Physopto

An important Note to all attending or wishing to attend any future Scottish Star Camps at Drumroamin. This applies to any persons already booked or wishing to book a pitch. If you have already booked and disagree, please can you cancel your booking/s preferably as soon as possible. In general, you can cancel up to 30 days prior to any Star Camp. After that you will be expected to pay for the original nights booked, as refilling the pitches may not be possible due to time restrictions or contact problems. We are and have been very lucky to be hosted by Lesley and Ralph Shell who genuinely want to see The Premier Scottish Star Camp succeed and they have gone out of their way many times in the past to accommodate us and our needs. Unfortunately, some attendees have been leaving the camp site earlier than their nights originally booked. In future the owners cannot afford to continue to bear the costs of late cancellations or people leaving earlier than booked for. Covid-19 restrictions have a severe and detrimental affected their profit margins. Late cancellations affect the availability of places for those on the backup/waiting list as it precludes their attendance at such an eleventh hour. Spaces are at a premium due to the Covid-19 restrictions! As such, the owners Lesley and Ralph have reluctantly decided that, in future ALL NIGHTS BOOKED must be paid for in full. (Just because the weather turns cloudy or it rains during your stay is not a valid reason to leave earlier than planned without paying for nights booked.) (Unless there are weather related reasons i.e. likelihood of damage to tents and life due to severe weather). This will remain the owners decision at all times. (In general you can cancel up to 30 days prior to any Star Camp which allows time for people on the backup list to take the spaces freed up. But attempting to cancel after the 30 day limit will not be allowed and you will be expected to pay for the original booked nights.) As always those wishing to attend a day or so early and/or stay longer can request this with Lesley at the time of booking! (This depends upon availability due to other reservations by the general public.) Best wishes Derek

Hi everyone. I have the pleasure of announcing the dates for:- Scotland's Premier Spring (March) Star Camp in 2022 The Star Camp will be held as usual at Drumroamin Camp Site. Between the Monday the 28thFebruary and Friday the 4th March. (The New Moon is on Wednesday the 2nd March ) (Bookings will be available for the night of the 28th up to the 6th and leaving on the 7th.) As stated in earlier posts, I am continuing to base the Star Camp dates centred as closely as possible around the New Moon. This is to encompass the best chance for the darkest possible nights for all concerned. These dates still and will always contain a weekend so hopefully most can attend if at work during the week days. I also will do my best to have the included weekend at the end of the star camps, in the hope that we can reinstate the Pie and Peas on the Saturday night when the New Moon is brightening up. General Moon Information for Attendees:- Moon Phases for March 2022 in Kirkinner, Newton Stewart DG8 9AW, UK. New Moon 05.36 PM March 2022 for Kirkinner Once again the important detail here is the time that the Moon sets and rises. In the Spring of in 2022 and the moon sets in the evening and rises in the morning. This means that observers and imagers are still able to view/image some days before and after the New Moon without moonlight pollution affecting them. An important Note to all. In the past we have been very lucky to be hosted by Lesley and Ralph Shell who genuinely wants to see our one and only Premier Scottish Star Camps succeed and they have gone out of their way many times to accommodate us and our needs. Unfortunately, some attendees have been leaving earlier than their nights originally booked. The owners cannot afford to bear the costs of these late cancellations in future, as Covid-19 has already severely affected their profit margins. As such, Lesley has reluctantly decided that in future ALL NIGHTS BOOKED must be paid for. (Unless there are weather related reasons i.e. likelihood of damage to tents and life due to severe weather). This will remain her decision at all times. These cancellations have also affected the availability of places for those on the backup/waiting list as it precludes their attendance at such a late date. As always those wishing to attend a day or so early and/or stay longer can request this with Lesley at the time of booking! (This depends upon availability due to other reservations by the general public.) Best wishes Derek

You are correct Ian, not too long before the next Star Camp. On that note, I wish to thank Lesley and Ralph for hosting and looking after us all during our Star Camp at Drumroamin. We could not wish for a better environment or hosts to hold our prestigious gatherings. I also wish to personally thank everyone who attended for, their adherence to the Covid-19 rules and restrictions. It makes life much more difficult, but the Scottish Star Camp could not have gone ahead without all of your help in following the guidelines. Thanks guys! Let's hope things improve in the near future. 🙂🔭🙂 Derek

Well back home in just under4 hours. Nice trip back but some fault lights kept coming up for stability control!. Not looking forwards to that bill! It has taken us longer than the trip back to move our caravan and get the trailer back into the garden and then move the caravan back again. Then unload everything, now getting to the putting everything back where it is stored again, mañana!! 🥃 There has to be a better way, I'm knackered. Derek

Thanks Phil,we were driving back then unloading etc., I believe the pitches are disappearing very quickly for this Star Camp 😃 Now (all, haha!), we need is for Covid and the weather to play ball. Derek

A really good read by Calvin. Just awaiting Damian's now! Well to finish off. Last night was dominated by heavy rain and high winds. It is still blowing quite a bit but not as heavy as during the night. Leaving this morning, so an end to the Autumn Star Camp here at Drumroamin. We are informed that The Scottish Government is planning a Tier 3 Lock Down for the foreseeable future. Apparently this means restricted movement in Scotland and little or No Travel from England, Ireland or Wales or vice versa. Phew! Made it just in time I think. We were lucky there! Let's hope the Spring event can go ahead and things settle down. So I hope to see everyone there 🙂 Derek

Thanks for posting your video. Nice job there. 😃 Derek

I know Paul, I bought my Tak 85 from him a few years ago. We also know each other from Sunderland Astro Club. Be nice to meet up again. Derek

Hi Peter, I arrived on the Saturday before the start of the camp, but was too tired and not too well. Just had a flu jab and for once it affected me. Apparently that night was clear as a bell. The next few nights were not conducive to imaging. I tried to polar align several times, but there was persistent cloud just over Polaris. The rest of the sky was fairly clear😡. Wednesday and Thursday were really clear. I went for the rosette nebula. Got some data to add to past subs. In all I think we had 4 decent nights. I can't complain at all. I can't say it was crystal all the time, but a very nice break from some past Star Camps where it has rained or clouded out repeatedly. Yes I did fly the drone eventually. Since the beginning of the Covid lockdown I have not touched it for many months. Took a while to get the old noggin in gear. I will look at the footage when I get back home. A lot of the lads and lasses, got some hopefully decent images and good visual time. What more can you ask for😃 Get your pitch booked asap as spaces are being taken very quickly. I think we are more than over half booked already. The next autumn is filling just as quickly. Keep well, Derek

All jokes to one side, we are now here on our own as John, Jim and Denise have gone back home. The site is taking fair bit rain. Contant cloud cover and showers. So to be fair I think we did really well. We got the best of the weather. I have now preplanned the 2022 Star Camp dates and agreed this all with Lesley so that there are no clashes with school holidays or other bookings. The 2022 dates have caused a few problems due to trying to fit in a weekend along with a couple of days before the New Moon. I will post the dates very shortly after rechecking all the new moon dates and one or two other things. Derek

Oh I don't know, Dobbers can so easily be misspelled as Sobbers when the weather is pants! ⛈️ 😢 😂 Derek

Methinks WAAAY PAAAAAST Aperture fever!!! 😱 Dobs seem to bring oot tha worst in star gazzzzers! OR is it tooooo many kneeling prayers in da cathedral? Anyway Damo looks Pi"£$% DOB

Matured in sherry cask methinks! 🤔🥃 😂

Only three of us left on the field now John in his bivy, Jim and Denise in the motorhome and me and Annette in the static. Feels sad to see the end of a really nice Star Camp. Even as it has been very different to the regular Star Camps, it still is a shame when everyone leaves and it comes to the end. As has been said, nice to see new faces and great to meet up with old ones once again. I hope everyone who has attended feels it was worthwhile to take the plunge and get here for a very different few days. We did well with no rain and very light winds most of the time. The sky played ball and there were a few very clear nights. Looking forwards to the March camp. Derek

Not too bad at all David. Impressive for a phone. Derek

It was great to meet you both. I am so glad you have both enjoyed the experience here at Drumroamin. We would be pleased to see you both back here anytime. Get booked in soon as places are being taken very quickly. Remember only 25 pitches in total allowed due to the Covid-19 problems. Derek

Just a short note on the Sky quality here at Drumroamin over the last few days at the Star Camp. On Wednesday night I took light meter readings around the camp site using a SQM-L meter. (The cone is ~20 degrees wide for the SQM-L). The average reading was 21.32 mag./arc sec2. I did the same last night and got an average of around 21.41 to 21.45 mag./arc sec2. It was nice and clear both nights but still a lot of moisture in the air. Seeing was I would say average to reasonable for this area. Views were only hampered say, "slightly Mushy". I have seen better clearer views in past star camps here, when the temperature was much lower than the last few days has been, so I know it will be much better, possibly ranging into the 21.6-7 mag./arc sec2 regions. Unfortunately tonight is clouded out at present and the weather forecasts show no improvements over the next week. Overall though this has been a very enjoyable Star Camp here at Drumroamin with spectacular night sky views. Everyone who has attended has expressed admiration of the very clear and bright views visible to all over the last several nights. All seem to have enjoyed the night time experience and their visit. We must remember thought, " It is not over until the fat lady sings!" You never know here what can happen.😀 Derek

Well done Calum. Derek

Is that to keep things in the dark then ?? You would have to leave out the veg though for it to be effective. 🤣 Derek

Don't know if it would sink in you know !!! 🤣 Glad you got home OK. Was talking to Lesley. By the way she found a black oval shaped device to fit on a camera shoe. So I have it to bring back for you. Derek

Thanks Dennis. Let's hope I can get a few more. Going to try anyway. Derek

Hi Adrian, Yes we are still awaiting a decent sky. It started to clear then clouded over again. Some people still arriving and trying to set up tents in the dark. Kenny got here a bit earlier this afternoon with Caroline. Camp is abuz with hope and expectation of a decent night under the stars. I got some decent images last night and hoping for a few more tonight. I hope you are doing OK. Many have enquired after how you are. So keep well. Derek

Cheeky so................ If I wus in da van how come we chatted at yer scope about how yer canna get used to HIGH TEC thingys such as an IPad. God help ye when yo's need to use a phoney thingy!!! 🤔 Derek

No yer not !! I'm still at it . Ha 20 mins 85mm Tak 🙂 Derek

Nice to see old and new faces. A bit of catching up with plenty of humour and laughs mixed in. The weather has been really good all day but just at present it has darkened down as a few clouds roll over the site. Windy has around 28% cloud coverage until about midnight where it drops to around 15%. Tomorrow it shows a somewhat better outlook with almost cloud free during the night with low wind speeds. XC weather seems to agree in the main. Derek