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SGLXII Information, Terms & Conditions and Red Light Policy


Grant

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SGL XII Terms & Conditions

October 28th - November 3rd 2016

Lucksall Caravan Park, Mordiford, Hereford

This page contains all the information you need regarding the event, etiquette at a star party, the camp site, location and directions and other useful information This page will be updated as necessary - please ensure you check it regularly for any updates

First Light Optics have kindly agreed to allow us to use their store to take the bookings for SGL 12. It is important that you register your booking with your CORRECT EMAIL address, as you will be sent information nearer the date.

Bookings
The following information will help you with the booking process. Although you can stay elsewhere on the site by booking directly with the campsite, please note - they will not take bookings for the rally field. Also, if you wish to extend your stay beyond those listed, please contact Grant via PM to arrange)

Please note:

  • Payment does not guarantee a pitch. There is only a certain capacity available to us, and so pitches are sold on a first-come-first-served basis. We will endeavour to secure additional capacity should we need, but this is not guaranteed
  • You may book for any number of nights, however, the minimum booking is for two nights - the Friday and Saturday

Pitch Type
The following pitch types can be booked

  • Tent
  • Tent with Electric Hook Up
  • Caravan/Trailer Tent
  • Caravan/Trailer Tent with Electric Hook Up

There is no charge for a Visitor to the Star Party, and you can book a meal ticket, if you require

Please note that Tents staying more than 4 nights will be allocated a hard standing pitch suitable for tents to avoid any grass damage.

Booking Process

1 - Select your pitch type (Electric or Non-Electric)

2 - Select your first night - click Add to Basket, click Continue Shopping.

3 - Select your next night - click Add to Basket

Repeat step 3 until you have added your required nights

4 - Add your food options via the Related Products links

5 - When finished, go to the Checkout

6 - During checkout you will be asked for the following information:

  • Contact Number (for Lucksall to use if they need to speak with you, mobile is preferred)
  • Accommodation Type (Tent, Caravan, Trailer Tent...)
  • Caravan Length, Caravan Awning or Tent Berth - Whichever is applicable
  • SGL Username
  • Preferred pitch details
  • Imager or Observer
  • Additional Name Badges

Site Rules

Lucksall Caravan Park have their own site rules these contain important information relevant to anyone visiting or staying on the park. These rules supersede any SGLXII specific rules mentioned here.
 

** SLEEPING IN VAN / CAR **
If you wish to sleep in a van, or your car, this is no problem - HOWEVER, you must be on a booked and paid-for pitch. Under NO circumstances will anyone be allowed to just park up and sleep without having a pitch booked.

Tent Safety
Ideally, there should be a 3 metre gap between you and your neighbour, however, if people are sharing pitches, this is not always possible. Therefore, please exercise caution and common sense when pitching your tents. We want everyone to be SAFE!

Nights
The camp site have agreed that we can book dates after the main weekend. Due to another rally field booking we cannot book dates prior.

  • Friday 28th October ** MAIN DAY **
  • Saturday 29th October ** MAIN DAY **
  • Sunday 30th October
  • Monday 31st October
  • Tuesday 1st November
  • Wednesday 2nd November
  • Thursday 3rd November

PLEASE - ENSURE YOU BOOK THE NIGHTS YOU INTEND TO STAY! 
IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO CHECK THIS!!


Preferred Pitch
When you go through the purchase process for your pitch, you will be able to nominate a preferred pitch number. Lucksall will be allocating pitches and will use your prefferred pitch information as well as the type of unit you have and number of days you intent to stay to allocate you a suitable pitch. They will try and accommodate everyone for these requests, but it is not guaranteed. Be aware that Lucksall may need to allocate you a different pitch nearer the time if the weather is likely to be poor.


Name Badges
There is also a box for you to enter your SGL username, which will be used to produce a name badge for you. If you have other people with you (non-SGL'ers) that would like a name badge, there is space for you to add their names too

Meals
We have organised a curry night and quiz at the campsite cafe for the Friday night and our traditional hog roast for the Saturday. Tickets for both can be booked at the same time as your pitch booking. We are also hoping to organise a Sunday roast but will announce details of that nearer the time.

Costs
Pitch with Electrical Hook Up = £18.00
Pitch without Electrical Hook Up = £15.50
Meal / Vegetarian (Adult) = £6.00
Meal / Vegetarian (Child) = £3.00

Lucksall charge us per pitch, not per person, so there are no additional charges for extra adults, children dogs, pup tents or awnings but for their own health and safety records Lucksall do need to know the number of people staying.

Payment
Payment is accepted via First Light Optics, so usual payment methods are accepted. We are no longer able to accept payment via cheque.

Refunds
Refunds will be allowed up until 28 days in advance of the first main day (net of any payment fees). Simply let us know and we will arrange the refund and re-allocation of the pitch.
If you cannot attend after this cut-off date, let us know so we can try and fill the pitch for you - alternatively, you are welcome to advertise the pitch yourself.

Please note that the event will be held regardless of weather. Non-attendance for weather will not be eligible for refunds 

Change of names
There is no charge for changing names on a booking – please contact Grant directly with the details.

Waiting List
Once all of the pitches have been sold, we will operate a waiting list on a first come, first served basis (There will be a thread in the SGLXII section). If we are able to secure additional pitches, then these will be offered to the waiting list first.
Please post your preferred pitch type and number of nights in this thread. Please do not send PMs or emails. 

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SGL XII Star Party Information

October 28th - November 3rd 2016

Lucksall Caravan Park, Mordiford, Hereford

The Star Party
We want this to be a great weekend! We want it to be fun for everyone, whether new or experienced, young or old, observer, imager or space tourist, seasoned star-party attendee or first-timer! It’s the chance to: meet fellow enthusiasts; talk and hopefully ‘do’ astronomy; get to know people; have fun; learn; see things you can’t see from home or with your own equipment; experience darker skies; try different kit; solve problems together; and take pictures.
With this in mind, here are some details about how the Star Party will run: 

The site
The Lucksall campsite is a very good site and the owners are very friendly and accommodating of our needs. There are toilets/showers close by and they work with us to remove as much extraneous light as possible. The only thing that has been a problem in the past is concern about speeding on site, and respecting of the one-way system. So please remember: There’s a 5mph speed limit on the site and the one-way system goes anticlockwise when leaving the rally field

Location
For those with GPS, you won't need this info but for the rest of us with GOTO here's the site's latitude and longitude: Lat 52:01:26 North, Long 02:37:50 West.

Arrival
When you arrive at the campsite You MUST report to reception on arrival. If you arrive late and Reception is closed, please find Daz, or another member of the Mod team 

Welcome Pack
On arrival you will be issued a Welcome Pack - which will contain all the relevant information for the Star Party: Site Map, Meal Tickets, Name Badges, Tent Label, Pitch Allocation, etc.


So how will the Star Party work?
SGL has reserved the rally fields at the site and will take bookings from members on behalf of the campsite for the nights indicated above, although we expect the majority of attendees will come just for the (long) weekend. If you wish to stay outside of these dates, please get in touch with us as soon as possible so we can arrange.


How are pitches allocated?
Lucksall will be allocating the pitches based on the preferred pitch information you provide during booking but also taking into account the type of unit you have (tent, caravan or trailer tent), the number of nights you are staying and whether you have requested an electric hookup or not.

Please also be aware that the site may move you on arrival depending on grass/hard-standing availability, or for safety/maintenance reasons - these are outside of our control!

Where can I park?
Cars can be parked on your pitch (pitches are large). However, if you are arriving or leaving after dark, and it is a clear night, we would ask you to park close to the site entrance so that your headlights do not disturb the star gazing and imaging. (NB: Much more about light later!)

What facilities are available?
The site is level and has good facilities. There are three sets of toilets and showers. There is a small shop on the campsite and a Post Office, other shops and pubs in the nearby village of Fownhope. If you need a supermarket, there are plenty in Hereford - Morrisons, Sainsburys, Co-op, Tescos and Asda. The Asda store on the south side of Hereford City on the main Belmont Roundabout also has emergency medical and dental facilities available (although of course we hope no-one will need them!) 


Lucksall now has an excellent cafe offering hot food throughout the day (warning: breakfast is a busy time!) and an alcohol licence. They stock an excellent range of local beers and ciders as well as a good selection of wines. 

What should I bring?
Bitter experience is that it will almost certainly be colder than you imagine, so bring all the layers you think you’ll need - TWICE! The clear view from previous years is that a small 'festival' tent is just not up to the job for Autumnal camping!

A double-skinned tent will retain heat much better (and keep out any rain better too). Under your sleeping bag, you will also certainly need some form of insulation between you and your groundsheet e.g a foam roll (ideally with a metallic insulation side), and an inflatable mattress, lilo or bed. Remember you’ll probably be going to bed cold and so extra layers and a heater and/or hot water bottle will help you to thaw out!

There are several threads on the main forum regarding camping equipment - but perhaps the most important are those regarding electrical cables and heaters in the tent.

NEVER USE A GAS HEATER OR BARBECUE IN YOUR TENT 

I’ve never camped before - will there be help available?
Yes. If you need help (whether it’s advice on kit preparation in advance, or with pitching your tent at the site itself), just ask! And if you’ve forgotten to bring something, ask too. Ask your neighbours, or find one of the Mod/Admin team. If you are using electricity then you’ll need a special cable to safely connect to the site outlets. If you only need electricity for charging powerpacks then someone will be happy for you to use their supply 

Is catering available?
On the Friday, we are planning a Curry & Quiz night at the cafe, and Saturday will see the return of the popular Hog Roast (Vegetarian / Children options available)

SGL will be providing a Tea Tent, which will include FREE tea and coffee making facilities - and there will probably be a supply of homemade cakes available too (please bring some to share if you can). This will give a communal focus, and allows a warm in the middle of the night! You’ll need to bring your own mugs! 

All we ask is that you do your bit to keep the communal areas clean and tidy - use the bins provided, dispose of rubbish, don't leave lids off things.... etc. 

There will also be a couple of large event shelters that we'll be using for various activities, and these can also be used as gathering areas. If using late at night, please can you also be considerate about noise levels. 

Where can I set up my scope?
Usually scopes are set up on individual pitches by the owner’s tent (although sometimes a group will set up together). You should ensure that there is enough room around your scope for you to operate, and potentially for others to come and see what you’re doing/have a look through your scope (if you’re comfortable allowing that).

If you’re an imager you should also consider where to place your IT to ensure you don’t disturb any close by visual observers with your screen (which should be shielded/red screened). You should take care over any trailing cables - the darkness, trailing cables, and fragile equipment can be a potentially dangerous and costly combination!

Equipment care
Scopes etc. are the responsibility of owners and you should ensure that you have a level of insurance cover that you are happy with. SGL is not responsible for any damage however caused. Owners leave scopes unattended at their own risk, although the vast majority of people tend to set up at the start of a star party and pack up at the end, leaving their kit assembled throughout (and covered in case of rain etc when not in use).

There are generally other stargazers around on our part of the site the whole time, and so security concerns are reduced. Its part of the fun of a star party to wander around during the day admiring (drooling over!) other people’s kit and asking questions. You just need to take appropriate care as you will be responsible for any damage you may cause. And if you bring children and/or pets please can you make sure they too are properly controlled to ensure no damage or ill-feeling.

Do I have to bring a scope?
Certainly not - you can stargaze any way you like!

The great thing about communal events like this is the opportunity for sharing! You’ll find many people will be more than happy to let you have a look through their scope. It’s a great way to find out what you might like, both in terms of scopes and eyepieces (warning: this can prove expensive in the long run!!). It’s also a great way to learn.

Just one word of caution: don’t simply assume it’s OK to have a look or touch any equipment - please do ask the owner first. Avoid leaving fingerprints on any optics, and do remember to say 'thank you'!

What about noise, music etc?
This is always a tricky one. Tents lack soundproofing! And so please be considerate particularly after 11pm and before 11am. If it’s cloudy, people might retire early - and if it’s clear many people will be sleeping in after a very late night! You might find ear plugs useful (there were a few cases of severe snoring at previous star parties!)

And on music, one person’s music is another one’s irritating noise, so please keep it down. We would also like to minimise the disturbance for the few houses which are close - we’re asking them to be considerate about their use of light during the weekend and so we think it's only fair that we reciprocate by keeping noise levels reasonable too.

Also, the 'family-friendly' ethos of SGL extends to Star Parties, so can we please ask everyone to watch their language - especially at night 

Is alcohol allowed?
Yes. We just ask that you be considerate of others.


Is there anything else we should know?
This is an official SGL event and so we have to take account of insurance and Health and Safety issues. SGL and the campsite will have appropriate insurance but you will be responsible for your own equipment - such as loss and / or damage but also including injury to other members in the event of an accident. 

Please note that we operate a Zero Tolerance policy on drugs. You will be reported to the Site Management and evicted from site


Although this sounds draconian, these guidelines can be pared down to ‘please be considerate, careful and apply common sense’! The moderator team will keep an eye on things and should they see a risk may ask you to modify your actions. And we'd ask that if you see a problem, please report it to one of the Moderation team so we can deal with it as soon as possible! 

Please take this in the spirit it is intended - which is simply to ensure a safe, fun experience for everyone! 

We looking forward to meeting everyone!! 

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SGL XII Red Light Rules

October 28th - November 3rd 2016

Lucksall Caravan Park, Mordiford, Hereford

Light Rules
The handling of light at a star party is something that is a bit different, and so we’ll go into some detail. This may appear pedantic, but it really can make a huge amount of difference to the viewing/imaging experience for everyone. It takes the human eye at least 20-30 mins to become properly ‘dark adapted’ for stargazing. White light ruins that hard-won dark adaptation in an instant and also ruins images. By far the easiest way to make yourself truly unpopular at a star party is to walk around with a white torch!

We will be working with the campsite to minimise the amount of light in our area (for instance, using blackout material in the shower block windows). The lights that really need to be there will be shielded red wherever practical. You should ensure that you do the same wherever possible after dusk. If it’s clear at all, you should only use dim red light torches, as these do not significantly affect dark adaptation. 

Laptops/Screens
Laptop computers used on the field should be shielded by using a cardboard box or similar,and facing away from other observers. For visual observers, they should also have heavy red filters. For astrophotography, red filters are also required for your laptop screen. Again remember that a laptop used in a tent should still be shielded as it will be bright to those outside. 

Car Lights
If possible, remove fuses to stop interior lights or indicators from flashing if you need to get into your car. Alternatively, mask off the lights as much as possible. If you do need to open the doors and the lights are likely to flash, shout a warning to others so they can turn away 

Arriving After Dark
Please park BEFORE you get to the rally field and find someone to assist in showing you to your pitch. If you drive onto the field with your lights on, you will very quickly make a lot of new friends! 

Tent Lights
All people staying at the camp need to be mindful of the need to limit extraneous light. eg: keeping doors closed in camp buildings with interior lights. Remember than even in your tent a white light is easily visible and bright outside – so red lights should be used in tents. Please remember to check any external light on caravans / motorhomes before going to bed – it may be cloudy when you go to bed, and then clear later. 

Head/Hand Torches
Dim red led torches are to be used on and around the observing fields, and keep them aimed at the ground. Bright red head-lamps should be dimmed with paint, red electrical tape, cellophane or nail varnish. A handy trick is replace one of the batteries with a dead one - this reduced the power and the brightness 

Laser pointers
We will be operating a ‘no laser pointers’ rule, as they can be dangerous and can ruin night vision and photographs for others. The only exception will be if we decide to do an ‘SGL guided tour of the heavens’ at the start of an evening.

REMEMBER: It's the BRIGHTNESS as well as the colour! Red Light Rules WILL be in force after dusk when clear

Why all the fuss??
We have had people drive onto the field with full beams on, we have people's tents light up like a music festival, we have had people who head torch could light the dark side of the moon...... 

None of these things make for a good star party. While we all enjoy the social element, we are there predominantly to observe or image the heavens. We will not allow the enjoyment of the majority to be ruined by the thoughtless actions of the few! 

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