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Ok, few stories in one here ... never taken my scope/gear to a dark site, or anywhere away from home. Had it all for 10 years so far. Friend convinced me to take it away this weekend, after not even using it for the past 12 months, except to collect dust.
So, I prepared myself ... did a test run (inside) checking I had all cables etc. and it all still works. A 3.5 hour drive from home, we get there, beautiful clear skies, the clearest I've ever seen. Could clearly see the Coalsack Nebula and LMC with unaided eyes without dark adapting. Friend had a medium format camera to try out!!!
First night: "Stuff up #1" - It takes me an hour of frustration to realise I should have added 12.7 degrees for magnetic declination instead of minus! "Stuff Up 2", wrestled and couldn't get guiding working, despite PHD saying it calibrated (turns out I didn't level the mount, remembered that the next day after a refresher of reading articles).
"Stuff up 3": Wasn't careful packing away in the dark after the first session and squashed my USB cable for the AutoGuider (not too bad, now fits better than the losse connection it had before, a half win!?).
"Stuff up 4": my finder scope was a little off alignment from my imaging scope, couldn't point accurately enough to find targets!
Second night: after re-reading all the guides, now actually aiming at True South, ie 168 degree bearing, levelled my scope, used the imaging camera to align my hand controller (this way we're more on target) ... the hand controller kept rebooting... turns out the cable wasn't clicked in properly (Stuff up 5). Despite re-connecting, had many issues with getting a successful alignment!
Turns out, I hadn't locked off my counter weight shaft and it kept sliding slightly, ruining everything (stuff up 6).
In the end, after a total of 2 nights, 4.5 hours, much fatigue and cold, with the outside air around 2 degrees, and ditching my autoguider as I'd had enough troubles ... we managed a few subs, 30 seconds long of an incredible nebula, somewhere near NGC 3372 but not it!
Will try and post an image once we get it sorted/processed.
My TLDR: practise, practise, practise!!!
If it's been a while, or you don't normally setup in a "new"/remote place, be sure to do it, with lights on, with a checklist and physically tick off items, until you can do it blind folded ... and even then, don't DO IT BLINDFOLDED, hahaha.
But stick with it!!! The results can be so rewarding and amazing!!!
P.S Yes I've dropped my Canon 50D once, in the early days, and had trouble pointing my scope at the moon to show a friend (before I had a finder scope). It's a very easily solo hobby, which goes pair shaped when demonstarting to others ... but much more fun with friends who are interested and keen!
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