Astronomical Daydreaming

[toilandtrouble123]

Since I've been relegated to bedrest and drug-induced stupors due to thoracic muscular and nerve issues, I've been rather bored, not being able to work, and ordered to stay in bed, which is a right pain since I've only just de-mothballed part of my setup, and it's right there in front of me, and I can't go out to play.  So, to stop myself from going completely crazy, during my tramadol trances, I've been wistfully daydreaming on my ideal setup in my ideal observatory for when we finally have enough pennies for a mortgage, and find our dream home.  And because there's no one else to talk to, I shall ramble on about it on here.

Observatory - RoR Shed design.  One of those ones that looks like a cute wendy house for kids, (well for big kids toys anyway).  The other half has said it will need a warm room, for when he goes outside for a fag.  So warmroom with a desk and electrical hookup for laptop, to keep him amused if he gets bored whilst capturing data, or for ipod docker for when we have friends over for a bbq.  Main atrium to have enough room for my laptop on a desk, and a decent chair to save my back, a permanent pier for large scope, and one tripod/scope setup.  Storage space heater, small kettle and beer/wine fridge in warm room. Floors with practical carpeting, matting on walls too.  Red LED rope lighting all round.

Scopes - Loving the look of those Evolutions from Celestron right now, the other half thinks the Android wifi app looks sweet, so maybe the 9.25 mounted on the pier, with my Helios on its mount with motors also permanently assembled in obsy main atrium. Then I could have the SkyScout on the patio with the 350D doing prime focus shots, or Samsung compact doing afocal.  The 20D could also be just outside on the Adventurer, or static doing star trails.  Inside, the Helios could have either the 20D doing prime focus, or as purely visual, and finally the pier mounted scope could have a CCD running from it.

I'd love to have solar panels providing at least some of the power, and to have different methods of photography and data capture running at the same time, I think would be pretty cool.  At least the other half would know I'd be too busy to have an affair behind his back!!

What are other people's astro dreams? Exotic climes to escape the inevitable rainy British summers? A setup solely for planetary or visual? Please share and save me from boredom. 

[AustinR]

Sorry to hear about your situation. Get better soon!

My aspirations are not too wild. I'd like a modest scope in a hand built observatory, contructed to my taste on some nice property. My ultimate dream is to discover an asteroid. Maybe someday.

[toilandtrouble123]

I'm happy just to diddle along, showing the other half around the skies, since his interest in the subject is piquing, experiment with different photography methods and objects, see and capture the aurora, and observe the beauty up there with a nice chilled glass of white grenache in the summer, or Baileys hot chocolate in the winter, with the cats playing in the garden

[Dave Lloyd]

You've certainly got all your plans in place. Get well soon and go and realize them:-)

[Gazabone]

Hope you're back fighting fit soon. I quite often dream about ideal set ups but keep changing my mind as I learn new things and read people's views on SGL. I'm principally a visual observer as I have doubts about my patience levels with AP but would like to get there at some stage. I did have a chance of a dome a few months ago but think it would be a waste of time, home is a little too light polluted to warrant an obsy of my own so I like eq mounts and good refractors that need to be reasonably portable. Personally I don't like newts on eq mounts because of the the moving ep but wouldn't be averse to a big dob....... Heck, you've started of my dreaming again, how about just being let loose at FLO with a blank (but signed) cheque!!!

[Wardr77]

I managed to get my dream set up 6 days ago. Since the age of 11 when I first saw the large blue meade SCT's in the american Astronomy magazine i've always dreamed of owning one. I've had a 90mm ETX since 1997 and a 3" refractor before that. But last week, I managed to pick up an immaculate 12" LX90 ACF from a lovely chap near Coventry. The views through it were simply stunning, I've never seen Jupiter quite like I did on Tuesday night! I seem to enjoy owning the equipment almost as much as I do using it, is that bad I wonder?

I wish you a speedy recovery.

[bish]

I do this daydreaming all the time. Mainly when I am supposed to be working. I would need 2 roll off roof obsys. One for a 16" portable dob (as I would take it to star parties too) and one for a C14 + camera (for planetary imaging as my skies aren't very good for DSO's). I would need a mix of Delos and nagler eps too. I don't have the money for any of it though!

[gooseholla]

Wow! I used to dream of a SCT too, from about the same year. However, I decided on large dobsonians. But if I ever set up a dome, a 16" SCT would be my weapon of choice I think!

My ideal setup would be a nice dark place, 500 miles from sea, 200 miles from lights, and about 4,000 metres from sea level I jest. I'd like to own a house away from streetlights and large towns/cities, where I could set up a nice large telescope, with clear views all around. No house for a mile or two. Somewhere lower down in latitude too, so I could see all of Scorpius, and also some of the more southern constellations.
 

 One of those ones that looks like a cute wendy house for kids, (well for big kids toys anyway).  

Is it going to have a slide for cloudy days?!

John

[laser_jock99]

It's nice to have dream- and one day it may come true for you. Believe me, it can happen!

[swamp thing]

Dream set up

http://www.webstertelescopes.com/c28-Kevin-Beebe.jpg

That'll do me

Get well soon

[gooseholla]

B

Dream set up

http://www.webstertelescopes.com/c28-Kevin-Beebe.jpg
That'll do me

Bit small isn't it?!

[DaveS]

Well I dunno, but I suspect it would involve multiple 'scopes from either Tak* or APM, and maybe cameras from SBIG with big Kodak chips in them. And a mountain top in Chile.

* The late Sir Terry Pratchett's dwarf creator god is called "Tak". Coincidence? He was an astronomer after all.

[Peter Drew]

I used to have similar "dreams" most of which have now come true, but it's taken over 30 years of hard graft!  

[toilandtrouble123]

Great to hear everyone sharing their dream setups, a blank cheque to FLO would come very handy indeed! Well this sure is a reminder to get the other half to get a lucky dip on the euros tomorrow lol! 

Dream set up

 

 bl**dy hell, I'd need planning permission for that surely!!! 

As for the slide on cloudy days, that's such a cool idea!  

Nat xx

[Ags]

Big goto dob on a trundle, dark site, obsy with eq6 with a pair of nice fracs mounted.

[mcolbert]

now you've got me thinking; as we are in the initial stages of preparing for a move (from southern to northern hemisphere) I'm almost tempted to go for a specially fitted out caravan.

Back to daydream land though, I think a remote observatory on Novaya Zemlya which would have several/many shipping containers (insulated of course) for use as a residence with sauna and pool (for ice skating:)) )

Equipment would include my 130 and I would certainly investigate the 17 inch Plane Wave CDK IR.  Cameras would  use plate glass, 120/5x4 film and some digital.  Needless to say that I would enjoy the challenge of low temperatures and film use.  Also, several receivers and antennae for a radio telescope.  Yes, that would do...and of course my wife would enjoy it too.

michael

[toilandtrouble123]

Nice

[niallk]

1st wish:

Acatama desert-like skies ... Dependably dark, transparent with good seeing.

2nd wish:

... Yeah that big Webster looks real nice

3rd wish:

Time + EPs to enjoy it...

I'd be very happy to 'just' get wish #1 granted

Wishing you a speedy recovery!

-Niall

[MAN or ASTROMAN]

My own garden,where I could observe safely would do me! We currently live in an upstairs flat,so it tends to be binoculars from nearby playing fields,or humping the scope down to my allotment.The last time I observed from my allotment,I left at 11pm,and we were broken into,big time,later that night.Could have been a bit scary had the intruders arrived whilst I was there!