I'm Sick Of

[Tandum]

Carrying out all the gear while it's clear, just for it to cloud over after an alignment.

Tonight, I got it out there, aligned on one star and the second was under cloud. I waited 2 hours and then carried it all back in.

THEN IT CLEARED!!!

Talk about grumpy old men ........ I know why we're grumpy ....

[marki]

SkippySky works well for me Robin :).

Mark

[Ric]

Yep, I've done that so many times I've lost count.

Yet we keep coming back for more.

[renormalised]

You know what...that's why guys with observatories still have most of their hair:):P

[Tandum]

Not working well here .. It said don't do it, but it's clear as :(

Got the mount back from repair and aligned last night on the new pier but skippy said it would be overcaast so packed it in and was thankful I got that done. Just grumpy .... I only have one image from this year :( It's June in a couple of days .. that's 6 months :(

[Ric]

Totally agree Carl.

[Tandum]

So I need to kick the obs into gear to save my hair?

[Octane]

You'll be back out again, Robin. We keep going back for more. Argh

H

[Tandum]

Hum, the dams are full, the lawns are green, enough with the rain and the cloulds already. Today is truely the first day of winter up here. It's been overcast all day, rained all day yesterday, but it's cold under an overcast sky. Now we want cold and clear ... please ...

[Suzy]

Yep, here in Brisbane, practically nearly all of this year has been a write off to view anything. It's very frustrating from a beginners point of view as well, so much I want to learn and see and then I get a high from seeing some amazing stuff, then I can't do any more for weeks. It has taught me levels of patients and tolerance I never knew I had.

[renormalised]

Yep...otherwise you'll end up looking like Yul Brynner...etc etc etc:):P

[Tandum]

http://starshed.net/temp/Pad.jpg
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/attachment_browse.php?a=76563

Stage one and two compete :)

[renormalised]

Still in line to become a Yul Brynner....needs a "box" around it:):)

[RB]

"So let it be written, so let it be done".....:P

[renormalised]

etc etc etc:):P

[Tandum]

I'm pretty sure the current term is :- Make it So ...

[RB]

:lol:

Touché

[Tandum]

skippy says tomorrow night is clear ... all you can do is try again ......

[RB]

Robin you may already know this site but thought I'd mention it.
I use 7timer (APanel) (http://7timer.y234.cn/V3/product.php?language=en&product_id=1) and find it's quite accurate in forecasting cloud conditions.

I use it on my own site (http://www.iimagespace.com/page/test/cloudcover.htm)as a quick reference.

:thumbsup:

[renormalised]

Nothing beats mark 1 eyeball and a high tree:):P

[Tandum]

Andrew, same data different chart. I don't trust any of them any more, a roof over the scopes is what I need so they are ready to go all the time. Right now I've been told a holiday is needed. So it will have to wait, again :)

KL is cheaper to get to than Fiji or NZ just now :)

[sheeny]

Know the feeling Robin.

Gee, an observatory is a great thing....:D:D:D:D:D:poke:

KL sounds good this time of year, but in the words of Monty Python (wrt the obs) "Get on with it!"

:lol:

Al.

[pgc hunter]

yheeep nothing like seeing clouds on the horizon coming at ya just after setting up. I always check every weather website known to man 500 times before going out. You can usually tell if its going to be cloudy by watching the satpics before you go out.

[asimov]

Yep, it's been happening that way since I was a wee lad! :lol: You'll get used to it eventually!;)

[M54]

My family came to dinner on Wed. night.
My Grand daughter has been wanting to look through my scope for a while but it's never been clear or dark enough over the last few months, at the times that she was here.
The sky was totally clear before they arrived on Wed. only to cloud over while they were here. I did get the scope out and she got a peek through the clouds at the moon, not very clear though.
It cleared again just as they were driving out of the driveway!:mad2:

Regardless of this, she did get excited and squeal 'I can see the craters!!!'
She's 4.:)

[leon]

Na mate give it away and buy a fifth wheeler and follow me, ;) just kidding, :lol: yea it dose get to you when that happenes 8 out of 10 times :sadeyes:

leon :thumbsup:

[hotspur]

Yeap,I am very fast coming to the end of astronomy days.I have built a observatory,so everything is permantly set up and polar aligned etc.But even having it all basically at my finger tips ready to role,the last six months or more its hardly ever used.

I am very,very seriously thinking of getting into macro,and giving up on astronomy all together,its a complete waste of time and money.

I really do not know how you blokes.take all that stuff out side and set it all up for nothing,you deserve medals.I would have sold all my kit years ago,if i did'nt have the observatory,having to cart and set up is very tiresome.

Hope we all get a break in weather next new moon,

[renormalised]

You learn the art of patience when for 8 months of the year, every year, your skies are clouded over...like up my way. You take your observing when you can and use the winter time as much as possible.

[Tandum]

Well I guess I'll have another go. New toys tend to keep the interest up too :D

[DavidU]

Living in Melb the in and out of the scopes keeps me trim & fit:lol:

[marki]

Woo hoo nothing like new toys to keep you interested :thumbsup:.

Mark

[pgc hunter]

And yet I'm the polar opposite :(

Could be due to the fact that hauling out gear once a month or two doesn't quite add up to my daily excerise needs?

[Manav]

On a side note when will the rain stop in Sydney?

[DavidU]

June 4th at around 3.45PM.:D

[leon]

Chris yep mate, I have to agree with you, I have given it up, the imaging part of it that is.

I too, and My Dear Alice have some great L Glass, and we will be doing other stuff, when we hit the road of the Grey Nomads. ;)

Nothing lasts forever. :shrug:

Leon :thumbsup:

[RobF]

Oooooo - very nice Japanese engineering there Robin.

Head up now - we're got to be due for a nice clear dry winter - won't be long and one high after another will come sailing through (along with a roaring jetstream....:rolleyes: :D)

[Jen]

:lol::lol: haha rub it in why dont ya Carl :rolleyes::lol::lol:;)

[mozzie]

its been cloudy for the last couple of weeks and know the rain has come and its heavy whos bought new gear!!!!!!!!!

[Suzy]

:question:I only bought Pentax xw and Vixen Lvw ep's and books:D - surely that only calls for a wee little sun shower..:question:. Don't think it's me.:P

[RickS]

I received a mount so that I could (theoretically, if the sky was clear) finally use the scope that has been sitting in a box for a couple of months.

Sorry, the weather must be my fault...

[erick]

Yeah, like hitting your head against a brick wall??? :(

SDM#039 hasn't seen starlight since I picked it up! :sadeyes: maybe tonight :prey:

[pgc hunter]

Tonite might be good, once this crappy fog clears. Make you you let us know how she performs :thumbsup:

[erick]

Forecast - clear night! I setup (backyard) in clear skies. Some scattered cloud (?) as I went inside to do some unavoidable things inside for a few hours. Out around midnight to complete cloud cover that didn't vanish until well after Moonrise :sadeyes:

Found I had to do more work on the filter slide. A clip I had added didn't clear the slide rails - thought I would have checked that? - brain getting old. Got most things working except my quick and dirty DIY finderscope holder. It's headed for the bin and I'm back to the drawing board. Managed to align scope/Argo Navis and scope pointed fairly well. Heating all seemed to work fine, but it wasn't that moist and temp was a balmy 7 deg C. Shroud working well. Azi and Alt bearings were beautiful.

So it was the Moon as the only target. Saw craterlets in Plato for the first time! Coming in and out of view at 300x with Moon still quite low. Looks like I was spotting "A" and "C/D" - That's great! One win for what was otherwise a poor observing night. A couple of hours latter with the Moon higher might have been nice. But I had to sleep and fog was very likely.

Back today to clouded over and threatening rain. No probs - some mechanical work to be done to prepare for new Moon weekend and a real workout. :)