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Adrian Condon

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Everything posted by Adrian Condon

  1. Hi Mike, Spoke to Lesley this afternoon. They had sunshine this afternoon but expecting rain tonight. Lesley believes the field will dry out fairly quickly. Julian is on pitch 18 as there is a caravan on pitch 17 but should be leaving either tonight or tomorrow morning. Getting things ready to pack, it was too wet to pack the car today All the very best. Adrian
  2. Hi Folks, I was dreaming and then woke up......... The topic we talk about most often is the Weather: The weather forecast on the Scope Nights app... as at Thursday 24 Oct 12:30 Friday night 25 Oct....... Poor with heavy rain Saturday night 26 Oct... Partly cloudy with rain showers Sunday night 27 Oct..... Mostly Clear. great! Monday night 28 Oct..... Mostly Clear even better Tuesday night 29 Oct.... Poor Rain Wednesday night 30 Oct... Poor. Rain Thursday night 31 Oct..... Mostly Clear. Great Friday night 1 Nov..... Mostly Cloudy Saturday night 2 Nov... Overcast No further dates given. So we have clear nights and poor nights for improving our whiskey tasting skills Travel safely, Adrian
  3. Hi Damiam, Since my tripping practice, there is no such thing as a safe trip!!!!!!! Anyway I am hoping to arrive safe and sound and lets hope everyone else achieves that as well.... Adrian
  4. Hi Julian, Don't worry about me falling over, I have done it twice since May, both times the dog tripped me up...... So I am well practiced Have a safe trip. Adrian
  5. Hi Dai, I hope to leave before dawn on Saturday morning and arrive around 13:00. Will be available Sunday....thinking of having lunch at the Harbour Inn. All the every best. Adrian
  6. Hi Dai, It is getting closer to the Star Party........ There will be clear skies or hazy evenings tasting the pure gold. Have a safe trip. Adrian
  7. I think I will kill two birds with one Guinness Cake..... Adrian
  8. Hi, There is an excellent butchers in the middle of Newton Stewart, plus a few eating places and pubs. On Tuesday mornings, there is a travelling butcher to the site and then there is the fishmonger. The cod fillet is great and so are the ribeye steaks and they do eggs and potatoes as well. There is The Harbour Inn in Garlieston about 15 minutes by car. They do a very good carvery on a Sunday. The locals are very friendly and it has a beautiful live fire, a wonderful item after a cold day in a tent! Cheers Adrian
  9. Hi Ian, If you are cooking breakfast, remember I am a "friend " of yours........ I will do the cornflakes.....nearly impossible to burn..... Looking forward to meeting up. All the best Adrian
  10. Hi David, Well Done..... you are always full of good ideas..... What sort of make-up do I need? ... gentle answers please. Cheers Adrian
  11. Hi Folks, I am sitting in my tent near Swanage in Dorest, practicing for the Galloway Star Party... the wind speed is a meagre 40 MPH at present and yes there is rain.... Having a glass of Whiskey. One needs to be prepared for Scotland. The lights are swinging beautifully.......... The temperature is mild at the moment, just got back from a fish supper in Swanage. Looking forward to the 10th year of Galloway star parties. Cheers Adrian
  12. Hi Dai, Brilliant news......... Let's hope there is no wind when you are putting your tent up otherwise you need to put some running practice in before you travel North. All the best. Adrian
  13. Hi Hadyn and Christina, Glad to hear that you are booked in for the duration. I am trying to work out what gear to take. Will discuss IoM Star Party 2020 with you while we have lunch at the Harbour Inn..... Will be in touch before the Galloway Party. Dai.... I plan to arrive on the Saturday before Hadyn so will have a trip to the bird hide in Wigton plus Sunday lunch at the Harbour Inn!!! All the best. Adrian
  14. Hi Dai, Great offer of helping with the tent..... trust we will not need to run across the field. Hoping for good weather. All the best for now. Adrian
  15. HI Dai and Ian, I have booked in for Saturday 26 October to Monday 4 November and on Pitch 19. So, if you two thought that you would have a quiet chat with beer, tough....... I look forward to the event..... 10 years of perfection with a great crowd.... I spoke to Lesley this morning and she is having a busy Easter with tons of campers appearing at the campsite in brilliant Scottish sunshine. Trust you two are in the best of health. Cheers Adrian
  16. Hi Da Nobody to drink beer with...... pity i hope to go up early so we can dine at the Harbour Inn Will keep you posted cheers Adrian
  17. Hi Sachakins, Nice to see that you have found an unknown camera to me! Well Done. Mirrorless 4/3 cameras are making inroads in the camera marketplace, this system has been in existence for 10 years. So the technical issues usually associated with any new systems have been resolved, so ignore any old reviews..... Olympus and Panasonic are the original companies that drew up and agreed the basics of the design characters. The Olympus and Panasonic have completely interchangeable lens, ie a Panasonic lens will work on an Olympus M4/3 camera and visa versa. The M4/3 system has a complete range of lens from entry level, enthusiasts and a fabulous Pro range from Olympus (with prices to match). The Panasonic top lens range are also brilliant. Remember these lens have a crop of x2 so a 25mm lens on a M4/3 camera is equivalent to a 50mm lens on a Canon full frame camera. The image quality is excellent, people who pixel count have rubbished the quality, but 95% of the time it is nigh impossible to see the difference in large prints, I have seen the same shot using both M4/3 and full frame Nikon cameras and the prints were about 1 metre high. The 5% is where the full frame wins if shooting in the dark where the noise on high ISO is more noticeable. Up to ISO 3200 the quality is the same. Have a look at a review of the Y1 camera at. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1AL5HsKNw4 (not what happens on modern M4/3 cameras) The M4/3 cameras from Olympus and Panasonic leave the Y1 on the camera shop shelves! Have a look at the Olympus OMD E-M10 mkiii (mark 3) is an entry camera little more expensive but offers excellent quality. I have been a Canon user for years but transferred to M4/3 system 2 years ago. I have a top of the range Olympus OMD E-1 mkII and a number of Pro and Premium range lens. I have used it at the Galloway Autumn Star Party this year and happy with the results of the Milky Way using ISO 1600 and 20 second shoots. If you want a camera for daytime and star images I recommend then an Olympus or Panasonic M4/3 would be a good choice also a Canon and Nikon used cameras are also a good choice. Canon and Nikon are moving to mirrorless cameras, the advantages are lighter cameras, and since the mirror does not flip up during exposure, the image is viewable all the time. Plus what use is on the screen is what you get on the image so you have less image reviews If you are interested in M4/3, and I get a free moment I will put a few images on the SGL if that will help you make a choice. Happy Hunting! Adrian
  18. Hi Mike I as usual plan to attend........ ( I suspect Lesley has my name already pencilled in ) It should be a great event with the getting older regulars and the new star party starters..... given the dark clear skies and the craic it is hard to see why not.... All the best Adrian
  19. Hi Kathleen,

    Trust you are in the best of health and can see the light at the end of the tunnel at work.

    I am hoping to get to Galloway on 27 Oct.

    I will be there for two weekends...

    Can you make a weekend to stargaze. You are welcome to share my tent as it has two sleeping compartments. Just bring a camp bed plus sleeping bag. You don't need to book, so it can be a last minute decision.

    Food & drink is available so no need to bring those.

    I am hoping to start imaging so it should be entertaining!!!!

    Anyway, if you need to discuss my mobile number is 07879 058741

    It would be great to meet up.

    All the best.

    Adrian

     

     

  20. Hi Kathleen,

    Are you going to the next Galloway SP in late Oct/early Nov?

    I have booked my place with Lesley today.

    Trust things are ok.

    Cheers

    Adrian

    1. Show previous comments  2 more
    2. SpookyKatt

      SpookyKatt

      Hi Adrian,

       

      Sorry for only getting back to you now.  Hmm interesting re what lesley says,

      I might drop her an email then, that would explain it if Mike etc are trying to

      get people to book early.

       

      Good for you on outlook and your plans for moving to darker skies, where are you thinking of moving

      too or have you decided on that yet ?  I must admit I am thinking of trying to get out of the city

      perhaps by changing my job to contracting so i can live near darker skies.  Hehe to be honest after last weeks

      referendum I am tempted to move back to Ireland to be honest to try and keep my options open so I

      can work in europe.  Its just an idea but a tempting one at that.

       

      Well here's hoping work gets back to being a bit quieter to be honest.

      Kathleen

       

       

    3. Adrian Condon

      Adrian Condon

      Hi Kathleen,

      Sorry I am later at getting back to you than is acceptable!!!!

      I am camping out at Castle Point near Kippford on the Solway Firth from Friday 29 July 2016 for 7 nights. I want to have at detailed look at the area, mainly for property available, price and how dark are the skies. The sky there in winter can be dark, but I am interested in the street lights etc.

      The amount of annual rain, frequency, and % that falls in the winter, how many clear nights are in an area.  Hope to meet locals in the pub and ask them....

      I also have looked at Ardnamurchan, Rosemarkie on the Black Isle, and the Northumberland coast. The west coast can be cloudy, while there is a sea mist on the east coast. I like the coast to the south east of Edinburgh,  Longniddry / Aberlady area. Also looking for a good south aspect.....

      I have also thought of France, Brittany. But not sure what Brexit means if purchasing a property there.

      I do have an Eire passport so I suppose that would be ok. What passport do you have?

      If you ever want to get in touch my mobile phone number is 07879 058741

      It would be great if you could appear at Galloway, I need a good chat....

      Cheers

      Adrian

       

       

    4. SpookyKatt

      SpookyKatt

      Hi Adrian,

      Well those are all good location, it is certainly true that the western side generally gets
      more rain but I'd have thought that the Solway Firth might have got  some shelter as its
      set in from the rest of the coast.

      You've got a good plan though to go up and spend some time and get a feeling for the area.
      It might be worth finding out how badly that are has been hit during the very wet weather
      we seem to get now in the winter months.

      I've always found the east coast from Alnwick up to below Berwick or EyeMouth direction
      to be very dark although as you say that side suffers its own issues as well.

      Yeah I'm not sure how much things will change in the immediate future re Brexit but its
      a good point you make about the future.  I must confess I'd rather be part of europe than
      out of it but I know its not withouts its own issues.  You'd be ok with a Eire passport, 
      hehe I've always taken the easiest option re travel so just had a uk one but will probably 
      get my irish passport in the next while.

      Yeah hopefully I will get to Galloway, just need to kepp chipping away at the work for awhile
      before the dark nights return.

      Kathleen 

  21. Hi Mia,

    Trust you are getting ready for SGL 11....

    I am on Oaks pitch 117 if you need help with your tent.

    Have a safe trip

    Cheers

    Adrian

    1. miafey

      miafey

      Hi Adrian, 

      Thanks for the message - I think I'm getting there!

      I've got the following ready:

      tent, groundsheet, fleece tent carpet, airbed, sleeping bag, electric heating blanket, main socket, lantern

      I'm getting the following:

      thermally reflective sheet for use indoors, red cellophane rolls for laptop screen and lantern, and perhaps a folding table if I have extra space in my car!!

      I'll bring a kettle with me so hopefully the entire setup will stay warm and cosy!!

       

      I've I have missed something important please let me know. I'm planning to get to the site by lunch time Friday and hope to see you there!

       

      Mia

  22. Hi all you Tasco devotees, There is a vintage Tasco 60mm f=1000 on eBay with amazing mags...... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/111573436222?_trksid=p11010.c100162.m2917&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140212122133%26meid%3De5eb82a3be0f468689bb5f035f1d1cfb%26pid%3D100162%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D161553604300/?ssPageName=ADME:B:WNA:GB:3160 Thought you might like to purchase so that it can be on display at SGL10. Should the seller not be using Sotherbys, or burying it for Time Team to dig up in a future programme? I think I have one in the loft, I tried using one with my son about 30 years back. Total agony. Cheers Adrian
  23. until
    Star Party see thread for further details
  24. until
    The Galloway Star Party held at Kirkinner in South West Scotland. This is a remarkably dark site with great low level views. Cheers Adrian
  25. Hi Martin, QUOTE=MartinJH;1859965]I'm not to worried about electric, this is camping after all. The electrics are important for keeping the Jaffa Cakes :D (local currency) cool in the scorching heat........ Of course the imagers need the power for their equipment. Hope to see you there. Cheers Adrian
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