Central Coast members going to IISAC

[Allan_L]

Hi Guys,
Just wanted to have a place to co-ordinate our plans for IISAC this year.
Well I have finally bitten the bullet and decided on camping in the lower area where we did last year. (For me, thats camping, as in camper-van-ing :) )
This year I have opted to do my own catering like most of you did last year.

It would be good for us all to be close again, that really made it for me last year - good friends and good fun.
But i know the comfort of a bunk may be more appealing to some, but I am sure we can work around that ( Hmmm! - ideas ?).

I presume we can meet for pre-games coffee at the Twin Servos on the Thursday morning.

If you can post your intentions here, I think that will help us organise.
Any new comers who want to travel with us are welcome too, of course.

[Rick Petrie]

Yep, I'm in,booked and paid. bringing the van and the boss!!!
So you better be on your best behavior. LOL. I should talk!!!:thumbsup:

[Arthur Alchin]

Hi guys

We will be there at the bottom spot again, tenting of course (hopefully another car by then)

Paid this morning. Will try and arrange maybe meeting at the twin servos like usual about 0900hr, does that sound ok?? (Channel 8 of course)

Also got a very new, very quiet (54dbs) KIPOR inverter generator (1Kva) to recharge gear.

Will be eating our own grub so if anyone needs to use the Webber it will be burning each night.

[Allan_L]

HaHa !
Must have been Jacob's impressive thingy, got us all thinking.
I got one too.
A 3.2 kva. Super quiet(57db) pure sine wave inverter type. Smart dodar.
$499 ebay.

[Satchmo]

As long as your generator is not close enough to disturb campers in their tents from sleeping you should be fine. You wouldn't want to wake up to find your generator at the bottom of the river :)

[Arthur Alchin]

I would expect some mature discussion and negotiation before finding that some immature person would take it upon themselves to destroy someones property by throwing it in a river

[Allan_L]

:rofl: :rolleyes: :rofl:
maybe i should invest in one of those sound boxes just to be sure ;)

[Rick Petrie]

I have taken my generator to IISAC for the last two years.
It is a Honda 1000 and pretty quiet as far as generators go.
I was concerned what people may think of the noise factor, however quiet, and tested mine.
I encase mine in a storage tub open one side to breath and directed to dissipate the sound away from campers across the western side of the creek and this seems to work pretty well. Haven't had any complaints as you can hardly hear it.
I take a fairly long cable and position as far away as possible and only use at times when most people are awake anyway.
I think if you are responsible in this fashion it shouldn't end up in the creek.
Cheers Rick:thumbsup:

[Satchmo]

Well done Rick , apart from tripping on your extension chord a couple of times I didn't find it a problem but then I was fairly inebriated when I went to bed.

[Octane]

Can you put the generator on a little dingy in the creek? : P

H

[Rick Petrie]

Well I guess I'll just have to bring a backhoe and bury the cable.!!:P:lol:
All 3/8ths of an inch of it.:)

[Rick Petrie]

And what......electrocute the fish.????:P New concept in fishing!!!!!!!!

[GTB_an_Owl]

not as noisy as dynamite Rick

geoff

[Arthur Alchin]

a backhoe might be a bit of overkill don't you think rick, why not just a ditchwitch? (I do have a trenching shovel)

[Allan_L]

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rolleyes: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

This is just getting better and better all the time !!! ;)

[GTB_an_Owl]

WELL! - us "tophutters" do know where the tractor is kept ;) :lol: :lol:

geoff

[GTB_an_Owl]

and if that is not possible - i will just bring ALL my tarps and we'll put a tent the entire length of the cord :D

NO WAIT - i have it

we will just put all our vans and tents in one long line all the way down to the river and put the cord under them
what you reckon ? :thumbsup:

SEE - trust the owl to come up with a solution

geoff

[GTB_an_Owl]

are we supposed to be staying on topic ?

geoff

[Allan_L]

Brilliant. ! :lol:
It will be like a "Border Crossing"
And we can charge people to Cross The Border

...and of course, we will have to "Issue Tickets" :rolleyes:

[Allan_L]

...Back on topic

So you did get the Top Hut Geoff ?
Who else will be Top Hutting?

[Arthur Alchin]

not me, i'm a tenter in the bottom paddock, not enough kangaroos in the top paddock.

Then we will have to start planning the January adventure, question is where to ????????

[Rick Petrie]

Now THAT is fishing!!!:fishing::einstein:

[GTB_an_Owl]

no - i will be camping like the rest of you Allan
(if i have the money to go)

geoff

[Rick Petrie]

You're going Geoff....even if we have to pass around a hat!!!(We could have an 'Owlathon')
What's a star party without an owl to keep us all up at night for a hoot???:P

[Arthur Alchin]

So Geoff (inmykombi) r u staying in the house or tenting it? I think i will set up my second tent as a "storage tent" to keep the astronomy gear out of the weather.

Does anybody have an old fashion "ceiling light" shade they don't need as i have made a light for the tent and want something to direct the light downwards.

One of the old ones that fit on the globe fitting at the end of the power cord (it is 240v and have a 11w fluoro globe)

[racecar]

I live on the Central Coast (Gosford). I am not sure about camping (I like my own bed), but I am keen to join everyone for an evening or two (assuming my telescope is delivered in time - and assuming I figure out how to work it by then).

[Arthur Alchin]

Hi David.
Be great to meet up with you.

Most of us guys go up on the Thursday but some stragglers do follow later. Some of us tent it, some caravan it and the more prestigious stay in their motor homes, occasionally we stay in the house.

We usually travel on channel 8 on UHF if you have one and we all have a great time. What scope r u getting?? and meet at the macdonalds at the twin servos north of wyong on the f3 about 0900 on the thursday.

Keep an eye on the thread, it can be very informative (at times), sometimes humorous.

[racecar]

I will probably head up on Friday because of an unfortunate thing I have called a job (It forces me to be awake during the day. Still I persist with it).

Also the scope is a NexStar 8SE. I haven't bought any filters or accessories yet, I think I'll just figure out how to use it first and learn my way around the sky. Although I will probably get a t-mount and t-ring before the scope arrives. It should be arriving on the 8th. Will that be in time for the event? Also, where is it?

[Arthur Alchin]

Friday is the 8th, the day you will be traveling up by the sound of it. Don't stress if it doesn't arrive (you know Murphy's law) there are plenty of scopes up there to look at.

The place is the Lostock Scout camp, Lostock dam is on most GPS's but you travel about 6kms past the
Lostock C'van park turnoff and your there.

Mike has some pretty good directions in the IISAstrocamp page. But take the Tocal road from Lorne (just west of maitland) and follow it through the towns of Paterson and Vasi to east Gresford and turn left at east gresford and drive a km or two to gresford and turn right up the paterson river road and your on the final leg.

[racecar]

Great. I'll see you there.

[Allan_L]

Arthur,

I have just returned from a reconnaissance trip.

Mount Kaputar. not practicle. No way we could fit a dozen scopes on that viewing platform (even if we could lug them up all those stairs)

Warrambungles National Park. (Blackman Camp Area)
Now that was perfect.
70 Powered sites.
Hot Showers.
Flushing Toilets.
Plenty of open sky.
and the best dark skies I have ever seen anywhere.
Group bookings are available.
and they even have phone coverage!
(PS: It is minutes from Siding Springs)

[Octane]

Allan,

If you decide to do a trip to the Warrumbungles, count me in.

Seeing Andromeda naked eye is something to behold. Agreed, some of the darkest skies I've ever seen. Just incredible. I was at Coonaabarabran at the peak of the Orionid shower in 2006, I think it was. At least one or two a minute. Just, wow!

H

[Inmykombi]

I'll be tenting it Arthur, down the lower area.
Look forward to throwing something on your Barbie.

I also have a fluoro light for 240 volts that is red.

Geoffro.

[Arthur Alchin]

now that sounds perfect Allan, how much does it cost and when do we go?

[Allan_L]

430 kilometres from Wyong Twin Servos

Park entry is $7 per vehicle per day.
Camp Sites $5 unpowered ($10 powered)

We may be able to get a group booking discount?

Any new moon after IISAC
November may be preferable, before the heat of Summer and the Peak Holiday season

[Allan_L]

Sorry Arthur, but I have to laugh every time I read this sentence ;)

(I am a little surprised no one else has offered you a remedy for that condition)

[Arthur Alchin]

got a group going to Lostock in November from work, will have to give that month a miss

[gb_astro]

"Warrambungles National Park. (Blackman Camp Area)"

Allan, any photos?

Greg.

[Arthur Alchin]

Getting closer to the event for the year!! yippee.

Sounds like we are all going to gravitate to a similar area to last year, looks great.

Will have to arrange a meeting place and time (as per usual) soon.

As i have said before i will have the little Webber BBQ on each evening so if you have concerns about cooking feel free to use it (after me that is).

Getting excited? I am! Although i am only getting home from another 4 day camping adventure 2 days before.

[Amunous]

hey there im in this year paid up and ready to go... dont have uhf but i can meet you guys at the twin servos.. dont know how tired ill be im working till 2am and dont know how much sleep ill get but ill be there with bells on

[Allan_L]

Excellent Michael.

Someone may be able to lend you a handheld UHF for the trip too.

Getting excited now !!! :jump:

[Amunous]

oh and carly will be coming as well... might have some mates show up on the friday also.. (one mate and his missus)

[Arthur Alchin]

Hey Michael:
Be great to catch up with you.

I have a low powered handheld CB if you want to borrow it and keep in the loop for the trip up. They have short range but have been used by others over the years with no complaints.

Just let me know and i will get one to you before hand or at the twin servos

[Inmykombi]

I am getting excited now. Looking forward to doing an all-nighter again .

So its 8.30am at the twin servos is it ?

Geoffro

[Arthur Alchin]

Yes, i think so 0830hrs,(0900 at the latest), probably leave the servos about 0915hrs does that sound right?

And monitoring CB channel 8 UHF?

[Inmykombi]

Sounds good to me Arthur.

[Amunous]

well i thought i was going to be all set... argo arrived and finally working. got the dew heater yesterday.. doesnt work. AAARRRRGHHHHH not happy.

[Inmykombi]

Only 6 sleeps now. wooo hoooo.

[Arthur Alchin]

was 6, now 5:rofl:

[Rick Petrie]

And I now have a new CB to broadcast nerdy network noise to all you other listeners on CH8.:lol::P

[Arthur Alchin]

oh no, more unintelligible conversation, those poor extra-terrestrials that may be ease-dropping on us.

Good one Rick, what type did you get? have you activated any of the squelch stuff or left it simple?

[Inmykombi]

Excellent Rickapoody..... Now there is no escaping our chatter.:P



PS 4 sleeps now...................

[Arthur Alchin]

3 TO GO:eyepop::eyepop::eyepop:

[Inmykombi]

Woooo Hooooo

PS Dont forget the DSI Arthur.....So I can have a play with it please.

[Arthur Alchin]

Don't worry Geoff, goes with me all the time :). Do you need me to bring the software or have you got AutoStar Suite on your laptop?

And the Bongoos and accordion

[Inmykombi]

Thx Arthur, Please bring the Software as well in case the stuff on my Laptop doesn't work, as I have never tried it before.

Geoffro.

[Arthur Alchin]

Not bringing the petrol weed-eater this time but have some grass clippers, anyone with a small electric weed-eater that we can run off a generator??

[Arthur Alchin]

Just out of interest to everyone: will hopefully be trying to do some Prime-Focus photography, does anyone have any experience with it with a DSLR??

[jakob]

I'm still up in the air :confused2::confused2: about going.
Out of my control!!!
:mad2::mad2::mad2:

[GTB_an_Owl]

the owl will be drinking his beer at home this weekend

sorry guy's - someone else will have to keep you all in line

geoff

[Rick Petrie]

I'm sorry to hear that mate.:(
What, you're going to be a sacrificial lamb?
We'll miss you, you know that.
Is there anything we can do to convince you otherwise,;):question: and the weather is looking so good for owls.:thumbsup:

[GTB_an_Owl]

no - sorry Rick - mind made up

i need to stay home to see if the property on the other side of the problem i have gets sold or not on saturday and who buys it

geoff

[Rick Petrie]

Understand, and good luck with that. See ya soon.Cheers :thumbsup:

[Inmykombi]

Sorry to hear you are stayin' at home Geoff.

Hope you can still come Jakob.


Also I have to drop off Ryans' ( Rhino's ) jacket he left at Lostock yonks ago. See you all at the twin servos, but I may leave a little earlier to meet Ryan somewhere.
I will probably meet him at Thornton on the way up the end of the F3.

[RB]

I'll be making my way up on Friday arvo boys.
See y'all then.
Bring plenty of lighter fluid Rick. :P

[Rick Petrie]

Is two gas bottles full on the caravan enough????????:lol:

[RB]

:lol: :thumbsup:

[jakob]

Sorry guys, can't make it.
My wife is not well. Has to go for tests tomorrow:(:(.

Have fun! See you at the PC in Nov.

[Allan_L]

Sorry to hear this Jakob. Hope everything turns out well for your wife. :prey:
We will definitely miss you. :sadeyes:




Hope all goes well with your problem Geoff.

It will hardly be the same without you and Jakob. :sad:


But, I have just finished packing and am ready to go (to sleep!)
Twin Servos at 8:30 ? Right ? :hi:

[Amunous]

ill be getting to the servos at about 9-915 at the very very latest

[Arthur Alchin]

Sorry to hear that Geoff and Jacob won't be making it this year, will be sadly missed.

Both of you guys and great to spend the time away with.

Yes 0830 Allan.