped for making it happen!

My son Alex finally fulfilled his ambition to capture a time lapse video of the Milky Way. There are of course a number of issues that will jump out at the discerning viewer, but I think it's a great first effort and he's chuffed. It's here (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/16496720/Milky%20Way%20at%20Lostock%20-%20April%202014.m4v) (about 20MB).

I quickly PP'ed it and threw it together in Aperture, so most of what's wrong with it is probably my fault. Also, next time we won't be using ISO12800, and probably use a wider lens, too.

Cheers
Steffen.

[h0ughy]

pretty cool result:thumbsup::thanx:

[TheRon]

Hi everyone,
My name is Cindy, I attended the party on Thursday and Friday nights with my friend Hayley. This was our first star party experience and we both really enjoyed it. We just wanted to say thanks again to Adrian, Ted and Duncan, who rescued our evening while we were hunting around like twits for the night sky tour on Thursday. We appreciate you guys sharing your equipment and knowledge with us. Hopefully we will attend some more events and not be driven away so easily by a little bit of rain :P

[AG Hybrid]

G day Cindy. Glad to see you decided to post after all :P . It was great to meet you and it was a pleasure showing the sights. Don't be a stranger :).


Edit: Also as a side note. I would like to thank Mike for organizing this event and all in all it was a great success.

[iceman]

Time to wrap up another IISAC event!

Where to start... Arriving on Thursday in nice warm weather meant a swim was on the agenda. The water was freezing but it was refreshing all the same. Al and I found some inner tubes down by the creek, so we attached our respective GoPro's to them and sent them down the rapids :) The footage looks great - it'll make an appearance in my memories of IISAC2014 timelapse :)

After sunset Thursday, the high clouds burnt off and we had beautiful clear skies until about 1-2am. It was a perfect night - wind kept the dew away and it was just fantastic.

The storm that came on Friday morning, between 3am-6am and then again at 7am, was WICKED! Biggest storm I've seen there. Incredible lightening and thunder, and then wind and sideways rain.

It stormed again on Friday afternoon at around 3pm, but after that the sky cleared and we had beautiful clear skies again until about 1am. However it was very dewey which caught a lot of people off guard.

Saturday was a nice busy day with talks and workshops, the sausage sizzle (which I think went down well), the door prize and group photo. Unfortunately the clouds didn't play nice and it remained cloudy all night, but 2 out of 3 ain't bad! That's a success in my books :)

Thanks as always to those who help me make IISAC happen.
First and foremost to Al Sheehan and Lyn. They put themselves out SO much on Thursday, helping setup, and then again on Saturday - buttering bread, cutting onions, cooking and helping run the sausage sizzle, and then again with packup on Sunday. I couldn't have done it without you! Thanks again.

Thanks to the Alex Massey show - for giving 2 workshops and his unveiling of Gondwana Telescopes (which look great!).

Thanks to Bintel, Wildcard and Knightware for providing door prizes - without their generosity there would be no door prize at IISAC, so please show them your appreciation too!

Thanks to Mark Suchting for putting on a fabulous laser light show in the marquee on Saturday night. It was a great cloudy night activity - really mesmerising and everyone who attended enjoyed it immensely.

Thanks to everyone who got ready and left early on Sunday morning so I could get home to my family and celebrate my Son's birthday. I think the cloudy night on Saturday helped as quite a few left or packed up on Saturday night :) Also thanks to everyone for cleaning up after themselves - there was very very little to pick up on my final walk of the field. Well done!

Personally, I had a productive Thursday and Friday nights with some nightscape photography. Lots of new images and timelapse material that'll keep me busy for the next few months with processing. I was able to capture some shots I've had ideas for for so long.

Every IISAC ends with the adrenalin draining out of my system and I just feel spent.. tired. But I always look back with great memories.

We ended up with about 95 attendees over the 3 days. Not too bad, but IISAC is expensive to put on - hiring the marquee is the single biggest expense, not to mention insurance, the AV gear, hiring of the houses and camp itself, etc. I was hoping we'd end up with more attendees with the holidays, but I think Easter and Anzac day so close probably meant families and others had their own holidays and the star party wasn't on their list.
I covered costs - so no worries there, but some years it runs close.

Will look at the timing for next time. But also for those that came and had a good time, make sure you tell your friends (loudly) about it! Post your reports and pics! Make sure you recommend they come too :)

If you attended IISAC2014, please provide feedback for next time by filling in our short survey: http://iisac2014.questionpro.com

Group Shots:
- 1200px version (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/iisac/iisac2014/iisac2014-groupshot-1200px.jpg)
- Full res jpeg version (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/iisac/iisac2014/iisac2014-groupshot-full.jpg)

[zardos123]

here are a couple from this year, all unguided and only rough processing but gives the idea of how good the sky ended up:thumbsup:
regards brad

[MrB]

Thanks for the the report for those of us unable to attend. Would love to fly/drive over one year.

You guys got some close lightning strikes!
(The large rings indicate strike locating accuracy)

Edit: Ooo, my 3k post!

[Rod771]

Two out of three is a huge success in terms of clear nights at a star party, with particular reference to Friday evening. I still don't know where all the clouds went but I'm not losing any sleep over it. :)

I should have walked around on Thursday to get some pictures of all the awesome telescopes but I left it until Saturday when most scopes were still covered or packed up. Anyway, I managed to get some shots.

Huge thanks to Mike for organizing the camp, I had a great time, it was nice catching up with people I first met last year and meeting new people. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone again next year.

Cheers

Rod

[MortonH]

Gutted I couldn't make it. I'd have enjoyed that storm!

[sheeny]

Thanks for posting the lightning strike map, Simon. I reckoned at least 3 strikes were about 3kms away (when I was counting) - perhaps those 3 in the tight group near the dam.

Al.

[mental4astro]

Mike,

Thank you for organising such a great event, :thumbsup: :cool: :thanks:

When I got there late Friday arvo, the sky was crystal clear, and unless you told me, I would never have suspected a huge storm had ripped through earlier on in the day.

I enjoyed myself. Sketched a bit, talked a lot, and spent time with great company.

I did have a curious close encounter with the local wildlife too. On Sunday morning around 4am I was awoken by some really loud and insistent scratching what I thought was just to the side of my car. At first I thought some critter was going through my stuff. Then I realised it was an echidna that was poking around UNDER my car, and its quills were scratching around the underside of my car! :lol:

I've posted the two sketches I did Friday night in the sketching sticky. You'll be able to see them through this link as I didn't want to double up on posts:

IISAC '14 Wide Field Sketches (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showpost.php?p=1077554&postcount=250)

Thanks again Mike.

Mental.

[Camelopardalis]

Was my first time and had a great time, so many thanks to Mike for organising.

Two decent nights out of three isn't bad going, and the storm was a whole new experience :lol: Got some good observing in of some new objects, and some favourites, after being shown how to collimate my scope (thanks to Star Catcher!), got some photons down the new Skylight (wow!) and took my first wide field dark sky pics (thanks to AstroJason for the crash course!)

[AstroDiggle]

Many thanks to Mike and all his assistants for a great weekend adventure. Storms, torrential rain and heavy dew....all part of nature, didn't detract one bit from the experience. Two great viewing nights with friendly assistance and fun, made this newbie feel well at home. Thanks to Richard, Dave, Mark and the Lockies. It fired more enthusiasm to do better and see more. My wife and I had a great time and met many new friends. Looking forward to our next adventure. Ive posted a couple of shots from Saturday morning...amazing early light, and the moon and venus on show. My star shots are still a work in progress, but threw one in just the same. Thanks again to everyone for a terrific weekend.

[Allan]

Firstly, thanks again Mike for organising a great star party. I made new friends and this year seemed as friendly and social as ever.

I was very lucky to have Rodney set up his 24" next to me, and I spent a couple of hours with him on Thursday night enjoying the big, bright views his telescope had to offer. Something I won't forget in a hurry.

I got to see Hugh's TSA 120 setup which is a beauty, plus his Carina Nebula image which is one of the best photos I have ever seen.

I really enjoyed Alex's sketching workshop. I bought all the sketching gear when I got home and had a play with it on Sunday night. It's a lot harder than he made it look, so much practice will be required I think.

I packed up and left Saturday night, and had a good drive home back to Newcastle, thinking of the terrific couple of nights observing I had just enjoyed. :thumbsup:

[omegacrux]

I am so jealous
Might have to take annual leave for the next one ! .

David

[Satchmo]

I have the NEC remote control for the projector in the Marquee..

[pluto]

Thanks Mike for putting on such a great event!
It was so nice meeting and mingling with so many like minded people in such a great location.

I can't wait to see the processed images from my camp neighbours and all the imagers.
I have a couple of my own plus a bunch of timelapse stuff which I'll process, edit together, and post soon.

Thanks for the kind words Allan, it was great chatting with you :)

[Allan]

Hugh I will catch you again at the SPSP. I will have an eyepiece in my hand next time. :D

[peterl]

Some images of great hardware at IISAC.

[peterl]

some more images.
What a great camp this year...

[peterl]

Thanks again to Mike for this years camp.
Sue and I will be back again next year.
We had a quadcopter flying and a great laser light show
put on by Mark Suchting in the marquee.
The country side was green this year,great views from the top of the hill.:)
Peter Langdown.

[skullmurphy]

Just a quick note to thank Mike and the gang for a great time at Lostock last week.

Dave and myself had a great time storm and tempest included on the Thursday and Friday but unfortunately we had to leave before the unveiling of the Gondawana telescope on the Saturday.....

It was great to see through the big dobs on display at Centaurus A, Jupiter and Saturn although the real gobsmackers were Omega Centauri, Eta Carinae and the Jewel Box.

We met up with some great new friends including our Astrocamp neighbours Paddy, Richard, Darren and Fred and family....



See ya next time...... :thumbsup:

Scott