Transit dry run - what a palaver!

[michaelmorris]

I have just done a run through at home of the set up for my Transit of Venus (read 'clouds') imaging session. The plan is to haul my HEQ5 PRO with 80ed (white light filter) and 66ed (with SM40 H alpha filter) mounted together to the Malvern Hills to image the transit. Imaging will be with a mono Toucam and a DMK 21.

I'm really glad I did a dry run because instead of the anticipated 30 minutes to get everything set up, plugged in, aligned and tested, it's actually going to take about 75 minutes!

Guess I'm going to have to leave the house at around 2.45am, instead of 3.30am.

At this rate I'm going to end up getting up half an hour before I go to bed.

[iwatkins]

Faff eh? At least you practised first. I predict a run of threads on the 6th saying stuff like "stupid mount didn't work", "why is my mount not working" etc.

Did you find a good spot? North Quarry is a great spot and easy to park nearby.

Cheers

Ian

[Mark at Beaufort]

Good luck with your observing Michael I will be interested how you get on with the Malvern Hills. Which beacon are you going to use?

I am currently in San Francisco staying with my eldest son and his family. Although I have the PST I also did a dry run with a 60mm Celestron frac today projecting into a DIY box - seems to work

Hopefully the sky will remain clear - the transit starts here at 3.06pm and lasts until sunset.

The only downside is I cannot get any decent beer.

Mark

[michaelmorris]

Did you find a good spot? North Quarry is a great spot and easy to park nearby. Ian

A small group of us from Worcester AS are planning to observe from the ridge next to Beacon Road (by the Wyche Cutting). That'll give us the best uninterrupted view to the north east.We'll park up in the car park on Beacon Road, then lug our kit 200 metres up the tarmaced path to the ridge line. I've invested £21 in a folding sack truck to make things a little easier.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/60KG-HEAVY-DUTY-FOLDING-HAND-SACK-TRUCK-TROLLEY-CART-FOLDABLE-BOOT-CAR-TRUCK-NEW-/160721193357?pt=UK_Lifting_Moving_Equipment&hash=item256bbac98d

[michaelmorris]

The only downside is I cannot get any decent beer.

Mark

:eek:

[WayBig]

I picked up one of these....

very portable, had a dry run yesterday and set up time was < 2minutes, got about 2 minutes of viewing then thunder and rain rolled in so it was possibly a very accurate...not so...dry run

It projects an image of the sun about 4 inches across inside the box. My imaging will consist of snapping the projected image with a compact camera. Simples!!

Though, I've got to say although it's quite a good piece of kit (I got it because my kids aren't yet at an age where I trust them with telescopes and the sun), IMHO it does seem overpriced.

[ObscuredbyClouds]

I picked up one of these....

very portable, had a dry run yesterday and set up time was < 2minutes, got about 2 minutes of viewing then thunder and rain rolled in so it was possibly a very accurate...not so...dry run

It projects an image of the sun about 4 inches across inside the box. My imaging will consist of snapping the projected image with a compact camera. Simples!!

Though, I've got to say although it's quite a good piece of kit (I got it because my kids aren't yet at an age where I trust them with telescopes and the sun), IMHO it does seem overpriced.

I like that, like you say, SIMPLES

[Photosbykev]

a quick look at Starry Nights to see what I will see from a location 4 degreesW and to work out the camera choice and framing for my refractor

This simulation assumes I am guiding on Venus rather than the Sun and starts at 04:57 and ends 1 hour later just after the transit completes. At 04:57 the suns disk is just clipping the horizon.

wY-lhJ4cg1Y

[jabberwocky]

I grew up in West Malvern, I hope the weather is kind, the sunrises up there are great( shame about all the bloomin tourists though)