Ten Chain Hill New Moon nights - Page 23

Tandum (Robin) · #**441** 16-05-2010, 03:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robbos30

Hi Peter, My names Peter also i have been away from this forum for a couple of years and am a bit rusty, but i am looking for a good visual observing spot to take my telescope and get back into astronomy.My wife and i are now living back in North Brisbane as we have just moved from Toowooomba.
Could you tell me a bit about your observing site and if we could join your observing group?
Regards, Peter.

Peter, I don't want to talk for pete but I try and get out there when ever I can. I've seen a couple of observers there but most of us are imagers so there are laptops all over the place and pete has the brightest head light (blue not red) I've ever seen

But I'm sure you'd be welcome.

Looking east from 10 chain, the skyglow from Brisbane blots out everything up to about 30-45 degrees, otherwise it is black

It make me wonder how I see anything at all from here ....

Pete, we are back from the wifes birthday dinner, cost me over $400

, and it's about 50% solid cloud cover and the rest is hi level crap. Prolly a good move calling it off tonight.

Robbos30 (Peter) · #**442** 16-05-2010, 09:44 AM

Peter
Hi Robin, thanks for your reply, That still sounds good. What would the directions be? I like to google earth it. Cheers Peter.

pmrid (Peter) · #**443** 17-05-2010, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robbos30

Peter
Hi Robin, thanks for your reply, That still sounds good. What would the directions be? I like to google earth it. Cheers Peter.

Peter,
TenChain is my place. I've been offline for a couple od days but I see that someone else has replied to your posting in the meanwhile. Yes, of course you are welcome to come out and enjoy the dark skies here. They are quite good except for the wretched glow from Brisbane and, to a lesser extent, the northern corridor up to the Sunshine Coast.
Why not drop me a Personal Message or an email and I can give you some detail of where we are and so forth. Do you know how to do that?

cheers
Peter.

pmrid (Peter) · #**444** 22-05-2010, 11:56 AM

There's a half moon culminating about 6.00 p.m. tonight BUT so far it looks like clear skies. Too good to waste.
I'll be in the Obs if anyone wants to come out to have a play.
Peter.

Tandum (Robin) · #**445** 22-05-2010, 02:17 PM

Can't get there pete, still messing about with this 10", but I should have it out here tonight. Just moved the mirror up the tube and got that red dot finder fitted so I need to colliminate and align it before it gets dark

I think I still have distance to mpcc problems to sort out too.

RobF (Rob) · #**446** 22-05-2010, 02:23 PM

Very tempting, but have promised the wife I'll behave and stay home this weekend Peter (as much as its possible to do anyway....

)

pmrid (Peter) · #**447** 22-05-2010, 04:10 PM

My first goal tonight it to figure out if my new Hotech field flattener has a similar critical separation point between itself and the imaging chip. None mentioned anywhere but it could be an issue for me because I'm using it with an OAG and have put it before the OAG not after because it has that terrific axial grib system that just beats the dickens out of compresion rings and by doing this I have been able to eliminate all compression devices in my optical train. We'll soon see. It'll either be a coma circus or it won't.
Good skies all.
Peter.

Tandum (Robin) · #**448** 22-05-2010, 05:01 PM

Peter, if that flattener is designed to connect to a canon camera then it will be 55mm to sensor for sure.

pmrid (Peter) · #**449** 22-05-2010, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tandum

Peter, if that flattener is designed to connect to a canon camera then it will be 55mm to sensor for sure.

Copy that. But it says it's designed for refractors from F6 to F8 - that's it. Houghy has recently used one that couples up straight to his DSLR's T-Ring with no added spacers and says it's fantastic. Bit of cloud coming across but the roof's open and hopes remain high!!!!

Peter.

pmrid (Peter) · #**450** 24-05-2010, 03:43 PM

G'day folks.
David Gregor has kindly volunteered to help putting down a couple of concrete pads with appropriatly aligned and spaced locating holes to accommodate a range of mounts for you all. I have EQ5, EQ6 and LXD75 tripods but don't presently know whether there is any difference between standard and 'heavy' versions of the same tripods. I do not have dimensions for G8, G11 or others. Would you like to submit the dimensions for your fully-extended tripod-of-choice so we can make sure we give maximum coverage to each slab?
Not sure when the working-bee will be but I expect it will likely be in the week before our next new moon weekend of 11th and 12th June.
Peter.

ozstronomer (Geoff) · #**451** 24-05-2010, 04:29 PM

Peter,

Sounds like a great idea.
How do you want us to give you the measurements?

What i'm thinking is, as the tripod is raised up the legs spread out.This extends the overall measurement.

Should we level the mount at it's lowest point and use that measurement??
Maybe we need a few tripods on site the day the pads are poured??

What do you think

Geoff

pmrid (Peter) · #**452** 24-05-2010, 07:33 PM

G'day Geoff. I kinda assumed most people would set their mounts up fully extended so what I had in mind was the equilateral triangle formed by the 3 legs.
If people only partially extened their legs, there's no way of setting any kind of standard locating points is there.

Peter

ozstronomer (Geoff) · #**453** 24-05-2010, 07:46 PM

Hi Peter,

When Ì setup I'ts always with the tripod set as low as possible, then leveled.

That way everything is easily accessible.

I'm happy to advise the measurements on that basis if that's of use. Otherwise I may be able to bring the tripod up on the day.

Cheers Geoff

RobF (Rob) · #**454** 24-05-2010, 07:51 PM

I get great results at home with 3 black Nikko pen marks on my legs for height with mount leveled and 3 marks on the rear patio tiles (leveling re legs done for that one spot of course).

Something similar with another colour if necessary would save 30mins each time at 10 Chain too I imagine. (or should I say 60 mins as it seems to turn out in a dark sky location after you've already had a drink or two....

)

ozstronomer (Geoff) · #**455** 24-05-2010, 08:08 PM

Rob,

I have the same setup at home, might work as long as we know who's marks are who's.

Geoff

adman (Adam) · #**456** 24-05-2010, 08:32 PM

The ink marker sounds like a good idea Peter. It will save mucking around with measurements and alignments. Each person can do their own alignment and use some permanent marker or paint to indicate the position of their tripod legs. THey will need to use a specific colour or some other distinguishing mark to show which is theirs.

How big are you planning on making the slab?

Adam

RobF (Rob) · #**457** 24-05-2010, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ozstronomer

Rob,

I have the same setup at home, might work as long as we know who's marks are who's.

Geoff

Yes Geoff - just make sure everyone doesn't use the same colour blobs of offwhite paint!

Tandum (Robin) · #**458** 24-05-2010, 10:28 PM

I've always been lucky enough to plonk it down, point it just left of the milking shed and come up pretty close to aligned

RobF (Rob) · #**459** 24-05-2010, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tandum

I've always been lucky enough to plonk it down, point it just left of the milking shed and come up pretty close to aligned

That sounds like a variation on the highly technical "aim just to the right of the old stump to the south" technique Robin

Who needs Polaris anyway......

pmrid (Peter) · #**460** 27-05-2010, 09:14 AM

G'day all. I'm in Fiji this week (home Tuesday) and have patchy net access so I'll address outstanding issues when I get home. It seems that people set their tripods at different (and not always the same ) heights so the leg spacings will be highly variable. OK, We'll whack down markings for an EQ6 fully extended, and EQ5 similarly and mark a clear NS line on the slab so others can always use the south mark at least. That should overcome all variables and idiosyncracies.
Peter