[rumples riot]

Not entirely certain this is the right forum for this thread but I figure it is science related.

Spent a considerable time today reading up on the causes of bad seeing from a topographical point of view, and have discovered the cause of my bad seeing on the South side of Adelaide. See Damien Peaches site and Bureau of Meteorology.

According to the experts seeing conditions are particularly dictated by topographical features such as hills, mountains and the prevailing wind. In particular where they are located in relation to your seeing position. In my case I am on the south eastern side of Adelaide and just behind the peak of a hill (well within a kilometre).

As it turns out the prevailing wind comes from the north west which runs across the city up the hills face on directly over my position. This apparently will create unstable eddies in the atmosphere and directly make seeing quite unpredictable. No wonder I only rarely get 7/10 seeing and even then I am not sure of this. The reality is that when I think it is 7/10 it is more likely 4/10. This makes me wonder if I have ever seen 9/10 here at all.

Apparently the best position to be in is on the windward side of the hills or mountains if your prevailing wind travels over you and up over the mountain. Stable air currents are more common and therefore much more stable seeing. Wish I had known this before spending the money on my unit.

The only time this works for me is when the wind comes from the South East or when the winds abate all together and the inversion remains stable. In other words; very rarely. If you know Adelaides topography, then you know that the wind 9/10 comes from the west, northwest or south west.

Anyway just thought some of you guys would like to know this information.

Paul