Autumn Astrocamp 2022

[teoria_del_big_bang]

6 hours ago, Live_Steam_Mad said:

Hi thanks for the offer and I am doing my best to obtain a used Ford C-Max for under 3 grand locally as a replacement car. I'd rather be independent if I can. The C-Max should have a load of room in it. Tip for anyone coming Astrocamping in future, don't buy a small car lol.

Regards,

AG

My last car was a C-Max and you could totally remove the back seats and get a shed load in it.
I now have a normal Focus and had to get a big roof box and still have nowhere near the capacity of the C-Max.

Hope you get sorted 🙂 

Steve

[Live_Steam_Mad]

Well I finally got my hands on a new-to-me (old!) Ford C-Max, so I will hopefully be able to get to Brecon Autumn Astrocamp at Cwmdu.

Regards,

AG

[Pixies]

Everyone ready? What are you bringing?

I'll bring the 8" Bresser dob and the Vixen A80M on an AP mount (for the planets).

And a few beers

[cajen2]

51 minutes ago, Pixies said:

Everyone ready? What are you bringing?

I'll bring the 8" Bresser dob and the Vixen A80M on an AP mount (for the planets).

And a few beers

Ah, good - you owe me a beer, Neil! 🤣

I'll just be bringing my SL 8" dob, plus my Asterion EQ platform, which I want to trial properly. Don't see the point of bringing the 150p too - same thing but smaller.

[Pixies]

I'll also be bringing the big guns, if anyone wants a shot:

[Live_Steam_Mad]

I'll be bringing 12" ACF on EQ6-R, and Hubble Optics UL16, but don't expect too much from the latter, it's been problematic so far and I haven't used it much.

Regards,

Alistair G.

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

22 hours ago, Live_Steam_Mad said:

I'll be bringing 12" ACF on EQ6-R, and Hubble Optics UL16, but don't expect too much from the latter, it's been problematic so far and I haven't used it much.

Regards,

Alistair G.

Nice. 👍 

I'm taking comparable tiddlers... An Altair Ascent 102ED refractor, a Celestron AVX (and a backup Skywatcher AZ5), 10x50 and 15x70 Opticrons with a monopod.

I hate last minute rushing, so annual leave today for food and beer shopping plus relaxed kit gathering. The house will resemble a camping warehouse by this evening. 😀

 

Edited September 23, 2022 by ScouseSpaceCadet

[cajen2]

8 hours ago, ScouseSpaceCadet said:

Nice. 👍 

I'm taking comparable tiddlers... An Altair Ascent 102ED refractor, a Celestron AVX (and a backup Skywatcher AZ5), 10x50 and 15x70 Opticrons with a monopod.

I hate last minute rushing, so annual leave today for food and beer shopping plus relaxed kit gathering. The house will resemble a camping warehouse by this evening. 😀

 

Mine does already!

[cajen2]

On 21/09/2022 at 23:03, Pixies said:

I'll also be bringing the big guns, if anyone wants a shot:

Nice line-up, Neil - I'll take you up on that!

[Franklin]

On 29/08/2022 at 20:55, ScouseSpaceCadet said:

More than two nights in the OEX Coyote 3 leaves me knackered

That tents a palace, I've got an OEX PHOXX 1 for my wild camping/dark sky search trips and it's called "The Coffin" for good reason. Can only do 1 night at a time with minimal gear on my back and I try and keep the load under 10kg, scope, tent, bag, stove, food and water. It certainly does take it out of you, roughing it!

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

1 hour ago, Franklin said:

That tents a palace, I've got an OEX PHOXX 1 for my wild camping/dark sky search trips and it's called "The Coffin" for good reason. Can only do 1 night at a time with minimal gear on my back and I try and keep the load under 10kg, scope, tent, bag, stove, food and water. It certainly does take it out of you, roughing it!

Have a look at the Naturehike Cloud Peak 2. There's a few wild campers on YT into those. Apparently a great lightweight tent. Loads of room for one, decent head height sitting and despite looking like an MSR, they're only £200.

The OEX Coyote III is a fantastic tent, but a one trick pony if solo... Great for one or two nights on a quiet campsite but too heavy to carry if wild camping.

Hopefully the 180cm tall inner Carron 400 holds up in wind. I'm not a great fan of dome tents but discounted at £150 I couldn't resist...

 

[cajen2]

....or get a campervan! 😄

[Pixies]

I'm parked up at a campsite near Garstang - half way to Astrocamp. 

The skies here are quite dark (21.1 from CO) and I can see the Milky way overhead. Which is nice.

Edited September 23, 2022 by Pixies

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

38 minutes ago, Pixies said:

I'm parked up at a campsite near Garstang - half way to Astrocamp. 

The skies here are quite dark (21.1 from CO) and I can see the Milky way overhead. Which is nice.

I did a double take when I read Garstang was half way for you. Driving to Sainsburys last minute at 2130 for petrol and goodies was stressful enough, never mind 350 miles! And I forgot the 4 pack of baps...🙄

Safe journey tomorrow (and everyone else).

Edited September 23, 2022 by ScouseSpaceCadet

[cajen2]

.....and I always think any drive over three hours is too long!

[Live_Steam_Mad]

Yep a 3 hours 45 mins journey for me, if my car lasts that long (electrical faults, due to be repaired on 28th Sept., but "working" for now, sometimes reluctant to start etc).

AG

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

Last night was great from 11pm until 5am, Although I gave in at 3am. I tried out a plethora of expensive eyepieces, and different telescopes including Live_Steam_Mad's 12" SCT & Canon IS binoculars and Pixies very nice Vixen 105mm achro and Bresser 8" dob.

Cajen2 and I missed each other. He was rising as I was going to bed but we managed a chat this afternoon. Hopefully over the weekend I'll catch the rest of you. 🤞

We were treated to regular meteors keeping us entertained.

The most memorable sight for me was a stunning view of M110, M32 and M31 in my 24mm 65° Altair UFF and Altair 4" refractor. 👍

The forecast is a bit dodgy from now but those few hours last night were fantastic.

Edited September 25, 2022 by ScouseSpaceCadet
"105mm achro" :)

[Guest]

3 hours ago, ScouseSpaceCadet said:

Last night was great from 11pm until 5am, Although I gave in at 3am. I tried out a plethora of expensive eyepieces, and different telescopes including Live_Steam_Mad's 12" SCT & Canon IS binoculars and Pixies very nice Vixen 80mm achro and Bresser 8" dob.

Cajen2 and I missed each other. He was rising as I was going to bed but we managed a chat this afternoon. Hopefully over the weekend I'll catch the rest of you. 🤞

We were treated to regular meteors keeping us entertained.

The most memorable sight for me was a stunning view of M110, M32 and M31 in my 24mm 65° Altair UFF and Altair 4" refractor. 👍

The forecast is a bit dodgy from now but those few hours last night were fantastic.

Looks like a party to me.  Clear skies

[Pixies]

Last night was great. Cloudy up to midnight but then very clear. Seeing was pretty poor but transparency was good. Managed the Veil  well with the Baader Oiii 8mm  filter. Andromeda was great and M32 and M110 very clear. Even M33 (Triangulum) was bright in direct vision in the dob. Lots of faint stuff!

Good to hang out with @cajen2, @ScouseSpaceCadet and @Live_Steam_Mad. Anyone else here?

Forecast not so good for next 2 nights, but fingers crossed we get some clear spells! Not as cold as last spring!

That Vixen is a 105, btw. 

[cajen2]

Yes, SSC and I missed each other. Shame, I wanted to show him how a view from a proper scope looks! 🤣

It had been very cloudy up to 10pm but with clear skies forecast so I went to bed early, with a view to getting up in the small hours. And so it proved: up at 4am to be met with glorious clear dark skies. There were only two other people still up, including LSM. Tried out my Baader Contrast Booster filter and EQ platform for the first time.

This afternoon, Pixies, SSC and I made up a team in the quiz, failing miserably to win.....😄

 

 

Edited September 26, 2022 by cajen2

[mistuk]

I’m here and loving it. Skies were amazing last night. Had a look through some great gear - everyone really generous with their scopes. 
 

Did better in the quiz than I thought we would - but that was largely down to the knowledge of other members!

[tomato]

Myself and Tomatobro are still here (the guys with the 70's fold up chairs), we are down in the bottom field so the imaging paraphernalia doesn't mess up your night vision.

Here is 80 mins on the Dark Shark from last night, hastily processed in the field. Thanks to the AstroCamp team for the loan of a USB stick to get the subs onto a laptop that had the processing software installed.👏

 

[Pixies]

4 minutes ago, tomato said:

Myself and Tomatobro are still here (the guys with the 70's fold up chairs), we are down in the bottom field so the imaging paraphernalia doesn't mess up your night vision.

Here is 80 mins on the Dark Shark from last night, hastily processed in the field. Thanks to the AstroCamp team for the loan of a USB stick to get the subs onto a laptop that had the processing software installed.👏

 

I'm in they old Bongo in the corner of the lower field where the road/path comes up from the bottom field. Say 'hi' if you're passing 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, cajen2 said:

Yes, SSC and I missed each other. Shame, I wanted to show him how a view from a proper scope looks! 🤣

It had been very cloudy up to 10pm but with clear skies forecast so I went to bed early, with a view to getting up in the small hours. And so it proved: up at 4am to be met with glorious clear dark skies. There were only two other people still up, including LSM. Tried out my Baader Contrast Enhancer filter and EQ platform for the first time.

This afternoon, Pixies, SSC and I made up a team in the quiz, failing miserably to win.....😄

 

 

How did the EQ platform work for you? 

[cajen2]

Well, it was a pain to set up, as the field is like a 1 in 3 and it needs to be level. The speed also needs adjusting......guess which idiot left the (what passes for) handbook behind. 😥