Your biggest DoH!!?? moment- You know you've had one. - Page 6

Lumen Miner (Mitchell) · #**101** 13-10-2009, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by multiweb

More subtle... have you tried reversing the orientation of a pick up prism in an OAG so it faces the camera? Very hard to find a guide star this way too.

100 posts / 1789 views, didn't think the thread would do this well.

I take it there is 1689 members, which feel too ashamed to posts their stuff ups.

Keep 'em coming guys and gals!!

wasyoungonce (Brendan) · #**102** 13-10-2009, 09:04 PM

errrr not Astronomy...but I dropped kicked a newly overhauled Aircraft flight controls amplifier for a Mirage Fighter Aircraft across the room.

I had been working on the Mirage flight controls system in the "Top Shop" (overhaul workshop) for about a 2 years and was quite experienced...enough to clear the backlog of amps (and there were many) that needed fixing (many and varied types).

We had a big inspection tour by Top Airforce Brass and I was placing this AMP I had just fixed into it's protective transit holder when it missed the locating tabs and slipped thru to the floor. I was in front of my SGT and some big brassed Knob at the time.

My 1st instinct was to stick my foot out to stop the fall! Bad move.

All I succeeded in doing was to drop kick it across the room. It bounced before I could get my foot under it! A perfect drop goal for the rugby stalwarts!

Needless to say I was toast at that time!

My only saving grace was that I admitted fault and I was the best they had at the time....shameless plug (which doesn't bode well for the Airforce)!

CoolhandJo (Paul) · #**103** 13-10-2009, 09:08 PM

Brand new DSI III Pro, taken about 3 images. One night set up to image Dumbbell at f6.3, noticed dust. Decided to clean the chip

. Didnt relaise that the dust was that awful red dust storm reminant which actually scratched the glass right down the middle! Would of been best not touching it at all and used flats until the dust "dried up" to be blown off!

It now makes a good guide camera!

MrB (Simon) · #**104** 13-10-2009, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lumen Miner

100 posts / 1789 views, didn't think the thread would do this well.

I take it there is 1689 members, which feel too ashamed to posts their stuff ups.

Keep 'em coming guys and gals!!

50 odd of those views are mine, I read this thread whenever it pops it's head up again.
At risk of sounding big headed... I'm yet to have a stuff-up, but with all this new gear I have that is yet to be put through it's paces, I'm sure I'll be posting here in the not-too-distant future!

DavidU (Dave) · #**105** 13-10-2009, 09:56 PM

Excellent stuff ups fellas ! Basically my whole life has been a Doh moment and reading these makes me feel better.
A flying Mirage flight control amplifer is a pearler !

wasyoungonce (Brendan) · #**106** 13-10-2009, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidU

Excellent stuff ups fellas !
A flying Mirage flight control amplifer is a pearler !

Yes...years later though! At the time I was treated like a Leper!

Luckily I was the best Avionics tech in that area so I got off with a "stupid boy scolding"!

Maybe one day ...when I'm brave enough I'll tell the story of how I put a fist size hole in the tail plane of a Winjeel Aircraft and it was all covered up!

DavidU (Dave) · #**107** 13-10-2009, 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wasyoungonce

Yes...years later though! At the time I was treated like a Leper!

Luckily I was the best Avionics tech in that area so I got off with a "stupid boy scolding"!

Maybe one day ...when I'm brave enough I'll tell the story of how I put a fist size hole in the tail plane of a Winjeel Aircraft and it was all covered up!

You hurt a classic Winjeel !Now that needs a story told. LOL
BTW I really liked the Mirage aircraft, I think they were excellent.

Lumen Miner (Mitchell) · #**108** 20-11-2009, 03:03 PM

Here's a good one.

Was out last night shooting macro bugs. Had a 50mm reveresed lens attached to a 50mm on the camera... Weighs a bit.

I turned around to walk down the stair case, stood on my lighting lead, tripped, went to catch myself but because of my slippery/sweaty hands I dropped the camera.

My baby, hit the concrete steps hard from about 1.6m, then rolled down them.

I am yet to check for damage, didn't split the camera open, but I am pretty sure then lens and camera are screwed......
I'll check them out tonight...

Well my imaging days may be over for a lil' while.....

at myself..

Jen · #**109** 21-11-2009, 02:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lumen Miner

Here's a good one.

Was out last night shooting macro bugs. Had a 50mm reveresed lens attached to a 50mm on the camera... Weighs a bit.

I turned around to walk down the stair case, stood on my lighting lead, tripped, went to catch myself but because of my slippery/sweaty hands I dropped the camera.

My baby, hit the concrete steps hard from about 1.6m, then rolled down them.

I am yet to check for damage, didn't split the camera open, but I am pretty sure then lens and camera are screwed......
I'll check them out tonight...

Well my imaging days may be over for a lil' while.....

at myself..

ouch that would have hurt, a few nasty words would have been coming out of my mouth at that time

dpastern (Dave Pastern) · #**110** 21-11-2009, 08:11 AM

Oh Mitchell...this is why I *always* use a neckstrap. Even when attached to the scope...

Dave

multiweb (Marc) · #**111** 21-11-2009, 08:41 AM

Ouch! I feel your pain.

Lumen Miner (Mitchell) · #**112** 21-11-2009, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jen

ouch that would have hurt, a few nasty words would have been coming out of my mouth at that time

I am kinda a zen type of guy. As soon as it slipped I kissed it goodbye. If it still wroks then that's great.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dpastern

Oh Mitchell...this is why I *always* use a neckstrap. Even when attached to the scope...

Dave

That is also why you are Jedi master and I am just a padawan.

I know I should have had one on. It was just a matter of time before disater. My own stupid fault, I did know better.

Quote:

Originally Posted by multiweb

Ouch! I feel your pain.

It not much of a DSLR but it mine. It was literaaly like watching my child fall down the stairs..

Preliminary inspection reveals, a chuck out of the cameras body (aesthetical) and.... well.... not much else.... 50mm zoom is a bit scratchy.... but otherwise..... I'll check out some images and see.

I think the hand of God might have graced me... It hit really hard... but there does not appear to be much damage... I may be a very lucky boy.

GrahamL · #**113** 22-11-2009, 10:33 AM

When I got my pretoria eypeice sometime back the upper lens group was a little loose and it had let a little dust in, upon dissmantleing and almost dropping the field lens on the tiles I got it back together
but neglected to clean iside the eyepiece barrel.

Skip forward a couple of years and I thought ok I pull it down and clean it again,which all went well though it did take a while , so I go outside look through the eyepiece , and wow thats spotless now , but the view is completely warped , oh crap I've put something back in the wrong way round , pull it down again , flip the upper cemented group and
get it all back together, go outside the views still completely warped .
pull it down again put it back the way I had it to start with, drag out scope, set up , try to focus on tree in distance no go .
Strip again flip that upper lens back and put it back together again.
( note this is not a complicated design only one bit you can get wrong)

stop for lunch

back outside put eyepiece back in focuser , *#*!~&*# still won't work!!.. major dummy spit.. calmed down an thought a little.

have you ever really looked through the glass outdoors and noticed that warped view or otherwise before ?... well no

are those trees I'm trying to focus on to close, like I'm sure I've visited this before and had to go out front .. possibly.

Ok back inside put it all back the way I started with , waited for a clear night , works fine

tileys · #**114** 22-12-2009, 12:31 PM

LOL - enjoyed some of those.

Reading the dryer as washer one reminded me of my student days - first time away from home - going to a launderette with all the coins I'd saved up - putting the coins on top of the machine in readiness - getting the soap powder from a machine - putting it into the dispenser. Then, with the bag of clothes still waiting at my feet I decided to load the coins into the slider and kerchunk pushed it in: Of course the front door of the washer immediately locked and the cycle started - sans clothes....

I watched for a while as the soapy water went this way and that and then went searching for a shop that was open on a sunday that could give me some change for another attempt at washing my clothes

A couple of people came in later and looked quizzically at the machine that was operating but with no clothes in it. I just shrugged...

I also (in the same launderette) had a full load (just about everything I owned) trapped in a washing machine that malfunctioned - took about 4 days to get a repairer to get them out...hmmm...soak cycle ?

In terms of an Astro oops - setup in the back garden all by the light of a mobile phone display

- then packed up - did a quick scan around and went inside and to bed (it was late and I was tired). In the morning I couldn't find my laptop and looked out to see it sat on a small plastic chair in the middle of the lawn - covered in a not insubstantial dew - no longer running Stellarium...

After drying out for a couple of days I plugged it in again and it performed admirably thereafter (just as well really since it was a work laptop and cost about $2K)

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #**115** 22-12-2009, 01:41 PM

Left the counter weight off the scope and the whole thing over balanced, smashing my finder, and then, I forgot to change over from jpeg to raw.
doh

erick (Eric) · #**116** 22-12-2009, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dpastern

Oh Mitchell...this is why I *always* use a neckstrap. Even when attached to the scope...

Dave

And you haven't turned and walked away from the scope.........

Jen · #**117** 22-12-2009, 10:18 PM

I love this thread

entity62 · #**118** 23-12-2009, 09:31 AM

After some 2 years setting my 10in Newt up for observing i decided to make a pier and set it up in my new newly made Ob's. (Pull sheets of iron off roof type) After placing the mount on pier, i get the Newt, climb onto chair and place it onto mount, with the sudden crashing sound of the mount hitting the concrete floor. After a few minutes of fowl language, i discovered i had not bolted the mount too the pier. Damage = 2 stuffed motors and 2 stuffed encoders, and a rather large bill for repairs..Minister for Finance was not impressed. And NO observing for 3 month while it got fixed..

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #**119** 23-12-2009, 09:43 AM

What a sad and tragic story.
We live and learn.

sjastro · #**120** 23-12-2009, 09:54 AM

Another non astro tale.

Back in my Uni days in first year chemistry I used a pipette to suck out concentrated hydrochloric acid from a reagant bottle. Unfortunately the volume of the acid in the bottle was less than the volume capacity of the pipette. As anyone knows using a pipette as soon as you start sucking in air instead of fluid, the fluid will surge.

As a result I got a mouthful of concentrated hydrochloric acid. Fortunately I didn't swallow it but the inside of my mouth was badly burnt and my teeth were never as white as that.

The worst case scenario it may have qualified me for a Darwin award....

Steven