Barambah Spring 2008 Reservations are OPEN! - Page 5

AlexN · #81 12-09-2008, 10:30 AM

Can anyone tell me roughly what altitude the horizon is to the north from the chessboard? I'm hoping to be able to get a shot of M31 from up there, and also M42/IC434/B33..

M31 is a longshot I guess as it wont get much above 20° but the Orion area will get to about 40° in the north east before daybreak...

Cheers.

Gargoyle_Steve (Steve) · #82 12-09-2008, 03:03 PM

Yep great news indeed Ron - it just wasn't quite the same without you there last time.

Speaking of freezing bank accounts ... between Alex and, well ... someone else from this thread who shall remain nameless

.... we could be in for a cyclone and the legendary "hundred year flood" before then.
(see my sig below if you're really interested)

Quick reminder : Anyone who is planning on going, but hasn't registered yet, please remember time is running out, registrations will close in just over a week from now (as soon as Randall and I work out the latest time we can reasonably process them).

Go to the website now, fill in the registration form, if you can't pay immediately that's ok, fill in the form anyway and just send an email to us at registrar at dark sky camp dot org dot au (you know how to convert that I'm sure!) to let us know when and how you will pay.

The website has details for direct deposit to the Camp bank account, for most people direct deposit is probably the easiest way anyway but with prior arrangements we can accept correct cash on arrival at camp.

I am getting pretty darn excited now - so much time in the dark, to play with so much gear!

( I better go have a little lie down for a bit...... )

Tandum (Robin) · #83 13-09-2008, 02:20 AM

bitumen to gravel, and will remain so for the next 41 kms

This 41Kms jimma road, is it still dirt and how bumpy is it? I'm thinking of the scopes.

AlexN · #84 13-09-2008, 02:28 AM

Yeah... that kind of treatment makes me not want to bring the C11

I might just take the long road and cover 3km of gravel..

Gargoyle_Steve (Steve) · #85 13-09-2008, 05:14 AM

Robin that Jimna to (points north) road is still unsealed, and I would suspect that is very unlikely to change within the next couple of decades. It is reasonably flat, but that can change depending on heavy rains - it's more a gravel road than dirt in most places, in many places it's quite wide but it does narrow down a fair bit once or twice, for short distances.

I actually don't mind driving that road too much at all, but then I quite enjoy touring around on backwater country roads and tracks in my fourbie. I'll be taking that road again myself this time (SOMEONE has to put up the guide signs for the rest of you, after all

) and in the past I've usually managed to average a speed of 80 km/h or so across that entire gravel stretch.

I'm dragging my brother along this time around so we'll have a couple of dobs on board, possibly a smaller scope, 2-3 pairs of bino's, and LOADS of other gear of all sorts piled up in both the car and the trailer. I'm not expecting any trouble during transit, or anticipating broken mirrors or bent tubes.

I would say though that if that kind of road does make you nervous then either take the Nanango option, if that's nearer to you, or keep to the bitumen all the way and go via Gympie. I've driven them all, and enjoyed them all too.

Alex I do have somewhere some notes I took on my first trip to Barambah about what height the view is in various directions, etc - I don't have that with me, but from memory you won't get near M31 from the chessboard area if it's only reaching 20 degress altitude.

Orion may be possible once it gets much higher, but there is a wall of VERY tall trees east of the chessboard, you'll be waiting to see if Orion clears them to the north east to see if you can get a shot there.

What we have to remember is that Barambah IS an Environmental Centre, and as such it has lots of trees, some quite large. Unfortunately this is in direct contrast with what we would otherwise desire - it is less of an issue for sure on the observing field, which is why we have alwats tried to promote battery power here for imagers (for instance as Mike & Chris have done at previous camps), but for those of you who need mains power and are therefore staying near the buildings it is an issue.

I'll be trialling a deep cycle battery / solar panel combo there this year, but as I don't really use or need heavy power to run my dob

I'd be more than willing for someone to try running their imaging setup off it for a night and see what happens - the battery that is, NOT the solar power (before any bright spark butts in about sunshine at night!)

Anyone who has pure 12v power needs let me know, I don't have a suitable invertor to run cameras, tracking mounts, laptops, etc off it so 240 v it won't be.

astroron (Ron) · #86 13-09-2008, 08:15 AM

I came back to Cambroon Via the dirt road to Jimmna and through the kenilworth state forest.
I had the 16" in the back
and was able to set up the scope that night with only a small bit of collimating

I always said I would not take my car through the Sunday Creek road from Jimmna

but by driving carefully coming that way it saved me over 60kms

I have over the last three months carried an 8" SCT over 11,000kms around Queensland and the Northern Territory and it is still going strong, and that includes the Savanna way and the Birdsville Track

Ron

AdrianF (Adrian) · #87 13-09-2008, 12:18 PM

Excuse the question but......How often does the Barambah Camp happen?
It just happens that this one coincides with my holidays and my shopping trip to Brisbane/Gold Coast and on my way home I might just pop in and say hello.

Adrian

007Borg · #88 13-09-2008, 02:15 PM

We're planning to take the backroads... down the obi obi, and along the "road" from kenilworth forest to Jimna.. I was going to ask if anyone has gone that way before, but thanks Ron, you've answered my question

Glad to here your scope didn't bend into a banana going that way before.. I'm looking forward to taking the 4x4 on that road

Shaun

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #89 13-09-2008, 03:39 PM

I travel the Jimna road to Barambah. The average speed I use on the dirt is between 60-80kmh. I drive an elderly Skyline and all my equipment has made it through unscathed.
Dust is the biggest issue. Everything needs to be covered.

astroron (Ron) · #90 13-09-2008, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdrianF

Excuse the question but......How often does the Barambah Camp happen?
It just happens that this one coincides with my holidays and my shopping trip to Brisbane/Gold Coast and on my way home I might just pop in and say hello.

Adrian

Hi Adrian, the camp is usually about twice a year, the last one being in May.
The facilities are first class

and we would be glad to catch up with you

Ron

astroron (Ron) · #91 13-09-2008, 03:51 PM

Shaun, the Sunday Creek Road can be a bit rough, it depends if the logging trucks and the rain have carved it up

As Jeanette said the problem with the road from Jimmna to Barambah is the dust

but I did not finds it to bad

Ron

AdrianF (Adrian) · #92 13-09-2008, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by astroron

Hi Adrian, the camp is usually about twice a year, the last one being in May.
The facilities are first class

and we would be glad to catch up with you

Ron

Thanks Ron I will certainly try to be there for at least one night. Heading to Mt Isa on the 20th for a few days then to Townsville and hoping to be at the Gold coast around the 28th for a few days spend up big

then across to Barambah before returning home to Roma.

Adrian

Gargoyle_Steve (Steve) · #93 13-09-2008, 07:38 PM

Adrian as Ron mentioned we have set ourselves the goal of running 2 of these camps each year, aimed to coincide with a new moon around April and September, or thereabouts - basically Autumn and Spring.

This will be our 3rd camp, and so far so good it's all going well, and people seem to really enjoy the atmosphere there! The Barambah EEC isn't a huge place but it's comfortable, facilities are excellent, it's not very expensive, and it's very relaxing and peaceful!!

We've been lucky this year in that the new moons have fallen during school holidays, and so we've been able to book the Barambah Environmental Education Centre for several days at a time. During school terms it is normally only available on weekends, from Friday afternoon through to Sunday afternoon. Next year may be a different issue regards timing of new moons... which we'll start thinking about as soon as we have THIS camp over and done.

It's always a pleasure to met new people that share a love for astronomy, and there's few better places than Barambah to do so. So if you can make it Adrian it would be great to see you there, and that goes for anyone else as well - this isn't just an "Ice in Space" camp either, it is open to anyone who loves getting out under a really dark sky and looking upwards!

If you haven't see it yet, here's the webpage for the camp:
www.darkskycamp.org.au
(which includes the registration page- let us know now if you're coming, or even thinking of coming, so we can make preparations)

and here's the news blogg we've set up so we can provide quick info updates on all Camp related stuff:
http://darkskycamp.blogspot.com/

(both thanks to the awesome powers of my co-registrar Dr Morbius, who in his secret identity as "Randall" manages to get payed by someone else to do programming and generally play software god all week.)

drmorbius (Randall) · #94 13-09-2008, 07:54 PM

Hey Adrian... it'll be good to meet you. You can tell us how our dark skies compare to Roma

.

Software god? Puh-lese

What I know about computers isn't worth knowing... or something like that...

drmorbius (Randall) · #95 13-09-2008, 07:56 PM

Steve... you're going to need a pretty big trailer just to fit those recent acquisitions...

AlexN · #96 13-09-2008, 08:02 PM

Oh... how I wish I had a trailer...

Gargoyle_Steve (Steve) · #97 13-09-2008, 08:16 PM

I picked my trailer up literally at the side of the road just near the dump - was coming home from a trip to the dump shop, er sorry recycling centre, a house just 100 metres or so down the street had the trailer for sale on their footpath.

It's old but sturdy, hasn't been registered since adam was a young fella, but at $160 it was cheap. I've spent maybe another $200 all up, now has totally new lights and wiring, I've upsized the ancient 13" wheels and skinny tyres to wider 14's and upspecced tyres (courtesy of the wrecker) so it rides better and more level behind the 4wd, and it's getting a new coat of paint.

Should have it registered Tuesday. PLENTY of room for new stuff .. must check the PO box, 24 mm Hyperion should be there waiting..... but I just found an add for another ep I wouldn't mind owning ......
*grin*

AlexN · #98 13-09-2008, 08:23 PM

Dont do it Steve... You'll doom us to clouds!! (touching wood.)

I think between us we've caught the skygods attention already... no need to rub the proverbial salt!

drmorbius (Randall) · #99 13-09-2008, 08:46 PM

I just hope the observing field is big enough for your guys equipment....

Gargoyle_Steve (Steve) · #**100** 13-09-2008, 08:57 PM

Bloody hell Alex I reckon you're right about that!

Then again, you could take the viewpoint that we're already doomed now, so why not go for broke?

Actually .. thinking about it .... maybe "broke" isn't the best word to use at present.

The temptation is that my available finances have had a very strong but very temporary boost recently, but that situation will change again very soon. I'm kind of doing / fixing / grabbing the things that have been on my mind while I have the opportunity, because soon enough the new budget will take place and there'll be no discressionary spending fund at all.

Oh well, it's all fun while it lasts!