Stupidest thing you have done to date

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I have sometimes wondered why the :cussing: the mount would not track. Usual culprits: (i) I had forgotten to plug the controller into the mount, (ii) I had nudged the controller so it though i was downunder

[FarSide]

I remember another time; i was setting up my old EQ3 many moons ago and for some bizarre reason i failed to screw the bottom of the mount to the tripod. I went away carried my frac out into the garden and was putting it onto the mout when the whole thing came crashing down and caught my toe. Luckily i hadn't commited the scope to the mount so i was still holding it, but i ended up with a painful toe, and a slightly dented mount.

[Hawksmoor]

Fried the chip on a compact camera whilst getting a video clip of the sun, eyepiece projection style with white light filter. The camera still works fine in low light conditions but on a sunny day everything looks misty and dream like.

[Robert Watson]

Trying to get the enemy intrested in astronomy

[Astrosurf]

Yep, the usual: not taking the scope cap off, not putting on counterweights first and nearly losing scope etc! With most of those no-one was watching. But this time, I was out with my astro group, being watched by a couple of knowledgeable guys. I could NOT get PHD to autoguide. I got more and more flustered, thinking it had failed. It was only when I stopped to think that I'm usually the weak point when I realised I hadn't plugged the guidecam into my mount! Doh. Just as well I have a sense of humour!

I keep saying I'll never do these things again . . .

Alexxx

[Shibby]

2. I must remove the Bahtinov mask BEFORE I start imaging, I must remove the Bahtinov mask BEFORE I start imaging, I must remove the Bahtinov mask BEFORE I start imaging, I must remove the Bahtinov mask BEFORE I start imaging.... especially when it's a 20 minute sub!!!!

How silly of you, I would never do something that silly! I certainly wouldn't do it dozens of times, including last night... Oh, wait...

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

How silly of you, I would never do something that silly! I certainly wouldn't do it dozens of times, including last night... Oh, wait...

But it does look like you got the focus spot on

[Astrosurf]

Pretty!

[gooseholla]

Have you just captured the first picture of x-wings preparing to attack the deathstar?

[cotterless45]

It's a wonder that we get to see anything, yet alone survive!

I refuse to observe on anything else but grass now, having dropped and knocked everything. Latest was last night's attack of thirst. Careful though out plan : uses red torch down the garden steps, into the kitchen and opens the fridge door !!!!!

aaaahhhh! another 20 minutes before I could observe again.

When you get to a certain age, you stop thinking!

Nick.

[Astrosurf]

Had mount cameras laptop flask etc etc, forgot the refractor i had at the time.

Never felt so small.

OTA always first in now

Another winner!

[Astrosurf]

I'm wondering when I am going to run out of new stupidities.

Frantically messing about with the trackpad wondering why the cursor was not playing game, only to realise it was an insect. I am thinking perhaps I should stick to visual, fewer points of failure?

My favourite!

[Astrosurf]

before i found this site i went to look at a scope to buy,the gentlemen said he knew nothing about scopes so i thought id use my knowledge to wow and get it cheaper after getting owner to lug it out side back door and lift it up high enough to see over the fence(was hard)to check the optics(only if there was a sign saying these optics a broke would i have actually known)for ages all i could see was brown every were so i told him it was broke and thanked him and said good bye as i was leaving i noticed the carpets were al brown,didnt have the balls to tell him i had it mounted backwards!!

Another Fave! Had me in stitches.

[Ganymede12]

It's a wonder that we get to see anything, yet alone survive!

I refuse to observe on anything else but grass now, having dropped and knocked everything. Latest was last night's attack of thirst. Careful though out plan : uses red torch down the garden steps, into the kitchen and opens the fridge door !!!!!

aaaahhhh! another 20 minutes before I could observe again.

When you get to a certain age, you stop thinking!

Nick.

Luckily, the lights in my fridge are broken!

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

You could really freak out others in the house by replacing the light bulb in the fridge by a little red one

[Astrosurf]

MWAAAA HA HA HA HAAAAAA!!!

[Spikey]

Whilst leaving the kit outside imaging I tend to fall asleep on the sofa;

So far I've been woken up by a little ringing bell that must have been dinging for at least 30 minutes only to find it was the CCD and filter wheel dinging into the mount leg - best alarm I've ever had; fast asleep to horrific realisation and fully awake in under a millisecond.

Another failsafe alarm I've had the pleasure of was the odd noise that woke me from my imaging slumbers which I ignored for 5 minutes only to realise it was heavy rain !

Forunately no damage done on both occassions.

[Ganymede12]

There seems to be a lot of people leaving their scopes out in the rain!

I thought leaving your scope out in the rain would completely destroy the optics?

[gooseholla]

It won't destroy them if you are quick enough to get it dried out. It is leaving it persistenly out there without care! The odd accident doesn't kill them.

[Demonperformer]

There seems to be a lot of people leaving their scopes out in the rain!

I thought leaving your scope out in the rain would completely destroy the optics?

But using a mains power extension (you know, the round ones with four plug sockets) when it starts to rain can while you are imaging can cause confusion [can I get away with it? should i start packing up?].

Actually, thinking about it, I think that probably beats my 'not buying a laptop lock' one. Fortunately the results were not as dramatic as they could have been!

[OutThereSomewhere]

Travelled from Warrington, Cheshire to the Drumroamin Campsite at Galloway (210 miles) to do some astrophotography for just one night. When I arrived I realised I hadn't got my laptop. As I hadn't yet put my tent up, I drove all the way home, only to throw up with food poisoning from a pastie I'd eaten on the way.

Just wasn't my day .

Jonathan

[Dave79]

5 years ago I went to my first starcamp, Kielder in October. The daft thing I did was take a friend.

Got there early afternoon and put our tents up in a hail shower. Good start.

Things improved and we headed to the Anglers for some grub and a couple!!! of pints. Went back after closing and was made up when I looked up and saw the Milky Way arching from horizon to horizon overhead. Had a great night observing and drinking with no issues at all. So far so good. Next morning got up and found me mate with all his gear on one of the benches.

The reason?

Daft [removed word] woke up to find that his groundsheet had a smallish hole in it and some of his gear got wet with the water coming in. In his wisdom, he boiled a kettle for a cup of coffee. Whilst drinking it he had the bright idea of putting his kettle on his groundsheet, over the holes in the hope of "melting it slightly to seal the holes up."

And that my friends is how to gain a reputation at a starparty as somebody who knows what they are doing.

[sam mayo]

were are a bright bunh

[sam mayo]

bunch(bring back edit)

[Moonshane]

on the basis you use water to clean optics, rainwater is unlikely to damage them dramatically but best to rinse off properly if they get wet. my scope dews up when bringing it in overnight also. it's the electrics that will be dmaged more (and maybe eyepieces if water gets inside).