Open air observatory

[mikeDnight]

Don't be too hard on Ohio Mike, as Ohio had one of the greatest amateur astronomers of all time as a claim to fame. Leslie C. Peltier was a super hero of sorts, and his autobiography Starlight Nights, The Adventures of a Stargazer, is possibly single handedly responsible for fuelling my enthusiasm over 42 years. You're on holy ground my friend! 

 

[Guest]

The scope is a 10 inch Orion Skyline.  The pad is big enough to handle a 16 inch.  I have thought about them being black and absorbing and  releasing heat.  Would it be any worse then gravel with pavers?  Don't know.  But they were free and if it doesn't work out I will figure out a plan B.

[Guest]

I can't say I have ever heard of him....but I am new to all this.....so I will have to check him out and see whereabouts he is from.

[Guest]

17 minutes ago, mikeDnight said:

Don't be too hard on Ohio Mike, as Ohio had one of the greatest amateur astronomers of all time as a claim to fame. Leslie C. Peltier was a super hero of sorts, and his autobiography Starlight Nights, The Adventures of a Stargazer, is possibly single handedly responsible for fuelling my enthusiasm over 42 years. You're on holy ground my friend! 

 

So I checked him out quick.  He was from Delphis Ohio.  About 2 hours west of me.  Delphis is a small town and I bet it was smaller in his time. It's out in the middle of nowhere.  I bet he had very little light pollution to deal with in his time.

[mikeDnight]

3 hours ago, Mike Q said:

So I checked him out quick.  He was from Delphis Ohio.  About 2 hours west of me.  Delphis is a small town and I bet it was smaller in his time. It's out in the middle of nowhere.  I bet he had very little light pollution to deal with in his time.

You're right Mike. In fact he complains about the light pollution as it encroaches on Delphos. It was a different time with different skies, and a simpler life, but I bet you'd love reading the book. Looking at your outlook surrounding your open air observatory, I'd imagine you'll have a pretty spectacular sky when the clouds do eventually disappear. 

[Guest]

24 minutes ago, mikeDnight said:

You're right Mike. In fact he complains about the light pollution as it encroaches on Delphos. It was a different time with different skies, and a simpler life, but I bet you'd love reading the book. Looking at your outlook surrounding your open air observatory, I'd imagine you'll have a pretty spectacular sky when the clouds do eventually disappear. 

We are Bortle 4 here on our best nights.  Seeing and transparency are the killers.  They are almost never better then average.  If one is above average the other is below.  It's a can't win for loosing  kinda deal.  There are a few lights down the road that are rather bright, that is what the wall will block when it goes up.  I just have to find the height that I need and that will happen after the gravel is done .  My view is alright.  I  decent to the south, but hit trees to the south west and the go all the way around to the north west.  Then I hit the house then back to trees.  I can go over most of the trees so all in all it isn't too bad.  I live on a one lane back road so traffic isn't usually too bad.  

Edited April 4, 2022 by Guest

[Guest]

For anyone who might be waiting for something to happen this week.  Don't hold your breath.  I can't get down to the place with the gravel during the week.  So it will be a bit before anything new or even semi exciting happens.  

[Swoop1]

Roger Mike Q, We copy you delayed. You got a bunch of guys about to turn blue. We're breathing again.

 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Swoop1 said:

Roger Mike Q, We copy you delayed. You got a bunch of guys about to turn blue. We're breathing again.

 

The store is only open from 9 to 5.  I just can't quite get there before they close.  

[jjohnson3803]

On 03/04/2022 at 18:33, mikeDnight said:

You're right Mike. In fact he complains about the light pollution as it encroaches on Delphos. It was a different time with different skies, and a simpler life, but I bet you'd love reading the book. Looking at your outlook surrounding your open air observatory, I'd imagine you'll have a pretty spectacular sky when the clouds do eventually disappear. 

I just finished that book last week.  Great narrative, makes me long for simpler times like when I was a kid and spent time on my grandparents' Bortle 2 farm.

[Guest]

Head down to Marion today and order 2 tons of gravel.  My math says I need 1800 pounds, but practical experience says order twice what you actually need.  But before I get that done, Formula 1 qualifying has to be watched.

[Guest]

2 tons of what we call patio base is ordered.  Delivery will be Tuesday.  60 dollars for two tons isn't bad, but the 60 dollar delivery fee does seem a bit steep to drive 8 miles.

[mikeDnight]

I'd have told them "I'm not paying that for delivery!" Then I'd drive further and order from someone else, and ultimately pay double for delivery rather than back down on my principles. I've done that on more than one occasion, but I'm learning slowly. 

[Guest]

55 minutes ago, mikeDnight said:

I'd have told them "I'm not paying that for delivery!" Then I'd drive further and order from someone else, and ultimately pay double for delivery rather than back down on my principles. I've done that on more than one occasion, but I'm learning slowly. 

If there had been another option I would have used it that is for sure.  I get having a delivery fee, especially with gas being what it is these days, but it isn't going to cost them 60 bucks in fuel to deliver it too me.  You guys across the pond are used to higher gas prices.  We are not, unless you live in California.  

[Guest]

Tar paper will work very nicely as a anti-weed barrier.  I poked small holes in it to allow for drainage.  This will be ok as long as we keep the wind under 40mph

[cajen2]

40mph? A gentle breeze here! 😁

[Guest]

8 minutes ago, cajen2 said:

40mph? A gentle breeze here! 😁

Thats mph....not kph

Edited April 10, 2022 by Guest

[cajen2]

Sure. Most people don't use km here (except scientists), so we do know what mph is! 😛

[Guest]

Depending on the weather I will come home from work and get the gravel put in.  Either by shovel or with big boy toys.  

Edited April 10, 2022 by Guest

[Guest]

And by big boy toys I mean one of these.

[Guest]

Well a half inch of rain today (so far) is a good test of drainage.  Very little water accumulated on the tar paper.  The dozen or so holes punched in stratigic locations worked just fine.  Tomorrow the patio base (gravel and sand) arrives.  Slowly but surely progress is being made.  I can see the end of part 1.  Eventually it will be time to start thinking about the placement and heigth of the wall.

Edited April 12, 2022 by Guest

[Guest]

2 tons of patio base.  A mix of gravel and sand basically.  Should pack down nicely and provide a nice area for pavers.  Unfortunately we have had a inch and a half of rain in the last couple days so big boy toys are out and a wheelbarrow and shovel will get it started.  My back hurts just thinking about it.  Also I would like to thank them for dumping it about 20 feet further away then necessary.  If they had put it where directed I could have just about shoveled it in, now not so much.

Edited April 12, 2022 by Guest

[Guest]

And the hole is now full.  Decided that it was not THAT wet and broke out the big boy toys which made life better.  It needs leveled up and I see that the pads will work but will definitely be a puzzle.  I have enough pads that I could do the whole area.  Leveling will be the next challenge but it will have to wait til another day.  Not a bad job after a long day at work.

[Guest]

Next step actually will be to get a tamper at the hardware store and spend an hour packing down the mix.  That will help level it up and then I can properly install the pads.  

[CCD-Freak]

I am watching this thread with interest since I am thinking about how to floor my semi permanent SkyBox wind shelters at my dark site.  

The floor mat squares are one of the possible solutions I have been looking at.   I guess you are the "guinea pig" in this experiment. (^8