Qld Astrofest 2010

[acropolite]

Just booked our boat fares for our oddessey to Qld Astrofest.

For anyone from Tassie who is interested in driving up to Astrofest, the Spirit of Tasmania has discounted boat fares 50% off for a limited number of bookings on fares from 1 May to 21 August 2010.

It's pays to book reasonably quickly as traditionally the return fares (Melb-Tas) towards the end of August go quickly because all the grey nomads are deserting Qld and returning to Tas for the warmer months.

[jjjnettie]

I hope we'll see more of you and Liz this year.
LOL It's months away, and I'm excited about Astrofest already!!
It really tops the list on the Australian Astronomical Events calendar.
www.qldastrofest.org.au

[h0ughy]

will be booking my leave shortly

[[1ponders]]

Already got the ok from work for Sat to Sun minus one day I'll have to come back to work on one day. :P

[allan gould]

Cant wait for this year and hope the clouds go away.

[firstlight]

Wot... Payday?

[[1ponders]]

nah planning day for next semester.

[Octane]

Oh, goodness. I'm so tempted, but, I don't think I'm going to have enough leave as I'm due for a second trip to New Zealand in November for a few weeks.

I might have to purchase some leave. Would dearly love to come up and image some of the northern objects!

H

[DavidTrap]

Have booked my leave and spoken to my brother about borrowing his camper trailer & 4WD to tow it!

Cheers
DT

[[1ponders]]

It would be great to see some of the other southerners. BIG HINT you know who you are!!!

[mozzie]

great to see your coming up again phil.cant wait for astrofest!!!!!:cool::cool:

[firstlight]

I've invited two of the best planetary imagers on IIS to be Honoured Guests and to that effect, Quark has agreed to come and deliver an address on the first Saturday of the Astrofest. Its going to be great to have Trevor come and relate his experiences.

Unfortunately Bird will be on the road to Perth that weekend and feels that a detour to SE Queensland might be a little off-track :lol:. No matter, I will try and drag him up here next year... or the next. Failing that I will just sell him some raffle tickets :).

I hope you have a chance to come up Humayun... lots of good company... except for the rabble near the volley ball court (they know who they are ;)).

[[1ponders]]

Hey that's great Tony. Shame bird can't make it. What a shoot off that would have been. :lol:

[batema]

Adam and I are in for a substantial part of it. We just don't know how to get approval from work and from the boss.

Mark

[hotspur]

OOOHH! Quark! on the first Saturday,well worth the effort just meet and see this amazing astronomers' presentation,that will be fantastic

Just a bit of advice,to all attendees,bring and cook your own food,i know i will be this year!,thanks David for your medical help last year after i ate that dodgy burger!

Cheers Chris

[DavidTrap]

I've always found it a great way to meet people Chris - "Hi, can I offer you some drugs?"

Cheers
DT

[hotspur]

BAAA HAAAAA HAAAAA HAAAAAA! :rofl:

David! that spewing episode has finally made me laugh after that comment,that you just left.

BTW,i forgot to pay for those drugs,i will cook you an extra roast potato

on NEW MOON night in MAY,:rofl:

[DavidTrap]

Deal!

DT

[h0ughy]

they are a tad thick Paul you might need to spell it out:lol:

[h0ughy]

oh you mean the lower field where the counter weights are tossed:question:

[firstlight]

Ummm... those are basketball courts. I think you are a bit lost... We will make up some "You are here" signs to help you out.

[[1ponders]]

:rofl: I'll lend you a big stick Tony. He may get it if you beat it into him hard enough. "Mission control we have a lift off" remember Dave ;)

[h0ughy]

oh how nice would that be.......


now remind me again PAUL i seem to have a bad memory:P

[jjjnettie]

Paul was refering to the black plastic bag launches every morning.:P
great fun!! I'm going to bring along extras this year.:D

[h0ughy]

oh yeah thats right - Paul had a bit of a handicap;)

[jjjnettie]

snigger snigger
tee hee
;)

[that_guy]

wheres this held?

[DavidTrap]

Try www.qldastrofest.org.au - all will be revealed.

The quick answer is ~45mins North West of Kilcoy.

DT

[AlexN]

Will be there with bells on...

Might even pull Paul's trick... Setup a Mission Command & Control Center between 2 mounts... Run 2 setups all night and see if I can't get a decent image out of the week! :)

[that_guy]

ahh! 3 hour drive!! Is the astrofest like a one day thing or is it a week end? and if so. what accommodation are available?

[AlexN]

Tony - Think - 10 day event, bunk houses available, dining hall with everything you could need in it... dinners available, dark skies, great people, NSW vs QLD "Who's the biggest (counterweight) tosser" competition and a barrel of laughs thrown in for your effort...

On top of all that - its educational.. :)

[that_guy]

i want to attend it but it might be during the school day... if and IF i can go i would be only be able to go for the weekend... :(

[that_guy]

also it doesn't seem like the place where a 15 year old can go alone...

[AlexN]

Provided you could get there, I don't think there would be too much problem with you coming alone? I suppose you'd have to clear that between your parents and the organisers of the event.... quite a lot of people only come for the last weekend... of the 10 day event... Its definitely worth coming if you can manage it... There is SOOO much to learn, and these events are the best way to learn about astronomy...

[DavidTrap]

Tony, in case you show this thread to your parents and they flip out about my post mentioning drugs, can I please say straight up that it was only something to stop Chris chucking up, and I am a qualified doctor.

If you could convince your parents to bring you, I'm sure they'd have a fabulous time too, and learn a great deal about your hobby and why they should encourage you even more.

DT

[firstlight]

Hi Tony,

I am one of the organisers of this event, and even if I wasn't, I'd have to say that you will not be disappointed. I am proud to say that our event has been rated as one of the top 10 astro-camp/parties in the world (BBC Sky at Night) It runs for 10 days, so that means there are 2 weekends. See if you can come to the first weekend, I guarantee you will come to the second.

The camp is for amateur astronomers, but caters for their families as well, so a teenager such as yourself will have no trouble fitting in.

Take some time to read some of the articles on the website (yes I know... I have not done all that much to update the site), you will soon get the gist of the Astrofest. You also might want to have a look at this thread from last year http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=42672&highlight=astrofest+2009

Cheers
Tony

[Tandum]

Everytime I book for astrofest some disaster happens. Broken foot one year, broken car another, so on and so forth. I might just turn up this year without booking to avoid the jink :)

[Analog6]

When I go to the Astrofest site, everything except the front page still relates to 2009 - raffle, programme etc. Does anyone know when it will be updated?

[astroron]

Tony,over the years there have been quite a few young guys around your age and younger who have spent time at Astro Fest alone.
Mum or dad drop them off and then sometimes stay for a day or so to see how things work, then leave them alone and come back and pick them up a few days later.
You will certaily enjoy yourself and definetly learn something:thumbsup:
PS, There was one young guy who's mum used to leave him on his own, only to come back on the Saturday to pick him and all the prizes he had won on the raffle's.

[firstlight]

I guess the short answer to that is "soon".

More info will be put up in the near future... when I can suck time out of a passing wormhole :)... until then, and when we can get the pricing structure finalised, I can let you know some of the latest news.

Associate Professor David Wiltshire of the University of Canterbury, NZ will be the Honored Guest on the second weekend of the Astrofest. Prof Wiltshire has published papers about Dark Energy and has hypotisied that the assumptions underlying the maths in General Relativity may be misleading us in our apparant observation of accelerating cosmic expansion.

I have only just received his acceptance of our invitation and I don't have a title or abstract of his talk for Saturday the 14th, and we are still finalising the programme for this year. Online registration will begin in the next few weeks, I still have to get my act together to update the photos.

Cheers
Tony

[that_guy]

thanks for the reply, its still a few moths away so i'll keep nagging my parents until then... ;) also there seems to be a lot of tony's in this forum!!

[firstlight]

OK everyone... I still haven't done enough work on the `site, but I have updated the index a few weeks ago and I have just put up a rough and ready Programme page with the Honored Guests talks.

We have a number of subjects for the workshops and talks through the rest of the time, but if there is a pressing need for a subject to be covered, and someone to present it, please send me a message or email so we can discuss it in committee.

Only 119 more days to go... but who's counting :lol:.

Cheers
Tony

[jjjnettie]

me!!:D

[DavidTrap]

You're not alone JJJ...

I just hope my new toy is here by then!

DT

[xstream]

At this stage of the game things are looking good. :thumbsup:

[[1ponders]]

Oh you and Anna weren't the ones I was referring to John. :lol:

[xstream]

Okay, we'll head further North then! :P

[jjjnettie]

Don't you dare!!
I'm looking forward to catching up with both of you. It's been a long time.

[[1ponders]]

You tell him Jeanette. :lol:

[Davros]

desperately looking forward to astrofest. I will be in for the whole time again and this time will avoid having to leave early :sadeyes::sadeyes:. I havent seen a star for way too long. I cant remember when the clouds last disappeared. I keep going out and staring up at the starless sky:sadeyes::sadeyes::sadeyes:

[jjjnettie]

Haven't you stepped outside yet? It's a beautiful night tonight. The seeing is crap, but you can't have it all.

[that_guy]

do they have wifi?

[h0ughy]

no but JJJ likes her version of Hi Fi on the field:rofl:

to ring out you need a phone card number and i think the managers have a internet connection for an emergency

[jjjnettie]

Just remember who's bringing along the choc fudge brownies Dave.

[DavidTrap]

I do recall one avid imager setting up his own WiFi to link from his mount outside into another computer inside the dining room. He could sit inside and image without a red filter on his screen - was also warmer (but it wasn't really that cold last year - hope it's not like that in 2010).

However Tony, there's little in the way of modern communication at Duckadang. Part of the pleasure really.

Cheers
DT

[firstlight]

Depends on what you mean by wifi. If you mean is there a wifi netwoprk that you can log on your computer controlled telescope and your computer set up in the dining hall so you can image and process in the comfort of a well lit room then the answer is "Yes". This network was open to all last year, and I believe that it will be set up again.

If you mean (and I think you do) is there wifi internet there hearty laugh and a resounding "No.

There is no mobile coverage unless you unfurl a largish base antenna, and by which you might part with an arm, a leg, and your first born to the coffers of Telstra and BigPond for a dodgey internet connection.

There were rumors that there was going to be a mobile tower built at Moore (where you can currently get mobile coverage) which would have had a footprint close to covering the camp.

Depressed? Don't be... if we have fine weather we won't have time to surf at night, and we sleep all day. If it is cloudy there is more computing happening in the dining hall than at a WOW convention.

[that_guy]

stupid questions... i was thinking about logging in ice in space. that was a stupid idea since the half of the members are gonna be there!

[jjjnettie]

LOL That's right Tony.
While we have no mobile coverage, a couple of years ago we did manage to be in radio contact with Aussie Astronaut, Andy Thomas, while he was passing over in the International Space Station.
I'm pretty sure there is a link on the Astrofest page about it.

[firstlight]

Don't forget that for the past couple of years we have had a phone linkup with the Canadian Starfest. This is probably the only reason that I regret no internet... would love to do a video link with them... and any other astrocamp during the Astrofest.

[jjjnettie]

That's right. Wasn't that an extraordinary experience!

[PeterM]

And the Chocolate Port, dare I bring it again?

PeterM.

[firstlight]

Um... no. Tasted like ... chicken? Starts with "c" anyway.

[jjjnettie]

Chocolate port......hmmmm sounds nice.
I was indulging in champers and rum last year. Might try something different this time. I actually thought, for a minute, of have a 'dry" Astrofest. But quickly came to my senses. It gets cold out there.

[firstlight]

Wasn't cold last year... here's hoping it is this year... better seeing.

Actually you realise that alcohol doesn't warm you up... feels like it does, but actually dilates the vessels and allows greater heat loss. Dilating is good to prevent frostbite in extreme conditions, greater heat loss is bad if you don't realise it.

Sorry... party pooper :)


Having said all that, did you know we are considering having souvenir port this year? Tasted very nice too!

[PeterM]

Having said all that, did you know we are considering having souvenir port this year? Tasted very nice too![/QUOTE]

Available in chocolate flavour?

It is an absolute nonsense that alcohol impairs your viewing and doesn't keep you warm ... I for one cannot even remember anything or seeing any clouds or getting cold when I eventually woke up the following afternoon........but I did see stars, lots of stars.

Looking forward to what others who have been elsewhere say is the most comfortable, friendly and professionally run astro event in the known universe (but we already knew that).

PeterM.

[that_guy]

does the payment include accommodation and food or just the fee for staying there??

[jjjnettie]

You can buy lunch and dinner but you need to bring along your own breakfast food and snack food.

[firstlight]

Breakfast?... What happened to sleep?

Seriously Tony, you pay for accommodation, and some extras... Astro-Feast, group photo etc.

There is a grid of meals on the form just below the text "YOU DO NOT PAY FOR THESE MEALS HERE< THE INFORMATION IS FOR CATERING PURPOSES" or words to that effect. We don't organise meals before lunch as the sizable minority of attendees observe to early morning and many sleep until late as they can. We like to respect that. Also those meals are organised by the Lions Club Camp Managers and not by the Queensland Astrofest.

Hope this helps.

Tony

BTW we hope to get the PayPal aspect of th eonline form straightened out soon.

[that_guy]

so the accommodation is a separate fee??

[firstlight]

From our point of view, the meals are a separate fee. When you register you are paying for accommodation on our wewbsite, the only meal yoiu pay for, if you wish, is the Astro-Feast on the second Saturday.

All other meals are paid to the Lions Camp at the camp.

Is this what you mean?

[that_guy]

so how much would the total price be for a child including all the extras and meals...?

[firstlight]

What days are you staying for? Did you want the port? If you are under 18 it would be illegal to do so, and we would need to see ID.

Stay every night, get everything except the port = $132
Both Fri and Sat nights + all - port = $72
Add to this the food:
All possible meals = $112
Meals Fri and Sat = $42

Honestly it pays to bring prepared meals at least for part of the time.

It is pretty easy to calculate your costs by clicking on the "Register Online" button at the bottom of the "Information" page... the costa are calculated depending on what you click.

Tony

[that_guy]

okay thanks, i'll be staying for the last 5 days, and no i don't drink, im only 15!!

[that_guy]

there is a kitchen to cook the food brought right??
e.g. microwave?

[jjjnettie]

Yes Tony, there's a fully equipped kitchen and plenty of room in the fridge to store your food.
There is usually a chance of getting a lift into town if you run out of supplies.
Don't forget to bring warm clothes. You need to be able to dress as if you are going to the snow. Yes, it gets THAT cold. Multiple layers of jumpers and jackets. Track pants and thermal underwear, or proper snow pants. Jeans will NOT keep you warm. Water proof shoes/boots and thick socks. Runners get wet with dew and soon your toes will freeze and fall off.

These are my star maps, frozen together, it was -7 that night.

[[1ponders]]

I remember that morning, as someone crawled out of the back of their car. I'm sure there are other photos from that morning around somewhere :lol:

[jjjnettie]

I'm trying to encourage Tony, not scare the living daylights out of him.:eyepop:
And thank you so much Paul, for bringing up THAT photo.....again.:rolleyes:

[that_guy]

That's okay, I'm from Korea! It gets up to -20C there in winter!! You can't scare off me that easy!

[jjjnettie]

Good o. Just that some people turn up with only one jumper and a pair of jeans. We want your first Astrofest experience to be a good one.:D

[that_guy]

good one or a bad one, im gonna be there for the next one!

[Rodstar]

So, is this as astronomical event or a gastronomical event??!! From all the talk of food, sounds like it should be called a "Food and Star" festival.

It is looking like I may be able to make the trek north to come for perhaps the first 4-5 days of Astrofest, with my three kids (ages 12, 8 and 7), and the Mary Rose.

What is the drill with camping spots? Is it first in, best dressed?

Looking forward to it!

[[1ponders]]

Oh and there is a high possibility that the Sticky Date Puddin' supply could be back this year. ;)


You'll love it Rod. If you are there early and are leaving mid week then its usually first in best dressed. But there's plenty of room.

It will be great to catch up. See if you can talk a couple of the other locals into coming up as well. ;)

[h0ughy]

rod you will love it, and the kids. :thumbsup:

[that_guy]

maybe this should be a sticky since it was voted the top ten best astronomical event!!

[Rodstar]

Paul and HOughy, thanks boys for the encouragement. It is pretty much definite that we are coming. And sticky date pudding is my favourite!

BTW, I am confused about pricing re booking for accomodation. Sent an email to the organiser over the weekend, and still waiting to hear back. What's the deal with the rooms etc? Is there is different price for booking a room for a family as opposed to camping? If so, I could not see it on the website.

[firstlight]

Hi Rod,

There is no difference in price if you are camping, caravanning, bunking or having a room in the Bayley House. Quite simple really... Lions charge us by the head, so we do too.

What you are paying for is the facilities... kitchen, showers, toilets, power, etc. Telephone, television and internet does not fall under that umbrella :)

Tony

[hotspur]

Yes Tony (Korean gentleman),Astrofest is really well organised,I am sure you will find it well worth the visit from Korea.The planning that goes into is a huge amount.The people who make it happen,are very dedicated.

Just one thing,bring ALL of your own food to cook,yourself,The only hic-up I have ever had at astrofest,is last year the food avaliable,made me very ill.I spent a night in the toliet,which was not pleasant,if I go back again I will make sure I cook and prepare my own meals,Apparently a few got sick bad,last year.
(Please note,the food that made me ill,was not prepared by the astrofest cook up team,and had nothing to do with the astrofest last nite shin-dig).

RE-Commemorative Port,Personally I think it would not be a good idea,to have this as a sourvonier.its a pretty useless silly item that would just clog up peoples cupboards,Do the coffee mugs again,PLEASE!,I would be happy to pay $15 or more if needs be,I will order two.

Take a look at these pics of commemorative port of Halleys Comet,my wife got these-well way back in 1986,and they have just collected dust.so very useless,please dont do the port.

Check out the pics on these,I think the artist go mixed up with "RiverFire",I wonder how many bottles the artist had to see such detail on this "fizzer' of a comet.

Chris

[Rodstar]

With the selling of Port, if I can put my legal hat on for a tick, I expect (as is in the case in NSW) that you would need to have a licence to sell alcohol. ASNSW has stopped selling the local port at SPSP because of this. Just be careful, lest a law is inadvertently broken.

[PeterM]

Ok we are back on the Port that's a good thing I think, thought my post had been forgotten. But Rodstars notes are a worry and he knows his stuff. What if it were included as a souvenir as part of the fee (if you ticked the appropriate box you want one along with over 18). Or what about raffling them off, or if worst comes to worst getting the local pub to sell them to Astrofest attendees. Geez laws make life so problematic.

PeterM.

[firstlight]

This is a problem that will be looked into the next week or so... I believe that we can get a community license to sell alcohol, but this is aimed more at events that have a beer tent or the like.

The whole idea of the port is to offset the costs associated with the Astrofest... we are continuing to buy equipment, consumables and improvements, the raffle and any other fund-raising help cover those things. The community license will not help us in that way.

Here is a mock-up of the label if it goes ahead. We hope that the label will closely resemble this.
75654

[AstroJunk]

Top news Rod. I'm a last weekend sort of chap, but make sure you tell me exactly when you are up and I will bring SDM006 out to play for a night regardless!

Got to get that photo :D

[mozzie]

:cool::cool::cool:paid and booked in cant wait-last 4 nights there

tony that port sounds nice ill take a bottle if available there :thumbsup::thumbsup:

[DavidTrap]

Just paid my booking too! Last four nights.

Now off to see if I can work out how to use my new mount...

DT

[that_guy]

Oohhhh!!! Can't wait!!!

[hotspur]

Tony.

You will not need a Community License to sell port at astrofest.

All you will need to get is a small piece of paper work from the MOORE police station on your way to astofest,Just ring them before astrofest,and they will
fill it in,it costs nothing-just a few moments of your time,

I know this as in the past we have had groups here doing wine tasting and raffling wine.they got the paper work from police station,its no hassele.

I hope it does well for astofest,I hope its a tawny port,not chocolote.

Just my opinion-I dont think it will do well,I hope I am wrong,But a bottle with a lovely label is'nt much use,Do the coffee mugs again-I will order 3!

cheers Chris:thumbsup:

[h0ughy]

well i went to go an pay for the whole event but the registration desk is closed online?

[DavidTrap]

Secret backdoor entry Houghy,

Put your mouse on Registration and then click on Information. Then scroll to the bottom of the page and there is a button to "Register Online".

Managed to get in a bit of fiddling with the new mount before the clouds rolled in - the guiding graph was almost a flat line!!!!!

DT

[allan gould]

I also went to register for the whole shebang but closed to me as well

[allan gould]

done it now

[mozzie]

i couldnt paypal anne-louise had probs her end maybe its fixed i just direct deposit on the net :thumbsup:

[h0ughy]

OK done booked and paid for Alan and myself from start to finish

[allan gould]

What???????? You paid for me??????? I didn't think you cared.
Hugs, Allan

[h0ughy]

mmm two L's is not on my books but the one L is:lol:;) and no i dont care:P

[GrahamL]

Does that mean a double or two singles bunkwise guys ? :)

[h0ughy]

:rofl: Al snores on the bunk opposite and I snore on the other side:P so that would be two singles:thumbsup:

[firstlight]

That maybe so Tony, but as the couple of Finnish guys who came in 2003 said "When we observe at home it can be -20 deg, BUI WE DON"T SLEEP IN -20 DEG!!! We go to town and buy some warm blankets!"

Three words "No Central Heating"

[firstlight]

PayPal is checking us out that we are not laundering money for the Russian Mafia. We haven't publicised it too much as we want to get PayPal back up and running.

Cheers
Tony

[AstroJunk]

Cold, never...

[firstlight]

Well... Last year wasn't, but...

http://qldastrofest.org.au/html/gary_08.htm

Imagine a tent or unheated buildings :cold::cold:. Oh thats right... some don't have to imagine, only remember :)

[that_guy]

does the cabins have heating at all??

[astroron]

Yes Body heat and Blankets/sleeping bags:lol::lol::lol:

[jjjnettie]

Why on earth would you be sleeping during the night????
I'm up all night at the scope and sleep during the warmth of the day.

[astroron]

JJ, not everybody has your constitution;) some people do like to go to bed when it is dark:lol:

[[1ponders]]

that's true Ron. I notice its still quite dark..... half an hour before the sun comes up :lol:

[h0ughy]

well sometimes the sun has risen;)

[jjjnettie]

You're welcome to my constitution atm Ron. :lol:
Hey, if I start training now, I'll be ready to take my turn at the Counter Weight Toss.:D

[Suzy]

Oh my gosh, I just saw your pics of ice. :( I was planning on coming to my first star party.. but I cannot do it now. Just can't. Uh ah. Nope. Oh sheeez. I'm walking away from the computer now - sad and forlorn with a tear welling in my eye and a lump in my throat.

[jjjnettie]

Oh, don't let a little frost scare you off Suzy.
You only really feel the cold if you sit still for too long. Most of the night we're wandering around, from scope to scope, looking through them for comparison. And on the imaging field, seeing what's being captured through some pretty amazing equipment.
You can take a break in the dining hall, have a nice hot cuppa, some conversation, then go outside and do it all again.:)

[[1ponders]]

You won't regret coming Suzy. Even if it does get cold. And while it looks chilly, it seems that we only get 1 maybe two mornings like that. And Jeanette has hit the nail on the head. You wander and chat and look and eat and drink warm drink. Its a great time. And if it gets too cold there are plenty of dew straps onsite that work a treat around the ankles and wrists. :D



Oh! and the night is only half the Astrofest. Much happens during the day as well

[astroron]

Come on Suzy It's not that bad, if you wear the right clothes and footwear you won't even notice it:)
You are not an actress are you:question:;)
I think you should come to Astrofest, but why don't you come up to Cambroon as a try out;):thumbsup:

[jjjnettie]

Yes! Come up to Cambroon Suzy. I'd love to meet you in person.
Ron has a couple of spare beds so you won't have to rough it in a tent.

[Suzy]

No acting Ron, unfortunately I really do suffer the cold badly. I'm pretty much skin and bone. It is a wonder that I even go outside these chilly nights - it's only because of this new hobby that I do these days - it has indeed brought out a side in me I didn't know existed. After giving it much thought, and the re-assuring ideas to keep warm, that you'll have given me- thankyou, I've decided to come up during the day (on a w/end) and leave for home around 10pm. Good compromise I think. I'm such a woos! I know it!

Thankyou for the invite to Cambroon- I will give it some thought. I will more than likely leave around 10pm or so If I do come along. Am really looking forward to meeting you guys at some point.

[GTB_an_Owl]

sounds to me that the Owl better make more of an effort to get up there this year to show you lot how to keep warm ;) :lol:

geoff

[jjjnettie]

:lol: You do that Geoff.

[that_guy]

well,,, came back from kmart!! I now have the full shbang for the astrofest. My warm cloths are nothing but singlet, long sleeve t-shirts, woolly jumper, woolly jacket and a jumper on top of that for waterproofing!! Bring on the cold!!

[firstlight]

Hope you have a beanie and some warm socks and boots too! Geoff might find a market up here if the temps are normal. Last year was the warmest Astrofest I went to... but it would be strange for 2 years in a row.

[thunderchildobs]

I remember drinking coffee in the coldroom. The coldroom has -4c outside it was -8c.

[h0ughy]

yep 24 degrees at 11.30 at night was a bit much to take

[cybereye]

I bought a bottle of Balmain Supporter's port in 1988 to open when they won the Grand Final against Canterbury. Balmain Lost.

I then waited all through the next year to open it after the 1989 Grand Final against Canberra. Balmain lost.

I then waited till 2005 to open it after the Grand Final against the Cowboys. The Tigers finally won and by God that port tasted nice!!!

Go the port!! :)

Cheers,
Mario

[xstream]

Registered and paid for Anna and I today. :thumbsup:

[Rodstar]

I tried to register on line a moment ago, and could not. The website still seemed to be set on 2009 setting, indicating registrations are closed....what the?????

[h0ughy]

go to http://www.qldastrofest.org.au/html/information.php

then go to http://www.qldastrofest.org.au/html/form_live.php at the bottom

[firstlight]

Sorry guys and gals,

PayPay has still not decided if we are the Queensland Chapter of the Russian Mafia or not, so we have not prominently displayed the link to the on-line register page.

One of my jobs, when I get to it, is to redo the on-line link from the menu. Unfortunately PayPal is still not available, but you can direct debit of send a cheque. A PDF versin will be available about the same time as I redo the link. Until then please follow the instructuion outlined by David below.

As Douglas Adams once said "We apologise for the inconvenience".

Cheers
Tony

[coldspace]

Booked and payed for last 2 nights.

Hopefully it stays clear. Nobody buy any new gear now will ya.

Matt.

[[1ponders]]

Can't make any promises :lol:

[xstream]

You just make sure you've got 9 nights worth of "Sticky Date" for me!:P

[that_guy]

hmm... I'll probably have to buy 9 days worth of Mac and cheese and instant coffee with powdered milk...
Why does this sound like boot camp?? ;)

[mike-wulff]

Hey Guys,
Booked in for the week looking forward to catching up.
Ron, don't forget it's the front of the solar panel that faces the Sun.
Chris the food was awsome, stop being a girls blouse :lol: it was that dodgy red that made you sick. Lets hope it's cold , so as the 3am cheese and twiggy sticks are suitably chilled to match the white. Last year was a sauna. David bring some model aeroplanes with you please.
Geoff you will be pleased to know I've purchased a fully reclinable chair.
Therefore yours will be safe from being hijacked.
Chris I picked you up one of the Chinese Army winter hats when I was there recently to keep your head toasty, you look to much like a local with a beanie. Mike I will bring up some meals this year to return the kind hospitality both you and Geoff shared with me last year. (I,ve been watching MasterChef) David be on stand by with the drug kit.
See you all soon, I'll try my best not to win to much this year.:thumbsup:

[astroron]

Mike, what happened to my Hat:shrug:
I even sent you a text message while I was on my trip
But got no reply:(
I hope to see you there at the last four days:D

[mike-wulff]

Sorry Ron, it may have something to do with have a local beverage I became fond of in Tokyo watching the wallabies and losing my phone. An overnight trip to watch the rugby seemed like a good idea at the time. Good weekend though! I still have the same number so I'm surprised I didn't receive it?
Tell you what, lets do lunch over a fine bottle of wine in a few weeks.
I know of a really nice reclining chair I could kidnap for your after lunch just to enjoy the flavour more in the afternoon sun.

[DavidTrap]

Glad to hear you're booked in Mike.

If you've been watching MasterChef, we might be in for a treat! I've got a Sticky Date Pudding recipe that reheats very well. Might have to make some and stick them in the fridge beforehand.

Hopefully see you in a couple of weeks.

DT

P.S. I'll stock up the medicine chest before I come too...

[astroron]

Mike, not much of a wine drinker myself, much prefer a beer,I was hopeing for something warm for the head not the stomach.
See you in a few weeks.

[mike-wulff]

:D Ron,
Only because I love you so much and your leaving me the 16" in your will.:eyepop:
I have a hat for you as well,so long as you promise not to have flashbacks because of the red star on it.:thumbsup:

[astroron]

Only because I love you so much and your leaving me the 16" to in your will:question:
I hope to be around for a long time yet before I leave this mortal toil, so you might have a bit of a wait, along with all the others in line who have put their name down for the scope;)

[Davros]

So looking forward to this year, will be my third. Starting to get the gear together now. Refinement in the vast amount of crap i bring based on previous years :D:D:D:P:P:P Cant decide wether to camp again or bunk it for simplicity.

[acropolite]

Just a quick note, somehow I ended up at the wrong registration page with incorrect dates (last years dates) and almost booked a caravan for the wrong dates, the dates for this years Astrofest are 6th to 14th.

[firstlight]

Sorry about the confusion folks. I updated the link on the Menu the other day and I linked to the wrong one i've fixed it now, but you better check that you have the right dates.

[that_guy]

i dont think ill be able to make it anymore, my dad said i cant go during school days, and i dont see the point of being there for 1 day after driving 3 hours...

[ashcb1]

I am very new to astronomy and was wondering if would learn anything from going to Astrofest? Its about a four drive for me. I do have a scope and know the very basics but I would like to know more especially where things are. Thanks

Ashley

[firstlight]

Probably one of the best things you could do is attend something like the Astrofest. Lots of people who will give you great info and point you in the right direction and show you around the sky with their, and your, scope.

Hope this helps.
Tony

[mike-wulff]

I'm with Tony on this one went to my first astrofest 5 or 6 years ago.
Did not have a clue.''still don't"
That being said, I have made some great friends along the way who have only been to happy to help me.
I'm yet to meet anyone in the dark cold nights who have not been willing to share their time or the sky above through their own very expensive equipment with a complete stranger.

A very rare bunch indeed!
:welcome:
I look forward to it each and every year.

Don't ask yourself why? Ask yourself why not?

[jjjnettie]

I hope you can make it. It really will be a great learning experience Tony.

[that_guy]

my dad's reconsidering, if there are no tests or anythign sue on t that date, i can go :)...!

[[1ponders]]

Come on Tony you will be one month into the semester. You will be in need of a break. Consider it a sort of science camp with real geeks.

[RobF]

I sometimes think we may as well all be masked or in fancy dress - you never know the next day who the heck you were talking to last night half the time! (unless you know them well enough to recognise the voice) :lol:

Wonder if the IIS'ers should put an A4 printout of our avatar and name on our scope or tables this year? I've threatened before to pin mine to my IIS beanie, but then pike out. Too shy....:ashamed:

[Argonavis]

I don't know if this has been posted elsewhere on this forum, however a reminder that at this time of year ALDI has specials on cold weather gear.

Ski boots and thermal underwear, and skivvies are on special and quite cheap. I purchased a new skivvy for about $12. I would not recommend the ski pants and jackets - they seem a little too thin to me for keeping you warm. Much ski gear is designed for activity, not standing around in the dark. A good freezer suit would be a better choice and will keep anyone warm even in minus C windy conditions.

[h0ughy]

who you calling a geek?:P

[h0ughy]

:rofl: we could ask the next door farmer Ron if we could put you in there(when you have past on from this wavelength of light) with the scope pointing up so that we can see you each astrofest - put a scope coat on you and Dennis will be sure to converse with you in the wee hours of the morning;):lol:

[h0ughy]

its 12 hours for me and i always learn something from the experience

[[1ponders]]

How to spend money at the vendors stalls :P

[xstream]

Unfortunately due to new work commitments Anna and I have had to cancel. :sad:

[Louwai]

I read this thread & realised that I hadn't booked in yet. Have had the AL booked at work for 2mths now.

Just sorted it. In for the whole lot. Friday to Saturday.

See you all there :D

[h0ughy]

mmmm yes i am after some mylar solar filter.....;)

[h0ughy]

hang on whats more important.....

[Shnoz]

I'm going to the Astrofest too now!!! (My first ever astronomy party/festival thing!;)) And I'll be bringing a couple of friends too, so it sounds like an awesome few days for us. (We may be a bit 'jetlagged' after the 5+ hour train ride though:P)

[astroron]

Thanks Dave,I think you only want something for the birds to s it on ;):rofl::rofl::rofl:

[astroron]

How disappointing:sadeyes:

[firstlight]

Hi everyone,

I have just received an email from Robert Stekelenburg from AstroStack who has donated a full copy of AstroStack for the raffle at the Queensland Astrofest. As yet the raffle page hasn't been updated to reflect that, but I have updated it last night to show that Sirius Optics and Tasco Sales have donated a SkyWatcher 12" GOTO dob with Astrozap shroud, and a Sirius Observing tent. Of course the Kundalini watch from Yes is another prize from a Major Sponsor. The Prize from Star Optics is yet to be anounced.

Sponsors Lumicon and JMI have donated some vouchers, 3 books from Cambridge Uni Press, and we have a set of UK Schmidt films education pack.

Cheers
Tony

[h0ughy]

look forward to wining those

[jjjnettie]

Get back to the end of the line David. They're mine, all mine. whaar har harrrr.

[firstlight]

Everyone seems to forget who is selling the tickets :D

Gifts in brown paper bags gratefully accepted for due consideration :lol:

[h0ughy]

ahh yes and you seem to forget who provides you with safety in selling those tickets near the cottage;) :lol:

[firstlight]

Those who live by the sword dies by the sword, but graft and corruption is eternal

[firstlight]

Anyone who wants to enter the Erwin van der Velden Astro-Photography Competition had better get their entries in before the start of the Astrofest.

At this rate there is only one entrant to both categories. We want them to be on display from the first day so you need to send them to the registrars address by the end of the month.

If you want to have them printed by the Queensland Astrofest there will be a $5.00 surcharge to cover costs. Please specify what colour space is required, and I would prefer RGB as opposed to CMYK. Please bear in mind that if we print them, they might not quite look the way you have planned (colour wise) and would recommend that you print them yourself and package them between sturdy cardboard to prevent bending. I will post images of how some were sent last year.

Cheers
Tony

[h0ughy]

ok point taken - where do we mail them Sir ticketmaster

[firstlight]

You mail your images to:

EvdVA-P
C/- The Registrar
Queensland Astrofest
34 Kilkenny St
Acacia Ridge
Queenslander 4110

[firstlight]

Looking for a lift to the Queensland Astrofest.

Is anyone coming up late on Friday night and has room for a passenger? Our Honored Guest, David Wiltshire is speaking at QUT on Friday evening and has asked if anyone would be traveling up in the evening. The talk goes until 8:00pm with coffee after it would probably be around the 8:30 - 9:00 mark before leaving QUT. Not sure at this stage if it is in the City or at Kelvin Grove.

The above seems unlikely, so I was wondering if the above question can be phrased for Saturday morning? I you can help, respond here or send a PM.

Cheers
Tony

PS Astroshop has donated a pack for the raffle, I will update the site with the details tonight.

[firstlight]

Hi everyone,

I've just uploaded a time-lapse video from the 2004 Queensland Astrofest to YouTube. I uploaded the original but didn't realise that the movies are limited to 10 minutes, so I had to go and relearn how I did the movie 6 years ago :eyepop: and break it into 2 parts.
32 Hours at the Queensland Astrofest Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrkHT43PqLA

32 Hours at the Queensland Astrofest Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1_5GICkU1w

I've also updated a couple of pages (thanks Brendan).

Cheers
Tony

[jjjnettie]

I'm looking forward to catching up with all those faces in a few weeks time!!!
Look at Dennis, the naughty boy, picking his nose at the camera.

[that_guy]

when is the payment due by??

[firstlight]

Please pay by the end of the month so that we can confirm the payment. It is a bit embarrasing is you rock up and say that you paid while we were up at the camp, how would we know?

[h0ughy]

Psst Eh Tony, the secret envelope is on its way to you ;), you should have it monday

[that_guy]

cool thanks tony... ill have the payment by the end of this month...

[coldspace]

Hi all,

I'm booked in with a friend for the last weekend. Can't wait.

Is anyone going to have their scopes setup in the visual area for us to have a look through occasionly at a few objects for a bit.

We won't touch it just want to share a bit of visual astro as we don't get out to dark sky too often.

I don't want to have to de-pier/wedge my 12inch LX scope for 2 nights, sounds lazy hey.

I am bringing up my collection of Ethos and Naglers that can be used in return of favour.

Cheers,

Matt.

[jjjnettie]

That's what i love about Astrofest Matt.
Almost everyone WANTS you to look through their scopes. :D
Simply asking what someone is looking at will result in an offer to have a look. It's great comparing the views of the same object through different types and sizes of scopes.

[coldspace]

Sounds great,

Hopefully get clear skies.

See you all up there.

[that_guy]

im not sure if i should bring my 10" thou... it will prob just stay in the cold not getting any action... also... i would look really small compared to other people...

[that_guy]

i just booked for the whole 10 days :D:D but where do i pay the money to? I chose bank/internet deposit... there was no bank details included with the email reply

[jjjnettie]

http://www.qldastrofest.org.au/html/information.php
Here you go Tony.

[acropolite]

You should have my DD by now Tony.

10 more sleeps to blast off....:rover2:

[that_guy]

paid and done!! will be there in 2 weeks! 15 days i think...

[firstlight]

Info packs with receipts etc have been sent out on Monday... Hopefully most will have received them by today.

The days are racing by so if you want to enter an image in the Photo Comp, you will need to send them soon.

Cheers
Tony

[jjjnettie]

My pack arrived today.
What a good idea to include "Drives from Brisbane". !!

[that_guy]

My dad gave me $150 to spend in astrofest!!! YAY!!! i know its not that much in astronomy but YAY!!!!

[acropolite]

Ditto, drives from Melbourne would have been handy...:P

[mozzie]

my pack arrived today,not long know woo hoo:cool:

[h0ughy]

my pack came in, thought the free complementary winning raffle tickets were not in there......:wink2::evil2:

[[1ponders]]

see ya all there. :party:

[that_guy]

is there a way to confirm payment?

[mozzie]

been throwing plenty of bricks this year!!!!!! feeling strong enough to take out the title for a third year go nsw!!!!:lol::rofl:

its getting as one sided the football:rofl::rofl:

[cybereye]

Peter,

I live in Brisbane but grew up in Sydney, so as is the norm for me around State Of Origin time I will yell out in very, very hushed tones (so that the Queenslanders don't hear me) "Go NSW"....

I wish I could be there but unfortunately I'm unable to make the trip up. Maybe next year...:)

Cheers,
Mario

[allan gould]

I'm in Borneo at the moment but will make it home the day before astrofest and just have time to pack it all up and get there. Been looking forward to this for ages.

[jjjnettie]

LOL I'm not naturalised either Mario. Go the Blues!!!!:thumbsup:

[firstlight]

How odd.

[firstlight]

Just keep the Sun on your right in the morning, and on your left in the afternoon, just drive north through the "Bad Lands" until you cross the Tweed... You'll be right then :lol:.



Where?



In Queensland the legislation is quite explicit, we do not discriminate anyone. Insanity requires caring, you poor man, besides SOMEONE has to cheer them.

[firstlight]

If the payment is received earlier enough the confirmation and receipt will be sent with the Info Pack. First lot went out last weekend, next lot this weekend.

[DavidTrap]

Priceless!

Can't wait. I just hope the weather sorts it self out before Tuesday (that when I arrive - hehe!)

DT

[h0ughy]

Just think i took delivery today of a new toy..................:D it looks lovely Tony. you need some mount bars - losmandy ones the rings are there

[firstlight]

Don't worry... I have been thinking... (thats what the noise has been :lol:)

[h0ughy]

this year i need good views of the northern skies

[coldspace]

How far and what weight do you have to throw to be in the run for the win? I might be able to reclaim it back for the QLD team maybe,need the info to start training up,lol.

[jjjnettie]

Anne-Louise is going to have to step up and represent the women of IIS this year.
She's a great tosser!. :P :rofl:

[Esseth]

Damn it i wish i could go, but it's on the same time as the anniversary... so we are doing something for her, but maybe next year will be a me year lol

[that_guy]

maybe you can dress up one of the men to represent the women?? that would be a sight to see...
not volunteering btw....

[firstlight]

I can't remember the exact details but I believe the weight is about 5 kg and the toss went around the 15 metre mark. Below are
1. Mozzie in action
2. The bloke who gave him a run for the coveted prize last year... QUEENSLANDER
3. measuring the toss.:eyepop:
4 Mozzie receiving his well earned trophy as the Biggest Tosser at the Queensland Astrofest ;)

79784 79785 79786 79787

[that_guy]

Nice choice of words there tony.... nice indeed...

[mozzie]

you qldlanders are only jealous !!!!!!

its taken years to be a good tosser:lol::lol::rofl::rofl:

[Suzy]

Hope you didn't drop that trophy on your foot and injure yourself :lol:

[acropolite]

Don't be fooled, that's just a dunny roll Mozzie's throwing cleverly swapped by the judges....:P

[firstlight]

Don't be modest, Peter... you have loads of natural talent:rofl:

[acropolite]

Tony, do you realise the information pack mailout has the wrong dates listed, mine says the last 2 days are 21'st and 22nd August, not the 14th and 15th.

[thunderchildobs]

Tony, the wrong dates are on the Registration Information slip.

[firstlight]

Well spotted Phil... Bugger.

The dates are all correct in the booklet and the website, but we overlooked the slip confirming your registration. As Phil points out the last weekend is Saturday the 14th, be guided by your booklet.



No prizes fro second, Brendan :P. Or for first for that matter :question:.

[acropolite]

:rofl: It was quite a "funny" scene here, with HRH & myself thinking we were getting to Brisvegas a week too early and having a caravan booked for the wrong week!!! I had the phone in hand, about to ring the caravan hire place yet again....

In the end, calm prevailed....:face:

[jjjnettie]

9 days 13hrs and 42min to go.
I'm excited!!
:D

[Screwdriverone]

:lol: Good to see that Mozzie has his expensive "Athletic Track" thongs on!!! Gear of CHAMPIONS!

Cheers

Chris

[mozzie]

no thongs anymore chris into crocs!!!!! kept on slipping over with thongs when wet,and also carrying the kids just to dangerous

[RobF]

Booked in for Sat through to Thur day today.
Yay! I SO need an astro fix....!!

[jjjnettie]

Paid!

[that_guy]

ill see you there jjj!

[h0ughy]

wow its almost time.........in 7 days i will be packed.......and loaded on the 8th;)

[[1ponders]]

we know its getting close when Dave says he's getting ready to pack. That would be something to see. Dave trying to decide what to bring and what not to bring. :D

[RobF]

Will anyone laugh if I ask about Telstra 3G wireless broadband reception at Duckadang....?

[[1ponders]]

Only uproariously Rob. :)

[h0ughy]

Hey i am travelling lite this year Paul;):lol:

[[1ponders]]

Is Al running beside?

[jjjnettie]

LOL he's travelling light because he's leaving space for all the prizes he wins.

[[1ponders]]

Hey isn't this how it started last year? The mods whipping the astrofestees into a frothing frenzy. :lol:


Who needs a holiday around here :rofl:

[firstlight]

Ha... Would you believe it? PayPal has finally decided that we are not laundering money for a Nigerian scam.

Some news:

PayPal is now working if you haven't paid yet.

There were too many problems doing port this year so we have dropped it. Instead we are doing mugs. For a look at the mugs you can see a short movie on YouTube,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4TPuZQ61X0. Mugs will be $12 each, payable at camp. We are getting over 100 mugs, but we don't know how they will sell so it might pay to stake a claim officially to the registrar so that you won't miss out... registrar(at)qldastrofest(dot)org(d ot)au

Mike Unsold of Image Plus has donated a copy of Image Plus 3.82 x32/x64 image processing and 4.0 camera control. Thanks Mike.

Cheers
Tony

[acropolite]

only 4 more sleeps here till blast off (Friday we cross the pond).

I've got new gear to debug and no time, ah well ponders is there...:whistle:

Does a Port subscription translate directly to a mug Tony??

[[1ponders]]

Yeah just dump it onto my table Phil. I'll get to it . :D

[astroron]

There are usually two 16" scopes that are very friendly to showing people around the "Night Sky" Kevin Dixon, and Yours Truly:D
I will be there from the Wednesday to the Sunday:astron::thumbsup:

[coldspace]

Thanks Ron, I'll be keen to have a look through yours, last time I went to Astrofest I was there for 1 night 4 years ago and spent the night with Kevin looking through his. :thumbsup:

Cheers guys.

[stanlite]

Hello all not sure if this is the right place for this but either way i am sure i will be told my mistke if so (nicely ;) ).

I am new to astronomy (well seriously anyway haha) and i am thinking about heading up to astro fest. not really knowing anyone i am hoping to have a good time and hopefully there will be some nice people to show my bumbling self around.

Well (providing work lets me) see you guys and girls up there (and a nice high pressure system and clear sky as well.)

[h0ughy]

ohhh how good is this - i hope that this is the forecast and not an april fools joke

[RobF]

The extended forecasts have look dodgey all week, so yes its fantastic to see the computer becoming more optimistic! Only one week to go!!

[firstlight]

Hi Grady, looking forward to meeting you. Hope the weather is kind to us as well, but even if it is not, there is lots of great company... other than a few recalcitrants (they know who they are :lol:).

[astro_south]

You Beauty! :thumbsup: Booked from first Friday to Monday ... first telescope usage since about October last year - might need some pointers its been so long ;)

[jjjnettie]

Fantastic Andrew.
Long time no see. But your ears must have been burning the other night, we were talking about you in the chat room. Talking about how we first heard about IIS. I can't thank you enough for introducing me to the forum. :)

[astro_south]

Cheers JJJ

I have been out of astro circles for a while and am looking froward to catching up with some of the old crew, as well as meeting plenty more of the new IIS crew :)

I am sure you would have found this place without me ... you and the forum would have gravitated towards each other due to some unwritten law of the universe to do with equilibrium I am sure ;)