Mega frustration

[strongmanmike]

This sort of thing has probably happend to many of us but man!!!!!!!!!

Got home from work this arvo and looks great outside so I made the decision to go out to my dark sky site. I packed the car, made th thermos, collected a few things to eat and drink and my 17yr old son decided to come along too for the first time at my dark sky site (been using it for nearly a year now). We stopped at KFC for dinner on the way (he drove - L plater). We got out to the farm as the sun was setting so went in and said the courteous hello's to Bob and Pat the owners of the farm and as dusk setting in, prcoceeded to set everything up. It was a lovely night, low humidity and with just a light breeze, in the mid 20's and there were lots of Mozzies, ran the power cable from the shed, got the scope up and on, aligned the finder, attached the camera, the robo focus control, the mount control the 12V transformer, all the cables and connected the power etc etc.. now it was time for the lap top..?...THE LAP TOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!! :scared:


:sadeyes:...I forgot the laptop :jawdrop:

It was nearly fully dark by this time...what to do? :question:, drive the hour back to home, grab the lap top and drive the hour back out...? on a work night?.. would mean 200km driving in one night :sadeyes:

:tasdevil: We packed up and came home :mad2: :sadeyes: :( :sad: funny how much faster packing up is when you aren't tired (angry maybe but not tired) and nothing is covered in dew :confuse3:

I still can't believe it :shrug: first time for everything I guess....

Mike

[Paul Haese]

Funny but not funny. Not ever left the laptop home but it might happen one day. Oh well you gave the lad some driving time anyway.

[Bassnut]

Gaud man, thats woefull, just shiet, and the very time you can drag the young fella out. Make a to-take check list ;)

[strongmanmike]

I'm blaming my wife :mad2:

Last week she had asked (insisted) I tidy the laundry where I have all my imaging gear stacked. After consolidating it all I thought, might keep the lap top under my study desk, will be safer in there. So tonight when I did my final check of the laundry to see that I hadn't forgotten anything......:rolleyes:

DOH!!!!!!!!!!!

[Nightshift]

So very sad to see that a great night of astronomy can not be achieved without a notebook computer. Did you not consider slipping in an eyepiece and doing some observing?????

[dpastern]

Doh Mike! Oh well, at least the Son is interested. Why not keep a spare laptop at the farm for "just in case"?

Dave

[strongmanmike]

Well actually, yes...I did

But look at what I have maticulously assembled and carefully balanced ...to rework this to be balanced and moded for visual is a bit of work actually :sadeyes:...the massive camera and 4" Field flattener that has to be removed and then this requires three of the counter weights to be screwed off plus the guide scope has been positioned to exact balance etc etc I have it puring repeatedly so major dissassembly and reasembly was out of the question

http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/81003751/original


I have been looking for a nice dob for a while to use while I am doing imaging runs though...tonight would have been the perfect oportunity to use it :D...had I not forgotten it too of course :sadeyes: :lol:

[multiweb]

arghh! Man! I feel for you. I did that kind of stuff so many times. Forgot the tripod of the mount once. What I do now is have everything in bags. I have 5 big bags and I know if the bag is in the car then what I need is in the bag, if that makes sense? :thumbsup:

[spearo]

That's a shocker Mike
you must miss your old observatory
frank

[h0ughy]

ah yes i have done that - picked up the wrong laptop with no software!! bad luck mate

[Barrykgerdes]

Yes it is terribly frustrating. My last one was to go to Crago to test a wedge on the LX200 mount. I had everything but the nut that held the wedge to the tripod. Just a 1/2 NC, the only size nut I did not have a spare of in the tool box.

I have largely got round the problems now. I keep everything in the wagon now and don't have to look elsewhere.

Barry

[Ric]

Things like that are soooo frustrating Mike.

The worst part is that you want to jump up and down and have a good rant but you know it's not going to help. You just have to sit there and fume for a while.

One guarantee is that it will probably never happen again.

Cheers

[DavidU]

Thats a shocker Mike. I don't think I would like to see an angry strongmanmike:eyepop:

[multiweb]

Yeah I remember that one :) I went to Ilford once without my counterweights too :P

[ngcles]

Hi Mike & All,

Sorry to hear about that but as they say in the classics ... been there, done that ...

I should have known something was going to go wrong with this night. My wife was actually encouraging me to go ...

The weather in Sydney last Saturday was very deceiving. Mind you all I had to do was read the weather report that forecast increasing cloud and showers in the evening -- but noooo I had to be the weather forecaster myself and when it was still brilliant blue (as it had been all day) overhead at 5pm ...

After a quick phone conference with Gary (my observing colleague) I only finally managed to leave home on my third attempt. First time I got about 2 kms from home and was picking up some food when I realised I'd forgotten my "to-do" folder which has all my observing projects in it. After nipping home I set out again

The second time I was almost 10 km along the Heathcote Rd (about 12 km from home when I realised the stand the Argonavis sits on was also at home.

Turn around again.

I finally arrived at my site about an hour later than intended in almost complete darkness ... and it was pouring with rain. Gary and I retreated to the local sports club for 2 1/2 hrs for a beer or two while we waited. Almost at turn-out time ('bout 11pm) we headed back to our site where we where we stood around for nearly an hour hoping to see some glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel -- no dice.

Very cranky drive home. More than anything else cranky with myself for not giving proper weight to a forecast and not packing the car thoughtfully ... :mad2:

Woke up Sunday morning with ... the flu. Grrrrrr


Best,

Les D

[Astrod00d]

Oh yes, I did exactly the same thing last year, I remember it well... In my case I left the laptop under my desk at work. D'oh!! :mad2:
It was a perfect night - clear and steady. Fortunately another member was present with a 12" dob so we spent a great evening of visual observation... in fact I probably had more fun than I would've had imaging - we covered so much sky and I didn't have to fuss around with technical issues and post-processing - Just gazed through the eyepiece and marvelled!

Cheers,

Rob

[AstralTraveller]

Off the top of my head I can remember forgetting (if you see what I mean) eyepieces, tripod, power lead, warm clothes and tube clamps (ever fixed a scope to a mount with rope??). The most recent event was forgetting the observing chair. I could still observe but wound up with a painful back from stooping for hours. I have known someone to forget the OTA!

[mozzie]

no eyepieces mike or the scope not set up for visuable something to think about
mozzie

[strongmanmike]

Funnily, 24hrs later and I still have an underlying level of frustration :mad2:..didn't help seeing the sky perfectly blue ALL DAY either :mad2:

I guess I just wish I had at least realised the lap top was mising BEFORE setting up :rolleyes: it is a bit of a work of art setting up my rig, I have to concentrate when doing it :lol:

Cheers guys :thumbsup:...I will be good in the morning

[DavidU]

Easy ! A check list on your sun visor.
AP scope
FLI
guide scope
guide cam
counter weights
power supply
leads
**LAPTOP**
eye pc case
etc:P

[Peter Ward]

Don't worry Mike....most of us have been there, done that.. and got the T-Shirt.

Check lists have been integral to my (working) life....sadly now working their way into my hobby... as the brain cells die off :) .....I keep a small laminated card for "mission critical" ventures well beyond the back yard.

[strongmanmike]

Eye..:question:...what's that good for in astronomy :shrug:

:lol:

[Jen]

:eyepop: oh no not the lap top :doh::doh:

[erick]

At Snake Valley. Now to finish off I just have to put on the finderscope. the finderscope? The FINDERSCOPE! :mad2: