Also, could I ask if anyone wants to enjoy a fire , please bring some firewood along. I usually bring a bag or three, but I am hoping some else could buy a bag or two as well to share the load.
Thx in advance.
Hi all. I'm a newbie, I have never even posted on any forum before, so forgive me if I say something stupid, or waffle on. I've dabbled with astronomy since the 60's, always solo, but now I' semi-retired I have started to get more involved again. I bought a C6 last year and love it, but almost immediately got aperture fever. I have 99% completed a 14" f7.2 truss dob that has yet to see starlight. I picked up an old recoated mirror that seems good. I may have wasted my money, but early indications are that it is ok. I thought that this weekend at Bretti might be a good time to try it out. As you can guess, it is a bit of a monster and transporting it ( + a ladder ) might be a bit of a problem as I only have a Corolla. If I can make it, do you have any advice on what to bring as I have never been free camping before, just a powered site in a caravan park. I know, what a wuss. Any way, I'm happy to listen to any advice you can give, if I can make it, probably just for Friday night. Thanks for your patience.
We look forward to meeting you Michael. Bring warm clothing and food and water with you. only drop toilets there.
Hi everyone. Thanks for your responses. Had a look through the 14" this evening during a break in the clouds. Couldn't find a thing to start with, till I realised that that the red dot finder was badly misaligned. I haven't got a proper finder yet. All seems good, just need to fiddle with the collimation I think. In the cold light of day I don't see how I can fit the monster in the back of a Corolla even if I disassemble it. I still intend to come up, even if its only with the C6 and a pair of 100mm binos, neither of which have ever seen dark skies. Thanks for all the advice on what I need to bring. Are there any essentials that are so logical that you don't even mention it, like toilet paper and such. I don't want to get caught out, even if it is only for one night. See everyone on Friday. Thanks again, Michael.
Yes. Bring toilet paper. And a shovel (sometimes they graze cows on the field and some sh!t needs to be moved). or borrow someone elses'.
There are no showers, so you need to make your own arrangements for hygiene. Some will bring a shower tent and some sort of pump system (BCF camp shower $20 or 12 volt $40).
It was really nice to catch up with everyone again, and meet some new people.
Some good dark sky conditions. Meteors gallore.
Plenty of new globs seen for the first time by me too.
Great company everyone. Thx heaps.
Here is the 2 day old moon from Friday Night.
Great turnout at Bretti with some excellent viewing for at least one good night (Thursday). Friday would have been better only for some caravan lights. Was good to meet Eric and Michael and share the experience as well as the Apple Charlotte. My winner was definitely Al's offering by a whisker. Hope to do again soon. Attached some camp site shots. Cheers Rick
Hi Allan,
Thanks again for the days at Bretti.
I headed back to the place where I had spent the night in transit:
Bulga Campground -32.65411485413652, 151.018992210275
I had two great nights observing there, getting back home this evening. I think that the group might wish to look at this location. It is a large recreation ground with a cricket pitch which seems to be no longer used. I think it is supposed to be limited stay only, but there were three permanent campers around the boundary. I found a quiet spot from which I could see only two street lights. I put one which was about 100m away behind my van and the second was maybe 300m away and did not distract. A few other quiet campers - some smoky fires. No other lights of significance. The sky at Bretti was 21.7 on my meter, Bulga was 21.2. Not quite as dark and there was a light dome to the East from a distant Newcastle and the closer Singleton. But to the South and West the skies where good. Two clean flushing toilets, picnic tables. BBQs.
Best wishes, Eric
Thanks Eric,
We enjoyed sharing the skies with you.
YES! This Bulga site looks good.
And its considerably closer, being just 126k from Wyong and about 90 minutes away. (Bretti is about 240k and 3hrs)
As it is inland a bit, it might not suffer from as much dew as Bretti also.
The link you posted also included info on Jerry's Plains free camp. Jo and I have stayed there several times and it too would be worth consideration. (Flushing toilet and dump point) Although proximity to the Golden Highway may detract a little.
Sorry to be so slow to put pen to paper ( so to speak ).
It was great to get to meet like minded people. The night didn’t go quite as expected, like missing out on some planetary observation, but I was still happy with the night. I’d like to thank Eric for showing me a few things, especially for showing me my first planetary nebula.
It’s been disappointing to come back to the murky skies of Tacoma South. I was able to see 2 of the Leo triplet through my binos at Bretti, but no such luck here.
I am hoping to have a look at Jupiter and Saturn tonight. I have no Easterly or even Northerly or Southerly views from my place but I have recently put wheels on the beast and it now sort of portable so I can now drag it up the street outside a neighbours place to see how it goes.
Don't know if anyone is still following this thread but I thought I would update you on my look at Jupiter and Saturn.
I am very please to announce that the scope works very well as a planetary scope.
For the first time I was able to see detail in the cloud bands on Jupiter, though I am not sure if I saw the Great Red Spot. I was only able to see details for a few seconds at a time in moments of good seeing and I was not particularly looking for it, even though I discovered later that it was at the meridian during my observing time.
Cheers Michael,
Glad to hear your monster scope is working out for you.
Not much observing happening around here of late.
Our weather man blames it on the Indian Ocean Dipole going negative.
Looking forward to better conditions to come.
This past week I saw a story in the Newcastle newspaper concerning the upcoming demolition of the old Barrington Bridge. This bridge would be very familiar to anyone who has driven out of Gloucester on the Thunder Bolt Way heading to Bretti. It was a one lane bridge, which harkens back to a time when folks would take turns crossing its timber span. It has now been replaced by a modern concrete bridge, which has none of the character of the original. The old Barrington Bridge was sort of a waypoint that marked our journey to the dark skies that lie beyond.
The historians have taken steps to preserve some aspects of the old bridge, it has been extensively photographed and scanned for the historical archives of the area. Timbers from the old bridge will be made available to local craftmen/women, and wood turners, to perhaps live on in local art works.
I am not sure when demolition will commence, but if you happen to be out that way in the near future, and it's still standing, stop and have a look.