SGL 8 - General Banter

[Matthew]

What a fantastic weekend !.Ive come away with many memories that will last a life time, id like to everyone who popped in for a drink and a chopps and a big thank you to Sarah and Luke for letting me observe M42 though their magnificent scope.I look forward to doing it all again next year

[Shibby]

Hi all,

John and I got home yesterday evening - we were the last to leave the site after 4 hours of packing up! We could not have got one more thing into my car! I think the site owners must have been glad to see the back of us after all the mud we created, but didn't seem too annoyed when we popped in reception to thank them on the way out.

Had a great time thanks to the friendliest bunch of people, it was really nice to meet lots of new forum faces: Sam (SamAndrew), Alan (astrotux) - thanks for the cakes!, Kev (photosbykev), Luke & Sarah - thanks for letting us (and probably the whole of SGL) see some incredible views through your dob. M3 was quite a sight! Alan (Mav) thanks for the beers as you were leaving, sorry we didn't really meet before that (at least, not in the daytime when I'd recognise you!) Alex (Astrosurf) - sorry you had such a bad/soggy experience this year! Rob, it was good to see you again!

The bonus was some solar observing and eventual, short, but very welcome periods of clear sky Saturday and Sunday nights. But even without this it would have been a great event; thanks to Daz and everyone else involved for organising, I'm already looking forward to SLG9!

[Astrosurf]

Thanks to . . . AstroSurf,

You're welcome. It was lovely to meet you!XXX

[Astrosurf]

Alex (Astrosurf) - sorry you had such a bad/soggy experience this year!

You're all such a lovely bunch it will never put me off. See you all next year if not sooner!XXX

[Shibby]

Sorry for double posting but here are a couple of snaps!

Star trails from the brief but dark, clear period on Saturday night:

I also managed my first go at Solar astronomy:

[matsey]

Hereford called, they'd like their mud back!!! :grin:

What an incredible weekend ! Got home late afternoon yesterday completely exhausted, everything (including me!) covered in mud, but still buzzing from having such an amazing time.

From the moment of arrival, the non-stop rain Friday night, bbq, really touching (and funny) memorial talk for SPM, the hoq roast, the snow, the mud, getting back up for our first observing after midnight on Saturday (the Leo Triplet, first view, yey!!), amazing Sunday roast at the Moon Inn (and the cider, and the lovely landlord for mini-bussing us back just in time to see Panstarrs before it disappeared behind a cloud bank), amazing night's viewing on Sunday night, solar observing on Monday morning, that enormous low-flying plane, the cafe breakfasts, the incredibly helpful and friendly Lucksall staff, and most especially and importantly meeting and making such excellent friends throughout the whole weekend.

Huge, huge thanks to Daz and the rest of the SGL team for their hard work organising the event. Haitch for making us coffee (and laughing at us!) while we put up our tent and for also being a most excellent neighbour (perhaps a good job you resisted joining us for the Sunday roast, you may have had to stay another night!!), for Sarah and Luke (yes, another thanks to you guys!) for the incredible view of M3 on the Saturday night, Andymarrison for returning the panoptic favour with a view through the 13mm Ethos (though perhaps there'll be more thanks there from my credit card company ), and really for everyone for being so friendly and making it such an excellent social event - I can honestly say even if it had rained all weekend it was the social side that really made it for me, the observing part was just the bonus.

Now I'd best go see about properly unpacking and de-mudding

And definitely count me in for next year !

[Astrosurf]

Really lovely shots!

[Rockrae78]

Got home Sunday afternoon, but only just now recovering - and I mean that in a very good way! Was very tired, but very, very happy!

Met so many lovely people - who all made me feel very welcome: in particular freff, mountainmadman, RikM, astrotux and Linda, reddoss, psychobilly, glider, Rob, Velvet and Stephen.

Got to look through so many different scopes which really helped to narrow down my choice for an upgrade! Thanks to Spikey for letting me purchase the zoom eyepiece - can't wait try it out!

The guys at Lucksall were amazing and managed to fix my faulty EHU lead instead of charging me for a new one (customer service at its best), and the food in the cafe was gorgeous!

Finally, a mahoosive thanks to Daz and the team for organising a brilliant event! Will be back next year (despite the 4 hour drive) without a doubt! Fantastic night skies on Tuesday and Wednesday and brilliant socialising for the remaining nights... What more could a girl ask for?

[Astroscot2]

Are there any photos to share ?

[MickD]

Made it home in one piece on Sunday, spent most of Monday cleaning mud off tent, clothes, car, mount, me....

Despite that i had a good time as usual. Great to meet up with old friends & make some new ones.

Special thanks to Tom, (earth titan) for sharing his mobile data connection to watch the Rugby on Sat (shame about the result...)

"we'll done" to all the organisers, fantastic result as usual.

I'm off to Kelling in Autumn so may see some of you there.

Mick

[Freff]

Are there any photos to share ?

Can the mods start a SGL8 Aftermath thread and perhaps we can start loading some images there.

[Psychobilly]

Can the mods start a SGL8 Aftermath thread and perhaps we can start loading some images there.

Here you go Tony...

Your wish is my Command...

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/180993-sgl8-the-aftermath-post-pics-here/

[Freff]

Thanks Pete that was quick.

[Bellyeye]

Arrived Friday - had to pack up Sat due to tent giving up the ghost during the night & flooding the sleeping quarters. If I'd been alone I'd have toughed it out but was with family so did the responsible thing!

Packed car up only to find I had a flat battery. After searching the site fruitlessly for someone with a set of jumps I ended up getting a power pack from reception (who were incredibly helpful). Eventually got car started only to find I was stuck in the mud. Thanks to those who gave me a push - there's a pint in it for you next year.

Having said all that I really enjoyed the time I spent with you all.

Nick - small world - see you at PSP13.

Mark - nice scopes mate - good luck with them.

Starflyer - thanks for telling me all about the lovely weather last year - it made me feel so much better ;-)

[Psychobilly]

Arrived Friday - had to pack up Sat due to tent giving up the ghost during the night & flooding the sleeping quarters. If I'd been alone I'd have toughed it out but was with family so did the responsible thing!

Packed car up only to find I had a flat battery. After searching the site fruitlessly for someone with a set of jumps I ended up getting a power pack from reception (who were incredibly helpful). Eventually got car started only to find I was stuck in the mud. Thanks to those who gave me a push - there's a pint in it for you next year.

Having said all that I really enjoyed the time I spent with you all.

Nick - small world - see you at PSP13.

Mark - nice scopes mate - good luck with them.

Starflyer - thanks for telling me all about the lovely weather last year - it made me feel so much better ;-)

I had long HD jump leads, spare battery a tow rope and 4 wheel drive ... Was probably not fit to drive though depending on what time you were looking for them ...

We were watching the three 6 nations matches and having the odd drink or two...

Peter...

[Sarah]

Well I think Luke has just about said everything I was going to say!

A big thank you to Daz and everyone else involved with organising SGL 8. Had a great time, despite the weather not being so good. It was lovely to catch up with friends and to meet lots of new people too. Only wish we had had been able to chat with more people during the daytime than we were able to.

As Luke said, thank you to Mark for the binoviewers and thank you to Andy for letting us get some great views through the 17.3mm Delos in our dob. But that now means we need a pair of eyepieces for the binoviewers and a 17.3mm Delos! And a thank you to John for providing some shelter from the rain Saturday afternoon under his parasol!

We were fortunate enough to get the opportunity to get lots of viewing in, with the new dob, under darker skies than we have at home. We weren't disappointed! It was great to be able to share some of those brilliant views with a number of fellow SGLers and to get the opportunity to chat with you all. That for me is partly what makes the star party so enjoyable. Can't wait for the next one now!

[Freff]

Arrived Friday - had to pack up Sat due to tent giving up the ghost during the night & flooding the sleeping quarters. If I'd been alone I'd have toughed it out but was with family so did the responsible thing!

Packed car up only to find I had a flat battery. After searching the site fruitlessly for someone with a set of jumps I ended up getting a power pack from reception (who were incredibly helpful). Eventually got car started only to find I was stuck in the mud. Thanks to those who gave me a push - there's a pint in it for you next year.

Having said all that I really enjoyed the time I spent with you all.

Nick - small world - see you at PSP13.

Mark - nice scopes mate - good luck with them.

Starflyer - thanks for telling me all about the lovely weather last year - it made me feel so much better ;-)

I had long HD jump leads, spare battery a tow rope and 4 wheel drive ... Was probably not fit to drive though depending on what time you were looking for them ...

We were watching the three 6 nations matches and having the odd drink or two...

Peter...

I also had the gear you needed and a 4x4, and was sober. Always head for the 4x4 first.

[Mark at Beaufort]

A big thank you to Mark for very kindly letting Sarah and I have his old binoviewers that met with a slight accident, but still work.We're really looking forward to trying these. Mark, please keep us in mind if you experience a similar problem with a Takahashi telescope

Luke/Sarah I know you will enjoy them but the trouble is you may decide to upgrade. Today I bought a pair of William Optics 12.5mm SPL EPs so hopefully will get better planetary and lunar views. I am also trying to obtain a 19mm Panoptic to match the one I bought from you. I will do a review when the sky clears.

Thanks again for the view through your 16" Dob - I will not forget my first view of the Horsehead not to mention NGC3912.

I will let you know if I want to give away the Takahashi.

Mark

[hadyn42]

Hello All

I would like to give a very "big thank you" to Daz and all his team on organising yet another great SGL event.

I have just got home on the island after the event and would like to also thank everyone who made me feel ever so welcome. It was a bit wet there guys, but my spirit was not dampend at all. Looking forward to attending next year again guys, I think someone mentioned to me that after I had attended three SGL events I would be classed as a veteran, will roll on next year, when I may become such a thing. I really enjoyed meeting folk who had the same interests as me, in particlar astronomy, eating and drinking beer and chatting. The bbq and the hogroast were excellent...

I wasn't going to mention Sunday evening where the sky was clear and great time was had by us all left at the site. My reflector had about 5mm of ice on it by the time I packed it away at 2am. Oops!!!

Best regards, Hadyn - Isle of Man

[AstroTux]

My reflector had about 5mm of ice on it by the time I packed it away at 2am. Oops!!!

Guess who forgot to cover his 'scope up after all the shenanigans around the 'big dob'? When I got up at around 6am for a call of nature it was completely covered in frost. Still by 10am it had thawed out again and everything looked and worked fine so hopefully no damage done.

Still buzzing from SGL8 two days after I got home. Trouble is that I'm now looking at bigger and better tents, bigger and better 'scopes, etc., etc.........

Alan

[Photosbykev]

Guess who forgot to cover his 'scope up after all the shenanigans around the 'big dob'? When I got up at around 6am for a call of nature it was completely covered in frost. Still by 10am it had thawed out again and everything looked and worked fine so hopefully no damage done.

Still buzzing from SGL8 two days after I got home. Trouble is that I'm now looking at bigger and better tents, bigger and better 'scopes, etc., etc.........

Alan

and the wallet gets lighter as the rucksack gets heavier

[AstroTux]

and the wallet gets lighter as the rucksack gets heavier

Yup!! Trouble is I'll also have to buy a bigger and better vehicle to put it all in.......... :grin:

[Mav359]

After a week of camping i have decided that i am far too lazy for it and have therefore decided to build my own caravan, starting next week i'm off out to but a van which i will start converting. i intend to get to SGL9 with nothing more to do then set my scope up

[Stephen Green]

I like to thank DAZ and every one who helped organize SGL8, We leaft on Sunday morning there was a little rain not much, Got to Swindon and on to the M4 and run in to a snow storm the front of the motorhome was thick with snow and then near Reading it turned to rain, We got to the ASH Down forest and the roads where flooded, We were with in 3 miles from home and every were was dry but we had a very good time at SGL8 it was good to see every one again

Stephen

[Uranium235]

After a week of camping i have decided that i am far too lazy for it and have therefore decided to build my own caravan, starting next week i'm off out to but a van which i will start converting. i intend to get to SGL9 with nothing more to do then set my scope up

Like a mobile field base/observatory?... I like the sound of that! Though you would have to drive very cafefully

Oddly enough, I had the exact same conversation with my friend who came along.