What to do until the next clear night?

[WakeyTiger]

I'm sure we all must be finding different ways to fill these cloudy nights in the UK.. I'm planning to use them to start flocking, and blacking out my 200P Dob tonight, after watching a few tutorials..

So, what are we all doing to fill our time until the next clear night? (astro-related only please)

[swamp thing]

I'd like to say my new scope was coming along nicely but, I am currently awaiting parts. So nothing really astro related.

[MadAlbert]

I'm going to make a box for my eyepieces!

[Si Rollett]

Thinking about maybe pulling some web cams to bits

[Probablynot]

What to do until the next clear night? Read 'War and Peace' maybe. Or grow a beard, or make a full-size model of Mars out of matchsticks, or ...

Apologies! But I'm beginning to lose hope!

[WakeyTiger]

Talking of reading, I've nearly finished Gene Kranz's autobiog - thoroughly enjoyed it. A gritty (if, at times dry) account of the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions.

Makes you realise that some people have 'proper' jobs

[pajr777]

I've run out of astro projects

Since I last had the 'scope outside, I've

1. Centre-spotted the primary and collimated
   
2. Made a telrad dewshield
   
3. Converted a Lifecam for astro use
   
4. Read the whole of Astronomy: A Self Teaching Guide
   

Actually I've just ordered some solar film so when that comes I'll be constructing a Blue Peter Solar Filter for my binoculars - we're camping over the half term hols so no chance to use the 'scope for the June transit of Venus. If I have enough film left I'll make one for the 'scope too for regular solar observing.

[Kbramley]

Currently on the project list:

1) make a homebrew light box for better flats

2) LX mod the SPC900N to make it a better guide cam

3) Make an uber-set of master darks at ISO 400 at every 2deg increment from -6 to +16 and at 60,120,180,240,300,600 seconds using the fridge freezer to cool DSLR down in a plastic butty box and the temp info in the EXIF data - this should save me heaps of time when the clouds finally clear.

Keith

[NGC 1502]

One of the things I do in a long cloudy spell is to draw up a list of objects to observe. If I don't do that I find I'm looking at familiar objects rather than chasing new to me ones.

Regards, Ed.

[Stargazing_Cliff]

Get metal detector and go hunting meteors that have fallen to ground over years I just posted new thread about metal detectors.

[mallorcasaint]

It is absolutely clear as a bell here in Exeter!

[ianaiken]

Well I've been keeping busy with family, but in spare time:

1. Bought power cables and power USB hub
   
2. Rewired my power box on wheels
   
3. Bought a motorbike cover and tarpaulin (in case it rains with kit out).
   
4. Did some testing on my camera to set the gain and offset to something lower than I had it.
   
5. Took a load of bias frames and darks.
   
6. Reprocessed two images using new skills I had developed while cloudy.
   
7. Read again Making Every Photon Count (I like the high pass filter now in PS).
   
8. Checked weather every hour every day.
   
9. Lived in hope it would be clear before the end of the month for just a bit more data!
   
10. Read April edition of S@N. Now starting May. Then I have March S@N. Also May, April, March of AN to get through. I have a hard time reading I tend to fall asleep.
    
11. Bought and read 3 pages of Death by Black Hole.
    
12. Found myself watching some weird youtube videos not knowing how I got there.
    
13. Wondered how many people got this far through my list before skipping to the next post.
    
14. Looking at Sat24 in jealousy that it is clear as a bell in Exeter!
    

[chownsie]

I'm going to make a box for my eyepieces!

I did this very thing today! Got one on ebay....very good I thought!

[chownsie]

It is absolutely clear as a bell here in Exeter!

FAB here in Hants. Been in garden for last two hours. Venus looked really good, as did Saturn. Moon WAY to bright though!!!! Light pollution from above tonight!

[faulksy]

been tidying my dew heaters and controller up

[MadAlbert]

Eyepiece box on hold...

Clear skies for just under 2 hours; plenty of twilight, tho' so cracked on with planets and Moon.

Managed Saturn (remarkably clear, Cassini only just there), Mars (slightly fuzzy orange but some dark patches just visible), Venus (very bright crescent) and the Moon (used the Baader filter, stunning). Maximum mag ventured tonight was x143, via XW7.

Incidentally, fixed RA and Dec motors to EQ5 today. Work very well: just need to improve the mount alignment so I don't need to alter the Dec too much!

All in all, very good.

[iwatkins]

1. Making electric focuser brackets for all of my scopes. Lots of fun cutting and shaping ally stock, drilling and tapping holes.

2. Drawing up plans for a coeliostat. Even found the two mirror mounts. Just need to build the chassis for it now.

3. Practising processing solar white light and Ha images. Getting there slowly but surely.

And lots of reading and also cursing at the weather

Cheers

Ian

[ianaiken]

1. Making electric focuser brackets for all of my scopes. Lots of fun cutting and shaping ally stock, drilling and tapping holes.

Ian - did you go for the DC Focuser in the end?

[WakeyTiger]

This is good stuff

Well, scope is now flocked, and I cleaned my primary while I had it out... collimation tomorrow night, all ready for CLEAR SKIES (please!) on Thursday here in West Yorks!!!

(crosses fingers, arms, legs, eyes...)

[Auntystatic]

battlefield3

[PortableAstronomer]

I'm going to try out the EQ6 belt drive mod.

Just need to find someone nearby who can re-bore the pulleys.

[E621Keith]

1. Try to cram my Solarmax, GT81, GP2 mount, controller and accessories into one pelican case.

2. Try to cram the pelican case, tripod, ball heads, clothes and other travelling stuff in to a 70L rucksack.

3. Trying to sell/trade the GT81 for a Borg if/when I realised its too big to fit into the pelican case.

I'm going to try out the EQ6 belt drive mod.

Just need to find someone nearby who can re-bore the pulleys.

Try HPC gears. They will do custom bore in their pulley and their price is quite reasonable.

[jonathan]

It's not just the nights, it's been about two weeks since I saw any clear sunshine too, and had the opportunity to try out my Hyperion III zoom eyepiece with the solar scope.

Not too concerned, the Omni CG-4 is apparently not due at the suppliers until June, I want this to complete my small grab-and-go scope / solar scope set up.

[JB80]

battlefield3

I like that one

I was going to say "Eat, Drink and be Merry".

I could end up increase my podge substantially though if I go down this route.

[WakeyTiger]

Been a good day here...fingers crossed!

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2