abellhunter's arsenal looking for a new home

[abellhunter]

G'day astro junkies!:)

check out this link to see the ARSENAL looking for a new home down under!

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=65

See post #354:eyepop:

___________________________________ _________________

We will be heading to Coonabarabran Feb. 26- Mar 9th '08
for a star party & to look at moving the observatory
there::thumbsup:

http://web.mac.com/anne_adkins/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html

Aloha, Lance aka "abellhunter"

http://www.anzaobservatory.com

28" StarMaster w/GOTO & Steve Kennedy optics
17 1/2" truss dob w/DSC
C-14 w/Argo Navis
20 x 125 mm Astro binoc's
bla bla bla:D

p.s. This is how i roll:

http://www.anzaobservatory.com/gosouth.html

:hi: see ya soon mates!

[montewilson]

I am not sure exactly how we can help but you would be welcome to visit us at our dark sky site www.asnsw.com (http://www.asnsw.com) It is two hours from Sydney.

We will have our annual star party in early April too.

[Omaroo]

Lance - Just a thought - you are more than welcome to build an observatory on top of the hill on our 120 acre property near Cooma, NSW (about 4.5 hours from Sydney and heading towards our snow fields). It's heading up into our snow country, and is in a double rain shadow - resulting in typically dry weather most of the time. The air is pretty stable and in winter it's nice and cold - down to about 20 deg F on some days, resulting in fabulous seeing.

There's no permanent accommodation, but we are building a shed to stay in, and the Murrumbidgee River runs right through the place. The top of the hill is at around 3,000 feet, which in US terms isn't high - but this is Australia.

There'd be no need to purchase land - just build the observatory - easy! As long as there was room for my 12" LX200GPS I'd be happy. There'd be no rent - I'd love someone to stay on the place just so that there's someone there from day to day. We go down every month or so for a weekend, but that's about it. Nice and private! To build on the hill you'd need a 4WD to get up there, but that's no problem over here. There's no power as such, but we were thinking of going with a decent wind turbine and/or solar anyway.

The township of Cooma is 15 mins by car, so it's close to amenities without being too close. Light pollution from that township is very low as it's tcked down in between the hills.

Anyway - just a thought - the offer is there. Have a look at our website: http://www.omaroo.net and click on the location map link in the menu.

Here's the view from the top of the hill (elevation 300 feet above the rest of the property). The second shot - those black dots are cattle:

[duncan]

HEY CHRIS,
Thats a hell of an offer,hope you sent Lance a pm on that one. It's a wonder everyone hasn't jumped on it,LOL.
Truly a wonderful gesture:thumbsup:
Cheers,
Duncan

[Nightshift]

Hell Yes!!! This is a great offer and I'd be on it like the proverbial fly except it is too far from me. I just wish I could find a farm up here that had a river and a place to park my caravan so i could go observing once a month or so.

we can but dream.

Dennis.

[abellhunter]

___________________________________ _________________

Yes i was tempted to go there, but the one in Coonabarabran has a comfy
room 4the little woman who i have to keep happy! You see i am on a quest
to build an observatory/home for part time use and Coona is on the short
list for the following reasons: #1 love small towns, #2 Siding Springs Ob.
& #3 They have some B & B's that might take me up on my offer to build
an observatory at their place for a win/win for both of us....

be well, Lance

[abellhunter]

___________________________________ ____________________
:):):)
Your on my short-short-triple-short list! w/your spread you could start a
Dark Sky Community! Like i say Coona in the sights for a good-hard look
to put a quality observatory at for US ALL TO USE! :eyepop:i have seen
everything in the North & a good bit in the South too. Now i want to SEE
it all, plus have braggin' rights to one of the finest amateur astronomer
observatories in the Southern Hemisphere. Thanx Chris, OZ RULES! If
Coona don't want me & my scopes i'll be ringing ya up!:thumbsup:

peace out, Lance aka "abellhunter":D

[Omaroo]

Glad to be of service Lance - sounds like a great thing you're looking to do. When the time comes for you to seriously look around, let's talk. We have a great place, it's a shame to keep it to ourselves - and I've been thinking of building an obs there anyway.

If you're into fishing, then we have trout in the river too.

The final photo is of our current accommodation - but we're working on that soon. Very pleasant still...

Cheers mate

[netwolf]

Chris, hats off mate what a kind offer. And such a lovely beautiful piece of land you have there. Just perfect for our hobby.

There is also this place that i came across some time back.
http://www.gilobs.com.au/Sale.htm

Regards
Fahim

[acropolite]

Lance, I suggest you visit the country and tour around for a while before making a decision, Australia's a huge diverse place with a lot of variation in real estate prices.

[abellhunter]

___________________________________ ________________________
:eyepop:
What a nice set-up! talk about a sweet place to call home! Who ever
gets to be the new owners of this obsevatory will be star struck for
sure!

Be well, Lance

[abellhunter]

___________________________________ ____________________

:)
Yes, that's a gimmie...... after a lot of research on my own and talkin'
to allot of Aussies.... i come with this "sketch":

Anything past -35 is just to low, so it won't matter to me how dark it is...

Far North OZ, too wet. Same w/the entire East Coast.

NW corner: Cyclones

So, when i think of places that are, Good for a observatory/home,
in a place w/some "life"..... the short 1st to look at list would be
(with the above factors) Coonabarabran & some where outside of
Alice Springs...

Just to start with..... ya gotta start some where.:thumbsup:

Thanx for your input, Lance aka "abellhunter"

[Omaroo]

Oh well - that knocks my offer on the head - we're at Lat -36.16. You might have mentioned that little criteria earlier on...

Good luck in your endeavours Lance.

I'm still going ahead and building an obs though.

[duncan]

Hi all,
Lance i'm sure if you look around you'll find somewhere.
Maybe outback Queensland (Longreach) or somewhere similar.
Of course the drawback being hot and dusty.
Maybe build underground like Coober Pedy in Sth. Aust.
Cheers
Duncan:shrug:

[Ric]

Don't worry Chris, I'll come and visit, I'm used to the cold.:cold:

Mind you I'll have to bring the hip flask for medicinal purposes of course:lol:

[ballaratdragons]

Not going lower than -35 will cut off quite a bit of the SCP area. Yes it's circumpolar, but if you stay up too far, it becomes 'seasonal', not 'all year'.

And some of the best objects in all the sky are in the SCP region: Magellanic clouds, Omega Centauri, 47Tuc, Carina, etc.

[Omaroo]

Any time Ric! :D

[abellhunter]

___________________________________ __________________________

Aloha Chris,

and thanx again! i've sent you a PM......:hi:

Cheers, Lance

[Omaroo]

Got it Lance - thanks. Some very intriguing ideas there. Sounds great!

I've attached a zipped Google Earth KMZ placemark file (this forum won't let me attach an uncompressed one). Unzip it and import it into G/E and then, by depressing your mouse' scrollwheel and moving the mouse around you'll be able to see the lay of the land in pseudo 3-D.

Oh - and the Tidbinbilla Deep Space Tracking Center (heavily involved in the Cassini-Huygens mission) is a mere 85km (53m) away if you want the biggest radio dish (70 metres) in Australia along with two other 34 metre dishes.

PM returned....

[theodog]

Coona has it all.;) Plenty to do outside astronomy.
It is competative when it comes to obs in the back yard.
A drive out to SSO is like driving through a mushroom field.:lol:

Hopefully I won't be leaving this town in a hurry.

[abellhunter]

___________________________________ ________________

Aloha Jeff,

YES! Every photon is sacred!

Maybe we can meet up in late Feb. - early Mar. and get to
know each other under that great southern sky....:hi:

Again:

G'day astro junkies!:)

check out this link to see the ARSENAL looking for a new home down under!

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=65

See post #354:eyepop:

___________________________________ _________________

We will be heading to Coonabarabran Feb. 26- Mar 9th '08
for a star party & to look at moving the observatory
there::thumbsup:

http://web.mac.com/anne_adkins/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html

Aloha, Lance aka "abellhunter"

http://www.anzaobservatory.com (http://www.anzaobservatory.com/)

28" StarMaster w/GOTO & Steve Kennedy optics
17 1/2" truss dob w/DSC
C-14 w/Argo Navis
20 x 125 mm Astro binoc's
bla bla bla:D

p.s. This is how i roll:

http://www.anzaobservatory.com/gosouth.html

:hi: see ya soon mates!

[abellhunter]

___________________________________ _______________

Aloha Jeff,

tell me EVERYTHING 'bout Coona and the astro-heads there.....

Oh yea, what's SSO stand for...... and NO Laffing:rofl:!

Lance

[abellhunter]

___________________________________ ___________________


Close enough Chris, if coona wont have me i'll bring my woolies!:campfire:

Aloha Lance, aka "abellhunter":D

[Omaroo]

LOL! "Woolies"? You already sound like us mate. You'll do OK here.:thumbsup:

[theodog]

Hi Lance
SSO= Siding Springs Observatory
Coona -God's own country, dark skies.
Strong Astro Society Professional and otherwise.
We have a shopping center called "Woolies":rofl:

Seriously the town is great. :thumbsup: Astronomy isn't all that the town has to offer.
Plenty of social activities and sport, bushwalking, art, music etc.

Yes we will have to catch up.

Have a look at the country, there are many places to visit.

I think you'll settle on the right place.:)

As Chris would know there's a world of difference between Cooma and Coona.:rofl:

[Omaroo]

That there is Jeff, that there is. Both are brilliant though. Cooma is the snow capital of Australia - gateway to winter fun. Not that Coonabarabran doesn't get cold though.... LOL!

[Ric]

Yep I've ridden my motorbike through Cooma and Adaminaby during winter and yes even the brass monkeys get upset.

Cheers

[theodog]

Hi Ric & Chris,
Yes I spent some time working in Bowral and used to ride a motorbike to work.
Only ever saw brass monkeys at the train station heading north from the snow country. Some mornings I felt a little like those monkeys. I only had three stitches missing from my leathers but I could tell you where each one was.:scared:

Cooma is a nice place:). I remember driving through the Monaro Valley area? Hardly a tree in site. Ancient claciation I was told?

We had snow at the observatory, year before last. Many townsfolk drove up to see it. Why???:screwy:

[abellhunter]

:hi:can't wait to meet everyone in person!:D

i've chatted with some of ya for 3yrs now! :thumbsup:

itz time to party in Coona!:P

cheers, Lance aka "abellhunter":lol: