Ten Chain Hill New Moon Nights

[Tandum (Robin)]

An hour to get to the shops and back .....

I think spitting distance to myer's has it's up side.

[pmrid (Peter)]

Originally Posted by Tandum

I think spitting distance to myer's has it's up side.

G'day Robin. It does, if you have an overwhelming urge to spit on Myers. For my part, I can take it or leave it.

We had a surprisingly good night up here last night. Windy until about 7.30 and the threatened clouds didn't make it this far north. A bit soft around midnight but it cleared again quite quickly and remained that way until sunrise.

Here's hoping tonight follows the same pattern.

Peter

[RobF (Rob)]

I'm in for tonight.....forecasts have improved a little
Bribe the weather gods for me just in case please Peter?

[RickS (Rick)]

Thanks for another weekend of your fine hospitality, Peter. Appreciate you putting on some good weather last night as well. Great to catch up with Geoff and Rob too...

Cheers,
Rick.

[ozstronomer (Geoff)]

Originally Posted by RickS

Thanks for another weekend of your fine hospitality, Peter. Appreciate you putting on some good weather last night as well. Great to catch up with Geoff and Rob too...

Cheers,
Rick.

+1...

Great to catch up with everyone, should be some nice images from the weekend data collection.

Thanks Peter for your hospitality


Cheers Geoff

[RobF (Rob)]

+2

Thanks again Peter. And Rick and Geoff, thanks for the company - great to catch up.

[pmrid (Peter)]

You're very welcome guys. Always a pleasure to lean on your knowledge of PI.
Rick - thanks for bringing that crazy blighter Jason up.

Peter

[Jason_FJ_Djamm (Jason)]

Originally Posted by pmrid

You're very welcome guys. Always a pleasure to lean on your knowledge of PI.
Rick - thanks for bringing that crazy blighter Jason up.

Peter

It was wonderful to meet you esteemed and sagacious Peter and share your beautiful skies!!! I would love to visit again. If Rick is not coming perhaps I could ride my bicycle from Toowong.

Best wishes,
Jason.

[pmrid (Peter)]

Yep. 22nd November and it's a Saturday. With Christmas and summer it will probably be the last usable New Moon for the year if the weather allows it. And January is almost certainly going to be problematic - always is isn't it? So put the 22nd Nov in your diaries.

Peter

[RickS (Rick)]

Alas, I'll be somewhere over the Pacific on that Saturday night, Peter. Good luck with the weather.

Cheers,
Rick.

[lazjen (Chris)]

Hey, maybe next year for me then. I've got stuff happening on the Sunday, so I'm out.

[ozstronomer (Geoff)]

Peter

Weather permitting i'll be up

Geoff

[pmrid (Peter)]

G'day TenChainers.

I've been busy these last couple of days. That Pegasus pier that, until now has been standing on its own out in the rain is now indoors. I took up some of the floor of the observatory and dug a third pier pit underneath. Concrete and reinforcing went in yesterday with a cage of bolts to hold the pier base. I mounted the pier this morning and it went in smoothly. All levelled up and waiting for a mission.

It occurs to me that one of you may want the opportunity to put your own mount on it and leave it here - all nicely aligned and ready to go with power on tap. Anyone interested?

Peter

[RickS (Rick)]

I'd take you up on that offer if I had a spare AP900, Peter!

[pmrid (Peter)]

Originally Posted by RickS

I'd take you up on that offer if I had a spare AP900, Peter!

Cheers Rick.
It occurred to me that many of us have, at different times, enjoyed (perhaps suffered is a better word) a surplus of astro gear including the odd EQ6 or HEQ5 lying about unloved and unused at the back of the garage. It would be a great burden off the conscience to be able to put these lame ducks to good use.


Peter

[DavidTrap (David)]

Originally Posted by RickS

I'd take you up on that offer if I had a spare AP900, Peter!

Now that would be a first world problem!

[RobF (Rob)]

Thanks Peter. If I was a single lad I'd probably do it, but just never sure when I can get away these days. I'm still tweaking the EQ6 while using the HEQ5 routinely last couple of months.

Good to know there is a pier option there though. My jealousy of your set up increases......

[pmrid (Peter)]

I've picked up an HEQ5Pro to whack on it for now.
That'll be enough for the light stuff I want to do - I have an old 4" Orion achromat and a FLI DF-2 focuser and - wait for it - an even older SBIG ST7 CCD and a manual Orion FW and a spare set of Baader NB filters. And finally a WO-4 flatterner/ .8 reducer. So as soon as I can get a PCMCIA card with a parallel port to fit into my laptop, I'll use it to do widefield NB stuff or something similar. All good fun.

Anyone have a spare EQMOD connector for a HEQ5 or a wiring diagram for one I can make? I thought I had one bit it turned out I have a Shoestring focuser dongle and a DSLR shutter dongle but not an EQMOD. Damn!


Peter

[ozstronomer (Geoff)]

Originally Posted by pmrid

I've picked up an HEQ5Pro to whack on it for now.
That'll be enough for the light stuff I want to do - I have an old 4" Orion achromat and a FLI DF-2 focuser and - wait for it - an even older SBIG ST7 CCD and a manual Orion FW and a spare set of Baader NB filters. And finally a WO-4 flatterner/ .8 reducer. So as soon as I can get a PCMCIA card with a parallel port to fit into my laptop, I'll use it to do widefield NB stuff or something similar. All good fun.

Anyone have a spare EQMOD connector for a HEQ5 or a wiring diagram for one I can make? I thought I had one bit it turned out I have a Shoestring focuser dongle and a DSLR shutter dongle but not an EQMOD. Damn!


Peter

Sorry Peter, No EQMOD cable spare, Bintel will have one

Geoff

[RobF (Rob)]

I wouldn't be trusting my wiring knowledge - the smoke got out the first time I built one. I'm using an EQDIR from Bintel currently too from memory. Different plug on the 5s of course.