New observatory and club near High Easter, Essex

[adamclang]

Hi everyone,

I'm planning a dome observatory as part of a new home just outside High Easter. I'd like to open it up to the local community as an informal club and wondered what sort of demand and support I would have. It's quite a good area away from lights and with a good view of the horizon.

Any comments?

[esxste]

Hi Adam, 

I'm in Braintree; I'd definitely be interested

[adamclang]

Hi Esxste,

Thanks for the support. If anyone's interested you be welcome to come over and set up some night to check out the site.

I've got a skywatcher 250p on a NEQ6 mount which would be good to get out. I've struggled to get use from it recently due to the lengthy set-up time and weight. Hence the need for the observatory.

[assassinse2008]

Hi Adam, I also would be very interested , I'm new to astronomy and this would be a great opportunity to get some great views for like minded local folks and get a good community going ;-)

Ps how have you found the neq6 mount as I'm looking about for a mount for viewing and AP too

Steve

[adamclang]

Hi Assassinse,

Where abouts are you based.

I've found the NEQ6 very good, though admittedly i've not used any other large mount. Its tricky to do the polar alignment but I think that's more to do with me than the mount.

I posted some photo's here awhile ago, there ok but there's a fair bit of drift:

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/150963-hi-from-essex/

What sort of scopes are you look at? My advice would be that you'll use a lighter scope and mount alot more than a larger heavier set-up. I've also got a Evostar 80ED on a small go-to mount (powered by AA batteries) which gets much more use, and the scope is good for photography on the bigger mount too.

[assassinse2008]

Hi Adam, great pics there mate, Im in Wickford so not too far away,  I currently have a starter scope which is the Celestron 102 GT, but I want to push it up a bar and get some AP going with the mount .

I have been looking at this set up  at FLO http://www.firstlightoptics.com/reflectors/skywatcher-explorer-300p-ds-neq6-pro.html that way I can observe and polar align with the DSLR also.

With your 80 ED did you connect your camera directly into the scope or piggyback from it.

I have a few pics of recent stars, etc as I have only just been bit by the astro addiction

I have some of my shots on facebook if your on there please add me (Ellis Pictures)

[Blazar]

Hi Adam,

The cloud dodgers do go out to Margaret Roding a bit, so easily within the neighbourhood to meet up.  An interesting proposition.  perhaps a few more details on location, etc would be handy.

funnily enough a couple of us are heading out tonight up to MR...around 10PM.

Regards

[adamclang]

That would be a great setup, and you've already got a small scope for when you havn't quite got the time for a long session so that's useful. I would only say that I spent a fair bit on my NEQ6 and 250p, and to be honest I've not used it as but as I thought I would. It is great when I do use it though. In my view a permante set-up is really helpful for scopes of this size, so you might find yourself wanting that quite soon so a smaller (but possibly more expensive scope) might provide better value for money.

Think about how you'd transport it around as well, if you need too. The shorter catadioptric scopes are much easier from that point of view, and it does lead to increased use so might be worth the extra spend or a smaller aperture. If i were buying now, i'd give them more serious thought than I did a few years ago.

Alot of it will depend on what you want to look at and photo - they'll be a playoff between wide angle views and planetary stuff. I think the Cats have a long focal lenght which makes wide angle stuff harder. Everyone will have a view on this sort of thing, and lots will have more experience than me.

I connected the camera directly to the scope. I use one of these connected straight into the focuser of the 80DE, a T ring like this to connect to the camera body.

I'll look you up on Facebook too.

[adamclang]

Hi Adam,

The cloud dodgers do go out to Margaret Roding a bit, so easily within the neighbourhood to meet up.  An interesting proposition.  perhaps a few more details on location, etc would be handy.

funnily enough a couple of us are heading out tonight up to MR...around 10PM.

Regards

Hi Blazar,

Would be great to meet up and say hello. Where abouts in MR are you setting up? Probably not got the time to set up a big scope, got work in the morning.

The site i've got in mind is just north of High Easter on the road towards Barnston. Its basically my parents' field, but it only grows hay and its just been cut.

[Blazar]

Hi Blazar,

Would be great to meet up and say hello. Where abouts in MR are you setting up? Probably not got the time to set up a big scope, got work in the morning.

The site i've got in mind is just north of High Easter on the road towards Barnston. Its basically my parents' field, but it only grows hay and its just been cut.

 Location is in the venturing out thread:

knobby, on 22 May 2014 - 9:15 PM, said:

If anyones up for a bit of trail blazing, this Saturday or Sunday night I might be popping over here http://goo.gl/0AIOjO with bins to see if its as dark as the dark sky apps / web sites say it is.

to the east of the pin is a large concrete area, enough for 4 or 5 cars plus scopes.

I've contacted the landowner and they are fine about access so long as we leave it clean and tidy.

IMAG2082.jpg

PC_20140522_140528_pano_PerfectlyClear0001.jpg

PC_20140522_140738_pano_PerfectlyClear0001.jpg

Think it will be just myself, Dan_UK and his better half ;-)

cloud clears between 10-11. Send me a private message and I will give you my mobile details in case you have problems finding it...its the track right on the corner.

[adamclang]

So going back to the observatory, i've got an outline planning application that's currently open for consultation.

If anyone's interested in commenting let me know and I'll send you the details. It would be useful to show the Council that there is demand for something like an observatory, as otherwise it's likely to be ignored as a bit niche.

[Blazar]

Always interested in a bit of construction! ping over the details Adam. we could put the 'dodgers' down as the 'home team'  

Mind you all I seem to be doing is cloud collecting at the moment.   

[adamclang]

Thanks for your comments on my planning application Steve!

If anyone else would like to comment on the application, particularly if you're in the High Easter area or close by, message me and I'll forward the details to you. The consultation deadline is this coming Wednesday.

Also if anyone else would be interested in using the observatory or otherwise helping to get a club off the ground please do get in contact.

Many thanks,

Adam

[esxste]

Hi Adam, 

Please send the details on, and I'll make any appropriate comments

Regards, 

[adamclang]

Hi Esxste,

Thanks for your support, I've just sent you a message with the details.

Adam

[dan_uk]

Hi Adam,

It was nice to meet you tonight! I've been off the forums for a little bit so I missed your post but I would also be interested in this and if there is anything I can do to help out let me know!

Daniel

[adamclang]

Hi Dan,

Good to meet you too, hopefully we'll have a clear sky soon.

I've sent you the details on how to comment on the planning application, thanks for your support.

You're right though, I'd need a bigger scope to go with the observatory (The 250p is good but I think I can do better) any ideas? A long refractor would be good.

Adam

[adamclang]

Hi Adam, I also would be very interested , I'm new to astronomy and this would be a great opportunity to get some great views for like minded local folks and get a good community going ;-)

Ps how have you found the neq6 mount as I'm looking about for a mount for viewing and AP too

Steve

Hi Assassinse,

If you're still looking for new set-up I may have found something interesting:

http://www.astrobuysell.com/uk/propview.php?view=86220

It's nothing to do me me I hasten to add, but I do think you'd get more use out of something like this than a 300p. Much easier/ quicker to set up.

Any thoughts?

Adam

[assassinse2008]

Hi Adam, thanks very much for the link yes I agree I have been reading and advice the 300 will be too big and bulky, I have been looking at getting a neq6 pro and a ed80 to use for imagine aswell, I think my first purchase will be the mount as I will have to get the kit in stages

Sent from my iPhone

[Blazar]

Personally the AVX might be a better option ;-)...depending upon how much you want to load up. The ED80 is fairly small and light, and the NEQ6 might seem overkill. though I guess future proofing yourself. the AVX was for sale brand new for £695 I think. Both Knobby and I use them with Edge 800's. though no reason why a small refractor won't be at home on it. will also be lighter then the Neq.

obviously just my personal opinion. I too was going for an Neq6, but saw I could have the mount and C8 for a few hundred more then just the mount.

why not pop along and have a look at the set-ups. think some of us are heading over to MR again tonight. Hopefully Adam is going to give us a text before we leave ;-)

[adamclang]

Yes you should come and have a look tonight, if it's clear. My ed80 is still in the boot from last night so I'll bring it along.

The NEQ6 is much more than you'll need for an ed80, but I bought mine with one mind on future proofing, I thought the head would look good on a pier in an observatory.

[assassinse2008]

Hi Blazar, thank you for the info, I'll def look into the set up , if I'm awake I'll be sure to pop over ;-)

Sent from my iPhone

[adamclang]

Bit of an interesting development.

A local paper is interested in the observatory and will be publishing an article on it and the planning applicaiton. Fingers crossed that they want to take a positive angle, and hopefully it drum up further local support. I'll post a link to the article when I see it.

[adamclang]

An article's now been published in this week's edition of  the Dunmow Broadcast. I've attached a copy here, but you can also read it online, after a short registration process:

http://www.dunmowbroadcast.co.uk/home/e-edition - its on page 8, but is also highlighted on the front page. I'm really pleased.

[adamclang]

Just had the decision through from my local authority. They have refused the application unfortunately, so I'll have to think about an appeal now.

Thanks to everyone that gave their support.

Adam