Someone hates me

[Roy]

I've just spent the last hour and a half setting up my dob in the hope of using it for the first time in 6 months or so, all this because the met office say tonight will be clear for the best part of the night, great I thought.

Fired up the techy stuff did my first star alignment and would you believe it 100% cloud cover.

Now I now that setting up an obsession is only supposed to take 10 mins or so which it does but then there's all of the other clobber that goes with it for a night at the eye piece.

And you know as soon as I pull the whole lot apart the clouds will clear.

It's a real shame too because I haven't really had a chance to use this scope much since I bought it.

All I can say is it's lucky I don't own a gun

[Doc]

It's really clear here but I have to be up at 05.00 so early night for me.

Bad luck Roy.

[Roy]

Cheers Mick.

I'm off for another 9 days (Booked some time off to go to Kelling) so I might get another chance.

I think I might leave things set up for a while longer, if things don't improve then I'll pull it all apart and store it away for another time.

[Doc]

Whats the view like through those 20" of aperture.

I bet it would blow my 16" away.

[Roy]

I'll let you know m8 if I ever get a chance to use it.

[albedo0.39]

20".... I can only imagine the view you might get with that. FYI, the sky is crystal clear here - let's hope it drifts to your neck of the woods.

Good luck

[Jarndyce]

Beautifully clear here too...

...but I have to get off to bed.

[Bigwings]

Lovely viewing here, clear as a bell. I tried a series of Wide Views with the Piggyback and took 20 subs ALL OF THEM BLACK....not a star in sight.

Not a waste of time though it was nice to be out with clear skies.

Perhaps I knocked the camera out of alignment when carrying it out or perhaps it dewed up from shot 1.

Perhaps someone hates me to

[Roy]

Looks like I've got all the cloud then

Oh well not to worry, I've packed up now so for all those of you in the Cambridgeshire area it should clear any time now

[CELESCOPE]

Clear as a bell here Roy , i have to be up at 5 as well ,i more sub then thats me l:Dot

[Roy]

It's a conspiracy, you lot all got together and sent all of the cloud to me

Looked out of the window at 3am this morning and still 100% cloud cover.

At least you guys had some clear skies, I'm not bitter (Honestly I'm not) :D

[mattlane]

Yes i was most frustrated last night with the reports. Almost every source i looked at said 0% cloud, or 1%. Waited until 9pm to set up, clear skies, let my kit cool down, went out, Polar Aligned turned around to start having a lookie at saturn, clouds coming in. Within the time it took to turn the scope around and catch Saturn for about 15 mins i then looked back to the north clouds again.

Fingers crossed tonight is better.

[omneferuss]

Ahhhh.. it's moments like these there's something to be said for a simple small scope or pr of noccies ..a half hour of breathing in the Cosmos, relaxed and unperturbed by the cycles of nature, instead of stressed-out in a race to beat it.. or more usually, being beaten by it.. Sometimes it pays to forego the aperture and techno arms-race, and engage the 'asymetrical warfare' strategy in winning some satisfaction from our encounters with the great and vast Celestial Sphere....a challenge is fun.. but not when it becomes a drudge.

'Plan B' is as important as 'Plan A' in every contingency! (tho' I'm sure a permanent setup housed in an observatory is better.. "just close the roof and lock up when it clouds, no setup time.." and all that)

My 'Plan B' is always the first at the ready.. Beanbag and 11x70 noccies... at least then if I'm caught out by cloud before 'Plan A' matures, I've had a look.. Of course my 'regime' is not so advanced as others and I can afford to dally a bit, not needing to be so engrossed in setup issues.. I can abort 'Plan A' more cheaply.

Just so, I think it still pertinent to remind 'young' and 'old' alike, that it's as rewarding or frustrating as you make it, for yourself...

Don't forget to have FUN... MAKE it fun, not a chore.

Russ