New member -Lives in La Palma - Canary Islands

[JohnMills]

11 hours ago, lux eterna said:

Hi John, and welcome here.

I enjoyed reading your website, especially as I was working in the electronics / IT area myself around that time. Thanks for sharing. You really did some pioneering work in such a high-tech environment. Wow, what a career ! Since you retired, have you been using your technical skills for any DIY astro related work ?

Ragnar

Hi Ragnar, good to hear you enjoyed checking out my website. Yes, the ING was a great place to work. Before coming here I spent a few months at the Royal Greenwich Observatory , then still at Herstmonceux in Sussex -  learning about the systems I would be looking after.  I did 16 years full time up to 2002 and was then made redundant   However, I then managed to work for them as a self employed part time contractor doing 2 days a week from 2004 to 2010. After that I occasionally did jobs for the Liverpool Telescope, but nothing recently.

As for DIY astro related work... Not really.  I helped a friend doing electronics jobs who had a well equipped observatory at Tacande on the west side of the island, but he sold up and moved back to mainland Spain. Interestingly, he sold his property and observatory to a guy in the UK who spends half his time between Cambridge and La Palma! So I go over and help him out occasionally when he's on island. There is also a remote observatory on the land which was set up by Kevin Hills - a BAA member who specialises in minor planets and comets - https://www.hills-observatory.org/  -  If there are problems (and the new owner of the property is back in the UK), Kevin contacts me and I go over and hopefully can resolve the issue.

So in some respects, doing this work is very similar to the time when I was a night duty engineer up at the ING and called out to fix problems. I just love being around telescopes and instruments and repairing them when they break down

Regards John 

[JohnMills]

15 hours ago, johngm said:

Hi John, 

Welcome to SGL. And your from La Palma? you lucky thing. I love La Palma, and try and visit every couple of years. Always take my portable rig with me. Cant be the Night sky's there, especially on the west of the island. And i love to have a nice Cake and Coffee at Mirador El Time on a nice day.

From Another John 👍

Hi John, Sounds like you're a regular visitor also? I have kit here such as EQ6 mounts, some small APO's plus a Meade 10" LX200 which I hire out, so perhaps you may be interested to use some of the equipment I keep? Saves a lot on excess baggage charges which are very expensive these days,
I know the restaurant you mean (Mirador El Time). Its a great place with magnificent views across to Los Llanos and El Paso. Been there many times. 
Regards JohnM

[gingergeek]

Hi John,

             A warm welcome from the Basingstoke Astronomical Society, I think you know some of the members and showed them around the scopes before. I hope to join them on a visit one year, so much to do and so little time 🙁

Gingergeek

[des anderson]

Green with envy.........and a warm welcome from Essex. Des

[JohnMills]

On 16/10/2019 at 18:43, gingergeek said:

Hi John,

             A warm welcome from the Basingstoke Astronomical Society, I think you know some of the members and showed them around the scopes before. I hope to join them on a visit one year, so much to do and so little time 🙁

Gingergeek

Hi there Gingergeek,

Yes, I do. I think Dave Shave-Wall is in the Basingstoke AS and been over with some other members to LP a few times. Another I recall was Bob Trevan. Was a few years ago when we last met up. However, I recently received an email from Dave regarding a visit next April. He mentioned about a villa he's used a few times which is at quite a high altitude on the NW of the island.  As it happens, another 'Astro mate' and his wife arrived yesterday and is staying in the same place!  They have been there a few times also. Its one of the few places on the island which is often above the cloud base with conditions similar to being up at the Roque de Los Muchachos (ORM) observatory... Very convenient 👍

ATB John

[gingergeek]

John,

         Yes Dave and Bob are still in BAS and in fact Dave is on this forum as @M44DSW ! As you say I do believe he is heading back out with a few others next April, I will mention this convo when I see him tomorrow when I'm helping him to commission his dome.

Regards

Gingergeek

[Pete Presland]

Hi welcome to SGL from Peter in Bedfordshire 🙂

[robbymain]

Welcome from North Bristol! Fascinating to hear about your situation - would absolutely love to come out to La Palma one day!