Perth Guys

[MrB (Simon)]

Anyone get out there last night? I was stuck being sociable.
Looked pretty good from Mandurah.
Transparency was good but I think the seeing could have been better.

Looking at 7Timer!, tonight is looking better than last night, sadly tho the thin whispy's have rolled in
I'm going to set up anyway just incase.

Anyone else gonna take the gamble?

[MikeyB (Michael)]

The sky looks iffy in Kewdale - I wouldn't chance it. Setting up a scope would be an absolute magnet for the clouds that are around tonight.

[MrB (Simon)]

Cleared up down here in Rocko about an hour ago... haven't seen a cloud since

[MikeyB (Michael)]

They're all up here in Kewdale is why - 80% cloud cover at present, I'd say.

[rogerg (Roger)]

All cloud up in the hills. First night my observatory hasnt been running in 5 nights, shame because it's Saturday so I would have had time to actually be out there. Next week not looking so good.

[MrB (Simon)]

Bah, yep.
Clouds rolled in about half an hour ago I think. Not even a decent sucker-hole in sight.

I have spent some time since testing a bladder for the Astrotrac's pier.
During previous imaging sessions I have always managed to shift the pier slightly somehow, no matter how careful I have been, and lost my alignment.
Had the idea to drop a good thick Glad garbage bag into the column and fill it with water. Works well.
Takes 10L of water, so adds 10kg of weight to the pier. It feels very solid now, a huge improvement. Should reduce the chances of me disturbing the alignment in future

Thinking I will make 4 or 5 canvas sand bags, more convenient and will be about 15kg instead of 10kg for the same volume.
Got a project for tomorrow, I wonder if Spotlight is open Sundays?
EDIT: nope
Can't think who else would stock canvas...

[Blue Skies (Jacquie)]

BCF? Camping stores, perhaps.

[MrB (Simon)]

Hello Jacquie, thats a great idea, cheers!

I also just remembered I have a pair of two-day old Levi's that I managed to tear a huge hole in the crotch while stepping off a ladder
The legs look to be the perfect size to fit the tube... stylish sand bags? lol

[blink138 (Pat)]

had very good intentions on the saturday night
received some new clutch handles for my g11 on friday (thanks peter hcr32) after work on saturday went to replace them took the counterweights of the shaft and my beautiful OTA slammed into the RA motor assembly!
result cracked cover and probably a now misaligned primary mirror! @!%*^&$ hell!
never before done a collimation on my SCT
pat

[Blue Skies (Jacquie)]

ow!ow!ow! If its any consolation we all tend to do something like that at least once.

SCT collimation isn't that hard to do, though, but its the secondary that will need adjusting, the primary is fixed in SCTs. Makes it easier with only one mirror to have to worry about.