Quote:
Originally Posted by strongmanmike
Hi Ian and Steve
At nearly 1500m we do get a reasonable amount of snow, it varies yearly of course but this last winter we had a few of days of decent snow .....and .......and 
But luckily didn't have to use chains...our longer term neighbours report it can be quite heavy and deep making vehicular access very difficult or indeed impossible but only occasionally, maybe once or twice a season.
I do have a freezer suit but generally cold is not an issue for me really, during many clear nights over last winter at Eagleview, I seemed to be able to cope with fairly modest attire most of the time actually  (probably the excitement of just being up there under a magical sparkling dark sky!  ). On a few occasions last winter up there, with snow all around me and below zero temperatures, with low humidity, I was out in shorts   I know. I usually just had a T-shirt + flannelette shirt + hooded spray jacket on, that's it and I could last 30-60min like that pretty easy  this made it easy undressing to go inside periodically to warm up by the fire (-5C outside and 23C inside). With the new observatory I will have a separate control room shed next to the dome deck, with small heater, from where I will be able to control the imaging aaaand be close by for visual observing sessions with the 18" Dob as well. If not doing visual observing, I plan to control the observatory from inside the house via remote desktop or similar.. aaand if Diego from Sidereal Trading has his way  who knows, down the track maybe even from the comfort of our place in Canberra
Ian, as the crow flies Googong is 37km to my north, or 54km (50min-1hr) by road. |
Hi Mike I have been remote access for the last 12 months even it doesn't get as cold as were you are. Am using a KOGAN ATLAS MINI PC - (KAMPCZ300NA and using Anydesk and Tight VNC as soft wear for access
Ian