Feeling dejected, another neighbours lights thread

[mark117h]

I think and believe in situations like these that it all comes down to how well you know your neighbours,

Whether they are friendly and helpful, or just maybe the opposite and the local trouble on the street/area, if they are troublesome then you could be opening yourself up to even more possible light pollution in which case you could argue with the council that it is infringing onto your property and disturbing your hobby along with also not being good for Nature and environment that surrounds us. 

That being said on the other hand, if they are good Neighbours and friendly and you have talked to them a few times then i would say go for it, have a chat with them and explain about your hobby of Astronomy, they could be sympathetic to your cause and cover the offending light with a dark curtain or better yet they could switch it off altogether which would be a bonus.

One good thing is if you do have a good old chat with them, then you could invite them round for a few brew/beer's and show them through your telescope some of the wonders of the night sky.

Good Luck in whatever way you pursue this, i hope it works out good for you.

Mark.

@LukeSkywatcher

Hi Mate,

I don't know what the police are like in Ireland, they seem to be a lot bloody more responsive than our British Police that is for sure but.

Quote

Light pollution (like noise pollution) is a bit of a criminal offence. If you suffer either by neighbours (light shinning into your house, or loud music), it is a matter for the police. Nobody wants to get the cops involved. Most neighbours, if you talk to them about the situation are very obliging. They honestly just don't take these things into consideration because they are not astronomers.

In the flat where we live it was a beautiful and friendly place, this young lass who has moved in in the last 5 years has systematically dragged the whole block and surrounding area down to such an extent that we have had 4 of the 6 neighbours that was workers and respectful of each other actually move out because they got sick and tired of listening to the CRAP MUSIC she plays, I'm not talking your average normal music here, I'm talking about the drum and bass kind that rocks the flat, we are currently in talks with the noise abatement team with our local council here in Mansfield about this offender and are hoping that she gets evicted. "I know this sounds callous of me" however we have put up with it for way to long to be honest, it got that bad that my missus actually flipped one day after coming home from the dentist after having an extraction that she went downstairs and had her by the throat lifted off her feet and pressed against the wall, i know that sounds bad, but there is only so much a person can take and well she hit our lass's limit "Especially after she had been warned", sorry guys for the rant but i have truly had to get this out there as it was making me ill by trying to go the right way for the last 2~3 years and nothing coming from it, now we are in touch with the council though things are a lot different and better.

As to the police they are really useless here in town, unless there is violence or drunk and rowdiness they don't seem to be too bothered, I'm one that would not really call them to be honest but this girl has driven me to doing it, seeming they are used to coming out to her every week/odd week, they did give us some ref numbers though for the council team should we need further proof, however i think what we have got is more than adequate to hopefully get an eviction.

The police have come out but she sees them coming and turns down the music or she will stop fighting with her at the moment boyfriend, along with ignoring the door when they arrive, thank the lord and science for the recorders.

MAJOR RANT OVER and sorry guy's but i am a really peaceful person normally and so is our lass, just goes to show though that even the most peacefully of people can have a breaking point lol.

Cheers Mark.

[DAVE AMENDALL]

A Dome, be it rather expensive answers a lot of stray light problems. I have one street light which is like a search light in the south west. about 100 metres away It is only a problem if the dome opening faces in that direction. No way is Rushcliffe Borough Council going to do anything about that light even after repeated requests (I have given up on that one now) Any adjacent garden lights, and there are some, make very little difference. The overall sky is still dark enough to see the milky way. Unfortunately LP is a growing menace as more and more houses are built. It seems to be part of the overcrowded UK way of life....Dave

[ronin]

Difficult as people seem to be getting more entrenched in what they do these days and anything is taken as interference.

Any chance of bringing it up in conversation? As in - I go out observing some nights and your bedroom light certaining illuminates things. But keep it "joviial", almost as if it is a small point just to improve things. Don't go saying you can see in as that implies that you are and have been looking in.

I do not observe from home, realised that with everything mainly light pollution it just is not worth it. It may be the option for you, which basically means any clubs or places to drive out to - assumes you drive of course. I wander out to one of two options I know of.

Club wise it looks like Hull and East Riding is closest, looks fairly active. Could be worth a visit and asking what the arrangements they have in place.

[Peco4321]

I'm going to see how things pan out over the next week or so as I think they have just decorated and maybe finishing off. Good advice everyone. 

[ronin]

Still if feasible look at the HERAS club, they may have somewhere to observe from, and it is going to be your direction rather then South. Costs money to cross that bridge.

Also could be one or two people from HERAS up your way that go out to observe at some location they are aware of. I have no idea but does the University have or hold observing. Seem to think they have a newish astronomy/astrophysics or similar department now getting off the ground and oputreach is a significant area these days. Agreed the central area of Hull is not going to be dark but may be worth investigation. The University here holds quite a number of events, public and otherwise.

[Paz]

Sorry to hear about this it can be a real downer. I now have this in the garden next door...

[Peco4321]

9 hours ago, Paz said:

Sorry to hear about this it can be a real downer. I now have this in the garden next door...

I feel your pain. 

I cant believe I've reached my 1000th post with all my moaning, sorry everyone I'll try and be more positive from now on, still the best hobby I've ever had. 

[RayD]

41 minutes ago, Peco4321 said:

I cant believe I've reached my 1000th post with all my moaning, sorry everyone I'll try and be more positive from now on, still the best hobby I've ever had. 

I really do hope you can get this sorted out as it must be upsetting.  However, on a bright note, you haven't reached 1,000 posts yet (that is your reputation thingy) so you still have 143 posts left to have a good rant ??

[Charic]

44 minutes ago, Peco4321 said:

I cant believe I've reached my 1000th post with all my moaning

....857th, your reputation is 1000+ so you'll need a few more posts yet 

[Charic]

.....wow! RayD is fast on the keyboard!

 

With regards to the lighting, the situation is dire, when it comes to stray light around our dwellings, and really not much you can do about it to be honest. For me I use a Dob-tent when the vegetation has fallen from the trees, as this goes someway to just shield my eyes from direct lighting, but can't eradicate it. Its the best solution I have and the results are ok. All my neighbours have curtains and PIR motion detectors, and unless the PIR's are switched off ( why! - their security systems ) and unless their curtains are made of blackout materials, light will still get through spoiling any dark adapted vision. Its why hiding inside my Dob-Tent, allows me to see more under the circumstances that happen here.

A short drive out and I have some of the darkest places known to man, meaning no man-made pollution, just natural lighting, and on the long winter nights, without a Moon, the skies are just stunning,  its only my own effort and time that prevents regular trips.

Also in my garden, I have a visual on 6 sodium lamps, and one to the front of the house when Im side on to the house looking South. I can duck and dive to keep direct  eye contact to a minimum , and even sit  under the neighbours PIR Motion detector, as long as I keep fairly still, it does not see me, however, as soon as I stand, illuminated like a headlight!

 

 

[elliot]

47 minutes ago, Peco4321 said:

I now have this in the garden next door...

I stand in the garden trying to work out why neighbours think it's a good idea to light up their stuff at night. The answer is they don't think. Without being an astronomer light pollution simply doesn't cross your mind. I try and put myself in their position just to try and abate my own annoyance. Same answer applies though...they need a nice talking to. I'm as insular as they come and I had to go round to talk to a neighbour about their flood light of a bathroom light being left on all night. They were more than obliging and now they're back on my christmas card list.  The other side of the house, not so. A conservatory that lights up the outside of their house. It's not like they actually have outside lights, just leakage. That I'm just going to have to live with.  (Eyepatch, cloth over head etc does the trick)

 

 

[elliot]

6 minutes ago, Charic said:

Dob-tent

Would love to hear more about your dob tent.  Any pictures? 

[Charic]

47 minutes ago, elliot said:

Would love to hear more about your dob tent.  Any pictures? 

.....on  Mac just now, give me a while to retrieve one from the W7-PC

...ta-da! It's a Hi Gear Utility tent! In use, it gets an  overcoat ( a darker groundsheet to blacken the interior, observing then becomes a touchy-feely exercise, as I can't see the writing on my eyepieces? I don't use the finder scope either, relying on my 32mm Panaview. It works for me 

[domstar]

21 hours ago, mark117h said:

i have truly had to get this out there as it was making me ill

Hi Mark

I totally understand. I thought I was going to fall over the edge. Even though the worst hasn't been heard since February for me (crazy 24hr laughing woman) I can now hear a pin drop at night and always go to bed with adrenalin. Even if it's silent, I'm anxious about noise starting up. I couldn't get on with earplugs but sleep headphones with white noise/heavy rain from a free app helps somewhat (unfortunately, not much for music). You have my sympathy and let's hope your neighbour gets evicted soon.

This too shall pass

Regards

Dominic

[Hertford Stargazer]

To be honest I think many of us amateur astronomers are perfectionists and this makes us extra fussy when it comes to situations like this. I mainly observe from my front garden which faces south and includes many problems but I still manage to observe (including DSO) and enjoy the experience.

Issues I encounter are as follows -

1 - I have a road and parking bays outside my house which means I have regular headlights.

2 - I have a lamppost 20 feet away to the east (it goes out after midnight) and another lamppost about 150 foot to the southwest.

3 - There are two blocks of low rise flats directly opposite at a distance of about 90 foot which have lights outside each door as well as stairwell lights which are on all night, 45 lights to be exact.

4 - I have an unofficial all night pharmacy a few doors away which means lots more cars and headlights as well as foot traffic often lighting their way with mobile phones and some insist on shining their phones on my scope and asking "how far can it see"? 

5 -  The heat haze from the flats roof-line can be horrendous

6 - My wife complains about me letting the cold in by leaving the door open and the dog gets the hump when I'm outside and cry's until I pack up.

Anyway, as I said, I still enjoy my sessions and try not to take things too seriously.

Here's a photo I posted in another thread which shows to some degree the issues I encounter.

 

[ronin]

23 hours ago, elliot said:

I stand in the garden trying to work out why neighbours think it's a good idea to light up their stuff at night. The answer is they don't think

Thats easy: They are bothered by the madmand next door who is prowling around in the dark.

You wonder why they have lights on, they wonder what someone is doing next door in the dark.

[elliot]

29 minutes ago, ronin said:

Thats easy: They are bothered by the madmand next door who is prowling around in the dark.

You wonder why they have lights on, they wonder what someone is doing next door in the dark.

In an eyepatch with a towel over his head sitting on an ironing stool. It all becomes clear!

[scarp15]

I like Charic's dob tent

Here is my dob cage

 

[Red Dwarfer]

Did you go around over the weekend ? ?

 

[Paz]

On 17/09/2017 at 08:19, Charic said:

.....on  Mac just now, give me a while to retrieve one from the W7-PC

...ta-da! It's a Hi Gear Utility tent! In use, it gets an  overcoat ( a darker groundsheet to blacken the interior, observing then becomes a touchy-feely exercise, as I can't see the writing on my eyepieces? I don't use the finder scope either, relying on my 32mm Panaview. It works for me 

That looks good. Does it also help to stop things dewing up?

[Starlight 1]

I was looking at getting a Portable Observatory Tent - Mark II  365 have them at £186 .

[Charic]

29 minutes ago, Paz said:

That looks good. Does it also help to stop things dewing up?

Its not apparent from the image, but there is  ample ventilation mesh at the top of the tent. This 'utility' tent is  little more than a toilet/shower tent with internal 'shelves' for paper/soap.......eyepieces? One shelf is visible above the chair.
I also use a ground sheet, if the tent is used over the grass, but I can't recall any issues with dew. 

[Beulah]

5 hours ago, scarp15 said:

I like Charic's dob tent

Here is my dob cage

 

Those 'zombie' rabbits always give me a laugh when I see this image. The light just falls off the black one...cute couple, though.  

 

[BRUN]

that dob tent is ace

my neighbours have recently installed a load of lights, ive had to change scope to something more portable

[Charic]

 

12 minutes ago, BRUN said:

that dob tent is ace

my neighbours have recently installed a load of lights, ive had to change scope to something more portable

You still may need to add an additional sheet to keep the light levels down, my local sodium street light  still penetrates the  outer material, hence the reason I use an extra sheet.

You also need to adopt a method whereby only the nose of the scope is exposed to the sky, bit difficult with a Dob, but can be done. The zipper on this tent starts at the top, pulling down to close the door, again, far from perfect, for a Dob, but I manage.

Could be a store near your home..............http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/hi-gear-utility-tent-p396734