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  #21  
Old 21-06-2021, 12:27 PM
sharpiel
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Just...WOW
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  #22  
Old 21-06-2021, 12:50 PM
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Rainmaker (Matt)
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Nice place Mike Now where have I seen that place before
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  #23  
Old 21-06-2021, 12:50 PM
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strongmanmike (Michael)
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Thanks so much guys for all the heartfelt congrats and well wishes, thanks for allowing me to share the glee around a bit, I knew you'd all understand. I feel so lucky! Sharing such an exciting stroke of luck with like minded well adjusted dudes, means a lot

And Gary, as usual, thank you mate for your characteristically genuine and kind words of wisdom, they always mean a lot...and of course, without the luxury of 2 years of on site sky testing ...it is always a gamble with site conditions of a new place, especially one this unique.. but I do hope we are right

Mike
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  #24  
Old 21-06-2021, 12:59 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by strongmanmike View Post
Thanks so much guys for all the heartfelt congrats and well wishes, thanks for allowing me to share the glee around a bit, I knew you'd all understand. I feel so lucky! Sharing such an exciting stroke of luck with like minded well adjusted dudes, means a lot

And Gary, as usual, thank you mate for your characteristically genuine and kind words of wisdom, they always mean a lot...and of course, without the luxury of 2 years of on site sky testing ...it is always a gamble with site conditions of a new place, especially one this unique.. but I do hope we are right

Mike



Hi Mike,
on some nights you might get down to 1 arc second seeing
for perhaps 2 to 3 hours. yippee.

If that's the case you'll need a longer focal length telescope
to take advantage of it?
Any plans for a longer FL scope?


cheers
Allan
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  #25  
Old 21-06-2021, 01:08 PM
m11 (Mel)
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Simply just stunning and amazing.

Congratulations on fulfilling a life dream and the commitment and patience to do so.
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  #26  
Old 21-06-2021, 01:11 PM
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lazjen (Chris)
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Damn awesome. Well done!
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  #27  
Old 21-06-2021, 01:22 PM
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graham.hobart (Graham stevens)
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dreams

great news!
Are you making it into an observatory retreat for others too?
graz
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  #28  
Old 21-06-2021, 03:48 PM
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AstralTraveller (David)
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Hmmm, not so sure about this. I notice you're just metres from a public road. Aren't you worried about passing traffic?

But seriously, wow oh wow.

When it's nice up there it is going to be just so perfect. Beautiful days and impeccable nights. However when the wind blows it will be 'character building'. If you are ever looking at going off grid consider wind power!
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  #29  
Old 21-06-2021, 03:53 PM
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strongmanmike (Michael)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alpal View Post
Hi Mike,
on some nights you might get down to 1 arc second seeing
for perhaps 2 to 3 hours. yippee.

If that's the case you'll need a longer focal length telescope
to take advantage of it?
Any plans for a longer FL scope?


cheers
Allan
He he hope so big Al We had some clear weather two weekends ago, it was dark with no wind and the stars just didn't twinkle, almost all the way down to the horizon! I know this is not a reliable measure of seeing, but for a guy carrying a we drop of Lagavulin, wandering around his very own 100acre sub alpine location with his son, looking up at such a sight and identifying stars below Mag 6, I felt a glimmer of hope that the conditions might indeed be good So I guess we all have to stay tuned until I get a telescope on site and have done some visual sessions at least, before singing the full rendition of Nessun Dorma!...and I will!

Mike
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  #30  
Old 21-06-2021, 04:07 PM
JA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by strongmanmike View Post
So I guess we all have to stay tuned until I get a telescope on site and have done some visual sessions at least, before singing the full rendition of Nessun Dorma!...and I will!

Mike
Dont worry Mike ... Vincerai

Best
JA
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  #31  
Old 21-06-2021, 04:24 PM
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strongmanmike (Michael)
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Originally Posted by AstralTraveller View Post
Hmmm, not so sure about this. I notice you're just metres from a public road. Aren't you worried about passing traffic?

But seriously, wow oh wow.

When it's nice up there it is going to be just so perfect. Beautiful days and impeccable nights. However when the wind blows it will be 'character building'. If you are ever looking at going off grid consider wind power!
From my limited experience already, you are spot on Dave As amazing and awe-inspiring as location B would be, I thiiiiink I am leaning to ruling it out as a site for the observatory, as it is completely exposed to these winds, so on windy nights I wouldn't be able to point the dome into the wind, no way! Not to mention having to make sure the structure was very sound and anchored well. There is a good open area, up behind location A in my photos, far right in THIS shot, at the very highest NE point of the 100 acres, that has a nice circular barrier of medium height trees that act as an effective wind break, without blocking too much of the horizon sky.

I will clear and flatten the entire space and once I have placed the dome, as planned, on an elevated (reinforced!!) deck ~1.5m high, at this spot...the dec shaft will sit at or very close to, the 1450m (4756ft) ASL mark too....hard to imagine and the surrounding trees will block only the bottom 10-15deg of sky to the north and a little less to the south..but of course this could aaaaall change, after more investigation, experience and ideas...

Oh and we are off grid already!...the system is circa 2008/9 so on its last legs and struggles a bit, so I am currently pricing a 2021 era more capable upgrade with larger battery capacity and more solar panel power There is a wind turbine connected already (you can see it in the photos) but it is sited such that it just keeps spinning around without finding the wind direction for any length of time and the blades hardly turn, must be caught in an eddy forming area..? so it is next to useless..

Mike
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  #32  
Old 21-06-2021, 04:24 PM
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peter_4059 (Peter)
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Amazing spot Mike. You are going to get some super views from there day and night. Long drive for a ? Better stock up
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  #33  
Old 21-06-2021, 04:29 PM
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strongmanmike (Michael)
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Dont worry Mike ... Vincerai

Best
JA
Oh I hope so...the valley below has a great echo too

Mike
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  #34  
Old 21-06-2021, 04:31 PM
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strongmanmike (Michael)
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Amazing spot Mike. You are going to get some super views from there day and night. Long drive for a ? Better stock up
Indeed, the local Michelago cafe stocks Bentspoke beer though, my staple ...plus we still live above the brewery in Canberra...for now

Mike
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  #35  
Old 21-06-2021, 04:36 PM
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peter_4059 (Peter)
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Indeed, the local Michelago cafe stocks Bentspoke beer though, my staple ...plus we still live above the brewery in Canberra...for now

Mike
Perfect
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  #36  
Old 21-06-2021, 04:38 PM
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GUS.K (Ivan)
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What a top spot Mike, as good as it gets.
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  #37  
Old 21-06-2021, 05:52 PM
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gaseous (Patrick)
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Congrats Mike, amazing location indeed! Looking forward to seeing some (more) top drawer images.
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  #38  
Old 21-06-2021, 05:54 PM
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alpal
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Quote:
Originally Posted by strongmanmike View Post
He he hope so big Al We had some clear weather two weekends ago, it was dark with no wind and the stars just didn't twinkle, almost all the way down to the horizon! I know this is not a reliable measure of seeing, but for a guy carrying a we drop of Lagavulin, wandering around his very own 100acre sub alpine location with his son, looking up at such a sight and identifying stars below Mag 6, I felt a glimmer of hope that the conditions might indeed be good So I guess we all have to stay tuned until I get a telescope on site and have done some visual sessions at least, before singing the full rendition of Nessun Dorma!...and I will!

Mike


You might be the first Deep Sky imager on Ice in Space to have
1 arc second pictures.


Yes - this will be you:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWc7vYjgnTs

Last edited by alpal; 21-06-2021 at 06:12 PM. Reason: Video tags wouldn't load video.
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  #39  
Old 21-06-2021, 06:34 PM
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strongmanmike (Michael)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alpal View Post
You might be the first Deep Sky imager on Ice in Space to have
1 arc second pictures.


Yes - this will be you:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWc7vYjgnTs
Yep, he da man! would give my left T to be able to sing it like that....actually I'd give both

Mike
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  #40  
Old 21-06-2021, 06:49 PM
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AstralTraveller (David)
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Yep, he da man! would give my left T to be able to sing it like that....actually I'd give both

Mike
If you did that you wouldn't be singing like him!
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