I'm off tomorrow afternoon. Mostly packed, just need to stock the fridge and fuel the car. I'll be happy if I get enough clear sky to get a handle on accurate polar alignment. After that attaching the CCD and guide camera and have them play nice with each other and the mount is next on the list. I'll be in heaven if I get to the point where I can acquire my first image.
Just looking at the Accuweather extended forecast for Gloucester, it seems that Tuesday and Wednesday of next week might be the best days - plenty of clear skies and sun and not to hot (30), with a low of (17). And despite the coastal forecast I've had two very clear nights here.
take a good book, your wellingtons, plenty of port and apple charlotte, a couple of extra tarps and have a bloody good time
just spare a thought for me being stuck here at home recovering from my op in the morning while all of you are away having fun
i would think there will be no trips away for me for about 2 months, so i want plenty of reports and pics when you get back
remember! - if you never ever go, you never ever know!
PS: take your scopes just in case ( but only if you can fit all the port in )
geoff
I'm sorry to hear that!
I hope you recover soon, we will miss you.
I'm hoping to to be there Monday.
Just got home. Jordan and I had a great time away together, and we spent some time chatting with Ulrich. Friday night was good for observing until the fog rolled in just after 3.
There was a side show off in the trees as some drugged up young girl decided to get in her car and do burnouts. She ran over a tent and almost killed another young girl. Needless to say there was a lot of yelling and swearing that went on and on well past midnight by all the druggies.
For you guys going this week, someone needs to pack a whipper snipper as the grass is really long.
Just to let you guys know I have some people looking for land around Dunedoo where I can setup up a permanent obs. The weather out there is so much better than Bretti and you won't have to cope with other peoples noise and lights. I hope to build it up and turn it into a nice astronomy facility, and we can have somewhere better to go than Bretti.
Plus, it is going to be home next year to a nice new 32".
Just got home. Jordan and I had a great time away together, and we spent some time chatting with Ulrich. Friday night was good for observing until the fog rolled in just after 3.
There was a side show off in the trees as some drugged up young girl decided to get in her car and do burnouts. She ran over a tent and almost killed another young girl. Needless to say there was a lot of yelling and swearing that went on and on well past midnight by all the druggies.
For you guys going this week, someone needs to pack a whipper snipper as the grass is really long.
Just to let you guys know I have some people looking for land around Dunedoo where I can setup up a permanent obs. The weather out there is so much better than Bretti and you won't have to cope with other peoples noise and lights. I hope to build it up and turn it into a nice astronomy facility, and we can have somewhere better to go than Bretti.
Plus, it is going to be home next year to a nice new 32".
Gee Allan you certainly had an interesting weekend. Re the Obs, I have just completed mine - in my backyard, and just need to do a few internal setup things - like power, when I return from Bretti. I hope that mid-week Bretti will be more quiet. Did you happen to notice if Bretti Heights was over-grown as well? My whipper snipper is electric so that's not going to be much help.
A 32" eh? Obviously a dob. Is this an SDM build?
Glen, we went for a walk up on Bretti Heights and the grass was just as long. Looks like the cows haven't been through for a while.
I am excited about the new dob. I am sourcing components and design features being used on big dobs in the US, and I am going to give them to Peter Reid at SDM to put it all together for me. There will be nothing else in Australia like it when it's finished. I even came up with a name for it!
Four of us getting there about friday midday.
will bring grass trimmer. Hopefully grass is not to thick for my machine.
looking forward to it.
Peter Langdown.
Philo Beddoe: Tattoos? Elmo: Them's Black Widows. Frank: Did you know that more people die from black widows than rattlers every year?
Back to Bretti......
It should be calm now school is back in.
Seems the weather is looking OK for the next few days
I'm packing and heading up there today, (16th) to arrive about 3:30
(but no whipper snipper - petrol leak!)
It doesn't sound good if there too many " yahoos " there doing burnouts etc. maybe time to try elsewhere.
Hopefully the local constabulary do a drive through from time to time. I am sure any grey nomads around that night would get the rego number and report it when they could. The Grey Nomad newsletter ( which yes I subscribe to) has the odd report of antisocial behaviour all around the country - it's not just a Bretti probem. Safety in numbers as well, so as long as we 'circle the wagons' at the usual spot I doubt we will have issues other than wandering cows.
And Remember, in all the years we have been going to Bretti, this is the first reported occasion of this sort of thing happening while any of us have been there.
Also, on the brighter (or not) side, we might thank the local louts for pulling out all the Solar Lights -so many times that council refused to replace them.
anyway, these things seem to quieten down again once the weather cools.
Looks like lots of rain coming to Bretti on Friday and saturday. Temp dropping to about 24 degrees
so it wont be hot. will see if there are any changes in weather later in the week.
Peter.
