Taking notes?

[Lear76]

I was just wondering what you all use for taking notes during obervation? Is the pencil and a small, classy notebook the way to go still or are you using some kind of practical software on your iPad or your laptop?

[happy-kat]

iPad or laptop have the potential to screw your night vision unless you can change the screen.

[acey]

A4 hard-bound book with thick blank paper (sold as artist's sketch pad) - so the pages don't tear if they get dewed. Pencil attached to book with string so it doesn't get lost in the dark. Book kept closed when not in use to reduce dewing.

[paul mc c]

Pencil and small, good quality artist sketch pad,and then re sketch on larger log book when inside.

[AndyWB]

Cheap reporters notepad and a pen. I then transcribe my notes onto the classy stationary later; my handwriting can be poor as I do write without light.

[TractionMan]

I use a cheap Olympus dictaphone with voice activation. My handwriting is terrible, even worse in the dark.

[scarp15]

I usually take with me to a session, a prepared agenda sheet, which I keep in a clear plastic zip folder, alongside (laminated) telrad and other charts, plus a small pen. I may scribble some notes onto this during the session, compiling into a written account the following day.

[Crebles]

£5 Sainsbury's version of an A5-size Moleskine-type notebook and a little metal propelling pencil.

Get it all scribbled down out there. Starfields, observing notes, questions, - bang it all in.

Makes great re-reading in the morning or months later.

[avtaram]

Pencil and artists sketch pad. Transcribe next day neatly into another artists sketch pad.

Avtar

[Mike73]

I just use a sketch pad and small 99p notebook.

The most important thing in astronomy is your eyes so with that in mind I keep well away from laptops/ iPads / iPhones!

[Qualia]

I rarely bother with field notes preferring instead a sketch. I'll do one or two and what else I've visted during a session remains in my lazy memory cells until forgotten. Nevertheless, I completely agree with Mike, in that those electronic instruments may be more counter productive and damaging than a scrap of paper and pencil.

[Nuno]

I  carry my A5 notebook with blank pages.. no lines, so it wont mess with the schemas or drawings that I may have to do. I Also have a pen with a cover that emits a small light just perfect to see what I am writing

[cotterless45]

A5 spiral bound notebook and a real fountain pen ! None of these gel ink ball rolling new fan dangled unreliable pens for me,

Nick.

[Bart]

I feel left out here. I just look!!

Barry

[PeterW]

Pen and random bits of paper that I always mean to copy into a nicer notebook to stop the monitors getting lost....

Peter

[RikM]

I use a variety of pads depending what I'm doing. Most often I use A4 preprinted observing forms. My favourite is the Condensed Observation Record by Jeremy Perez. My wife gave me a Fisher Space Pen for my birthday a couple of years ago and that writes quite happily on damp paper.

If I am making a proper sketch, rather than basic observing note sketches, then I use an A6 spiral bound cartridge paper pad, 2B and 6B pencils and a paper blending stump.

[bmc]

i normally use a large scribble pad and a dark thick pen/pencil, so you can see what your writing, and do so with gloves on.  then transcribe neatly to a moleskin journal

[Joves]

Sky Safari on iPad has an awesome Observation Report tool which keeps a tally of what you have viewed and allows you to make notes against each. Another cool feature is that you can click on each object in the list for a detailed explanation of what, where, how far, now old, etc the object is and it also gives the option of marking the item on the sky view section so you can have a "live" view of what you've observed or not.

I've been using Sky Safari for quite awhile now but have only just started utilising this feature. It's probably now my favourite part of the entire app!

[Sam]

Sky Safari on iPad has an awesome Observation Report tool which keeps a tally of what you have viewed and allows you to make notes against each. Another cool feature is that you can click on each object in the list for a detailed explanation of what, where, how far, now old, etc the object is and it also gives the option of marking the item on the sky view section so you can have a "live" view of what you've observed or not.

I've been using Sky Safari for quite awhile now but have only just started utilising this feature. It's probably now my favourite part of the entire app!

Thanks for that, I going to use it next time it's clear. Sky Safari is great but I didn't realise it has that feature.

[RikM]

The sky safari notes feature does sound good but I don't want a laptop, tablet or phone anywhere near me when I'm observing. Dark adaptation is precious and the screens (even set to red) are way too bright for me.

[Joves]

The sky safari notes feature does sound good but I don't want a laptop, tablet or phone anywhere near me when I'm observing. Dark adaptation is precious and the screens (even set to red) are way too bright for me.

I agree, Rik, it is the only pitfall to using the ipad. I have my screen set to almost minimum brightness and the night vision mode on, so it doesn't seem to affect my dark adaptation too bad. That being said, from where I observe at home, the ipad is the least of my worries when it comes to light

[SussexRob]

I am very new to this, and at present am still more than happy just looking, and not making notes. I wouldn't know what to beging writing down, and sketching, hah, forget it! I am useless at drawing, my sketches would never resemble what I saw!!