Blue Mountains - Katoomba Airfield 5th Oct - Page 3

MortonH · #41 30-09-2013, 04:08 PM

I got some strong insect repellant as part of my vaccinations, etc. before going to India for work a couple of years ago. Haven't been bitten when I've been using it. Will check the brand later.

MortonH · #42 30-09-2013, 04:45 PM

or you could get one of these
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...d.php?t=112690

AG Hybrid (Adrian) · #43 30-09-2013, 05:02 PM

Due to work commitments I think my schedule has cleared up and I probably wont be going to the Fleet review. I should be able to make it to Katoomba.

Camelopardalis (Dunk) · #44 30-09-2013, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MortonH

or you could get one of these
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...d.php?t=112690

LOL only covers the face though

mental4astro (Alexander) · #45 01-10-2013, 10:05 PM

Well, looks like I'll be bringing my little GSTAR camera along for the ride too. In another current thread, I offered to bring it along so folks can see how a video stream looks like, and the offer has been jumped on. So if you'd like to try it in your scope, let me know, or have a look while Dunk and Steffen have a go with it.

absolut (Rob) · #46 01-10-2013, 10:19 PM

Providing we don't get any bush fires and the weather is good I'll be coming along Sat night!

I'd love to check out the camera too Alex, dying to see how it looks!

I think I'll be bringing some sleeping gear this time, been close to nodding off on the way home... not a good look really!

Crossing my fingers for some awesome seeing!

Rob

Camelopardalis (Dunk) · #47 01-10-2013, 10:28 PM

Score

what's the focal length Alex?

mental4astro (Alexander) · #48 01-10-2013, 11:43 PM

The focal length is that of your telescope. My focal reducer is 0.5X, so half that of your scope. The lenses I can bring are 16mm, 50mm and 125mm. I can also bring that piggyback bracket for your C8 as the camera is very light and the lenses are not heavy either. I really don't want to bring my 114mm scope with its 500mm focal length as the whole exercise will then ruin my own intensions for the night. Man, I haven't done a DSO sketch is such a long time...

mental4astro (Alexander) · #49 02-10-2013, 06:59 AM

Special request

I'm finally getting around to making a series of sketching how-to videos. One of these I would like to make as a time lapse of myself at the eyepiece doing a sketch. Does anyone have a suitable camera that I could borrow? I'm guessing that it could need some type of IR illumination too. I've got a very sturdy tripod it can be mounted on. I mentioned time lapse as a sketch can take, depending on the DSO, from 1/2hr to three hours.

Anyone coming to the Airfield able to help?

Mental.

Camelopardalis (Dunk) · #50 02-10-2013, 09:59 AM

Ah ok, so it comes with its own lenses and just needs a tracking host...that's easy enough, I'll have 2 (maybe 3) scopes on board both on goto mounts.

Camera wise, I'll be bringing my point-and-shoot - it can manage up to 15 second exposures but there's no remote shutter on it. Not sure if that's any use?

mental4astro (Alexander) · #51 02-10-2013, 10:20 AM

Hey Dunk, no the camera doesn't come with its own lenses. It just comes with a 1.25" adapter. The lenses I'm bringing, one I bought a CCTV lens, the others are SLR camera lenses that I've bought an adapter to couple to the camera. This is the camera I'm bringing:

http://myastroshop.com.au/products/d...sp?id=MAS-071C

Time lapse is taking not a single long exposure, but a film that slowly records a long spans of time, & when played back the action is greatly accelerated. Like those docos showing a flower grow in a matter of seconds, not days.

Wavytone · #52 02-10-2013, 11:15 AM

Hi Alex,

I'll bring my LX5 and tripod, it shoots beautiful video in low light and can run exposures to 4 minutes (overkill). Timelapse is a no, unless the frames are triggered manually (IMHO not hard if the duration isn't excessive).

Regarding illumination, I can't do UV or IR. But what I know does work well is a low soft light from a single LED torch with a tissue over it to act as a diffuser (which I also happen to have).

BenM (Ben) · #53 02-10-2013, 11:41 AM

Won't be able to make bitterly disappointed!

Camelopardalis (Dunk) · #54 02-10-2013, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mental4astro

Hey Dunk, no the camera doesn't come with its own lenses. It just comes with a 1.25" adapter. The lenses I'm bringing, one I bought a CCTV lens, the others are SLR camera lenses that I've bought an adapter to couple to the camera. This is the camera I'm bringing:

http://myastroshop.com.au/products/d...sp?id=MAS-071C

Time lapse is taking not a single long exposure, but a film that slowly records a long spans of time, & when played back the action is greatly accelerated. Like those docos showing a flower grow in a matter of seconds, not days.

Got it

sorry.

malau (David) · #55 02-10-2013, 12:12 PM

What time is the event start normally? Im planing to head up with my friends

mental4astro (Alexander) · #56 02-10-2013, 12:41 PM

G'day David,

There is no actual start time. For that matter, there's no finish time.

The Airfield will be open all day for aircraft, and we can arrive whenever we like. If you do arrive early for astro activities, make your arrival known to Rod, the Airfield manager. He will be able to guide you to where to stay on site until the Airfield is clear of its daily aircraft activity. There are aircraft kept at the Airfield, so Rod can get upset if you arrive and don't make your intensions known. You can say you're there for the astronomy session, or you can take your life in your own hands and say you're there to meet Alex

.

I'm hoping to get there before sunset. I'm aiming for between 5pm and 5:30. This will give me plenty of time to set up, have a bite to eat and enjoy the cloak of darkness come over the Airfield.

Rod makes the Airfield available to us without asking for a fee. He is only too happy to be able to share this enormous site with ourselves and our hobby. To say thank you, we give him a slab of his favourite brew, for which the hat gets passed around to share out the cost of the brew.

Look forward to meeting up with you and your friends.

GeoffW1 (Geoff) · #57 02-10-2013, 10:08 PM

Hi,

We have illness here, so I'd best not plan on attending.

It's bad luck, I had intended to come along and look at planetary nebula, this time of the year is propitious.

All the best for the night, see some of you at Wiley Park High.

Cheers

vic4loc (Victor) · #58 04-10-2013, 12:59 AM

Sorry have to miss out this month, heading to Coona over the long weekend.

Victor.

Camelopardalis (Dunk) · #59 04-10-2013, 01:29 PM

OK, I confess, I bought a new filter... that shouldn't have provoked the clouds to the extent of the current forecast, which isn't looking pretty

Oleg · #60 04-10-2013, 05:03 PM

Forecast is not that bad actually, according to weatherzone in Katoomba:

6pm Mostly cloudy 16°C WNW 19km/h
9pm Mostly clear 13°C WNW 17km/h
Sunday, October 6
12am Mostly clear 12°C WNW 18km/h
3am Sunny 8°C W 9km/h
6am Mostly cloudy 12°C WNW 17km/h

Have you noticed it will by Sunny at 3am?