Do you image away from home?

[RayD]

I do most of my imaging at my property (up a mountain) in Spain, so I have the benefit of very dark skies, but also the security of the homestead.  However, I also have imaging equipment here, but my skies are really light polluted, so I would need to travel to get to a dark site.

My question is, do you travel and image with others or only go to secure sites?  Obviously AP kit is many thousands of pounds, and I see videos on YouTube of people just pitching up in fields and deserts, but is this advisable from a security stance, or am I just being a bit neurotic?

Your thoughts and advice on using a dark site would be greatly appreciated.

[MattJenko]

A local society is a good option, as they tend to have known dark locations where a few people regularly go, so this can get you to darker skies in more confidence than a pin in a dark sky map and pitching up.

[Charic]

If you feel safe enough, then there should be no issue, however defending and protecting equipment at the same time could be cause for for alarm or concern for some folk, not just from human interference , but animal migration at night ?
What worries me is the wildlife running through? especially herds of Deer passing by at speed ( even just one or two can cause the heartbeat to rise sharply, I`m sure they know me and the White scope are there, but Its often too late to see them, and boy can they jump,  they can easily clear a small lane? and even the slightest 'crack'  in the undergrowth can  cause unnecessary alarm, for some folk.

You will benefit  greatly from a darker site, ie,  no man made pollution or town/city sky-glow, it may even appear your using a different scope such is the difference between the two sites,  but don't think that a totally dark site is achievable in terms of real black darkness for your surroundings?  because under good  seeing conditions  ( especially this far North N57 ) the Starlight and glow from the Milky way casts shadows, but with no  ground based light pollution,  my blanket of Stars above shows  thousands more  Stars than I could see from the home, and from home I can see all the Stars in Ursa Minor ( two with averted vision) so overall above my house, not too bad!

Whatever you decide, and where to go, just take care.

[RayD]

Ok thanks. I think I'll look at seeing if I can find a local society for known dark sites where there are other people.

We're more likely to have police chasing buglars knocking the kit over here than deer, but the result would be the same.