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All but given up...


Dave_D

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The worst thing about having astrophotography as one of your favourite hobbies is being stuck somewhere where you can't do it... stuck in a 1st floor flat in a heavily light polluted area and having weekends almost totally taken up with family, and not having the finances to afford the extortionate rent charges of finding a decent house (at 53, i really doubt i'd get, or be able to afford a mortgage), i've all but given up on imaging :(

I've been toying with the idea of a remote obsy, where i can store the majority of my gear without having to worry about carting delicate (and heavy) gear up and down stairs and subjecting it to a longish drive.

So, i've been pondering getting in touch with farmers/ land owners round the north cheshire area about renting a small bit of land.

Has anyone here done anything like this?

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I hear ya re the mortgage tho it is possible IF you can manage the large deposit requirements these days. in the same boat there tho am lucky the place I rent is a small house and the garden is reasonably dark and astroturf so the gear doesn't get muddy 🙂 Bigger problem is the swarm? of slugs that seem to come out of nowhere every night and the wee hedgehog has gone walkabout so there seems to be more of them around lately :( 

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6 hours ago, Dave_D said:

The worst thing about having astrophotography as one of your favourite hobbies is being stuck somewhere where you can't do it... stuck in a 1st floor flat in a heavily light polluted area and having weekends almost totally taken up with family, and not having the finances to afford the extortionate rent charges of finding a decent house (at 53, i really doubt i'd get, or be able to afford a mortgage), i've all but given up on imaging :(

I've been toying with the idea of a remote obsy, where i can store the majority of my gear without having to worry about carting delicate (and heavy) gear up and down stairs and subjecting it to a longish drive.

So, i've been pondering getting in touch with farmers/ land owners round the north cheshire area about renting a small bit of land.

Has anyone here done anything like this?

I feel for you. During the twenty years I've owned my Meade Dob, six of the earlier years were spent with it idling in the bedroom closet because our growing family forced (please don't tell my wife I used the word forced) us to find larger, city accommodations, which were great for the kids, but terrible for my observation needs. I almost gave it up. I can't begin to count the times over those six years my wife said I should just sell it. A 10" Dob takes up a lot of closet space. I'm glad I didn't, as time worked to my advantage.

Finding a place to store/use gear away from a family home sounds so impractical. My totally unsolicited advice would be to store your gear in the bedroom closet (haha) and wait for the Heavens of the future to favour you. Perhaps I'm overstating it, but at 53 you've still got a lot left in the tank, and despite your gloomy (for astrophotos) outlook, you never know what's around the next corner.

6 hours ago, DaveL59 said:

Bigger problem is the swarm? of slugs that seem to come out of nowhere every night and the wee hedgehog has gone walkabout so there seems to be more of them around lately :( 

Okay, glad (that's not the right word) to hear the slug population is not entirely just on my property.

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Hi Dave, I rented a plot of land just outside Romiley (on the way to Glossop) for £15 per week  I had a ROR Obsey on it . It was a quarter acre shared it with two horses nice dark skies lived in Bredbury then. That was 1985 so nowadays you can multiply the £15 by 10. Although you may be lucky and get a small patch cheaper...Dave

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Have you thought about going to Star parties which are great fun, though infrequent.  Or even starting your own regular astro camp.

Our society used to run them every 3 months, then they got popular and we go every month now when there is a clear enough sky.  I am now the coordinator of the monthly astro camp.  This does of course mean finding a suitable campsite, and hook up if you need it.  Also dragging all the camping gear with you.  I bought myself a van when I got fed up with all the pitching and packing, and leave a lot of stuff in the van until next time.  It's also great fun sharing the hobby.   Also a lot cheaper than renting a bit of land.  

If you live in Manchester there must be a fair few of you in that area, try getting in touch with some of them, and see if they want to do a regular camp.  I am pretty sure I know some-one who lives in Manchester who reads my posts and has said he wishes he could get to a regular campsite.  I don't think he is on this forum, but if you want to give that a shot I could put you in touch with each other.

I know camping is not for every-one, and you of course have to set up your kit each time, but I live in SE London and there are many targets I would never have been able to image if I did not go to Astro camps.  Our campsite is about an hour away from where I live.  I am in Bortle 8, and the campsite is Bortle 4 with good horizons.   Makes a huge amount of difference. 

Carole 

Edited by carastro
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I agree with Carole re the Star Party option. The great thing about them.
is the camaraderie that develops, and is a fantastic antidote to poor skies
should they spoil the other reason you go there.
SGL holds SP's on  a regular basis, and If you want to attend the next one, you can book a pitch
through Flo. There are other accommodation options, but I would think they are all booked  by now.
There's always next year though. Give it some thought, I guarantee you'll have a great time. and make many friends too.
Ron.

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I think that your proposed solution is perfectly viable. I also think that it might be worth considering a share with others. If four people share a remote observatory, as is the case with one I host, it obviously costs each participant only a quarter as much and there are four brains to work on the inevitable bugs and glitches which go with remote setups. (Believe me, there are bugs and glitches!)

Running a remote rig abroad is in some ways even more attractive but it's pretty costly. Again, though, shared by a large group it could be perfectly affordable. (I'm not selling anything here, I have no availability and I don't provide a full service anyway.) It wouldn't bother me in the least to choose only one target in ten. They are all interesting.

Olly

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Another consideration (if you have a flat roof) might be seeing if you can gain access to the roof of your building. 

Light pollution at roof height might be better shielded.

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I haven't read the comments, but I hear you man. Yep, find a farmer who understands and park your gear there in one of their sheds (minus cattle). The hardest part is finding a farmer who understands. Not as hard as you might imagine, farmers are pretty keen on the outside world around them for obvious reasons, and do appreciate the land they work and the skies above. I'm not a farmer, but I survey farms all the time. Best way is just to knock on the door or chase the tractor down and say 'hey, I know you're busy but...' They can only say yes or no!

PS Some of the most insightful conversations I've had in my close to 50 years on this planet have been with farmers. They spend all their time thinking! 

Edited by Ships and Stars
added the PS bit
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10 minutes ago, Ships and Stars said:

find a farmer

Or someone with whom you can share your telescope overseas. TeamViewer in by mutual arrangement. Booked in advance, Jet2 from Manchester is economical to most destinations in Spain, even with telescope baggage;)

Cheers

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Further to my post above the imager in Manchester I was referring to coincidentally only in the last couple of days has posted that he had found a great site in Wales (2 hours drive from Manchester) and is looking for like minded people to join him.  He is not on this forum. 

So I have messaged the OP but sadly he has not got back to me, I wonder whether he has already given up.

Carole 

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