Astrofest, my daughter, & my wallet ...

I bit the bullet at Astrofest and bought an LX-200SCT-UHTC-GPS etc. 10" from
Telescope House - having peered through other scopes off and on for 30 years
I decided it was time to buy my own and join the hobby. So, GREETINGS from
Camberley, Surrey!

I was going to get the Meade LXD-75 8" SN but my daughtet said I'd only want
to upgrade at some point in the future. The trouble was, this meant doubling
the budget ... and, since I agreed with her, I was a lost cause from the
start. However, as a hobby for both of us, I was able to make appropriate
excuses to my wife (who I told over the phone). Since astrophotography and
deep space are my interests, why start on the wrong foot?

Apart from the charm and considerable patience of of Ted Harrison of
Telescope House (I grilled him for an hour), I trusted the advice given from
their team. I was also very pleased with the deal, and the Meade Deep Space
Imager included was a big help. Remarkably, they didn't try to steer me one
way or the other, and the advice was very impartial.

I did get the 26 mm and 12.5 mm Plossl included, along with Starry Night
s/w, a moon filter and some other goodies, so I think I'm well sorted for a
fair time (I hope so).

So, armed with many books, and a scope which is way too adavanced for my
miniscule knowledge of astronomy, I hope there will be patience from the
group with some elementary questions from time to time?

Anyone local? I like to hear from you.

Humperdinck Jackman

Humperdinck wrote:
I bit the bullet at Astrofest and bought an LX-200SCT-UHTC-GPS etc.
10" from Telescope House - having peered through other scopes off and
on for 30 years I decided it was time to buy my own and join the
hobby. So, GREETINGS from Camberley, Surrey!

I was going to get the Meade LXD-75 8" SN but my daughtet said I'd
only want to upgrade at some point in the future. The trouble was,
this meant doubling the budget ... and, since I agreed with her, I
was a lost cause from the start. However, as a hobby for both of us,
I was able to make appropriate excuses to my wife (who I told over
the phone). Since astrophotography and deep space are my interests,
why start on the wrong foot?
Apart from the charm and considerable patience of of Ted Harrison of
Telescope House (I grilled him for an hour), I trusted the advice
given from their team. I was also very pleased with the deal, and the
Meade Deep Space Imager included was a big help. Remarkably, they
didn't try to steer me one way or the other, and the advice was very
impartial.
I did get the 26 mm and 12.5 mm Plossl included, along with Starry
Night s/w, a moon filter and some other goodies, so I think I'm well
sorted for a fair time (I hope so).

So, armed with many books, and a scope which is way too adavanced
for my miniscule knowledge of astronomy, I hope there will be
patience from the group with some elementary questions from time to
time?
Anyone local? I like to hear from you.

Humperdinck Jackman


Camberley...telescope. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

I guess you don't live anywhere near The Meadows then. I can see this light
dome from my back garden in N. Farnborough.

I'm very local. If no one nearer contacts you, feel free to email me
offlist.

Regards
Chef!

Well Hump, nothing wrong with stretching your aperture with a few more
bucks. I bought my present scope 20 years ago (a 10-inch newtonian)
and never regretted for a moment the extra cash I parted with. It has
done me great service as well as the astro community in which I
revolve. Nobody has ever complained about all the pictures I took at
the focus and neither I with all the observations I made at the
eyepiece (s). It is still a working instrument and a great snapper for
passing comet Machholz.
It might take you a little while until you get the scope sussed but you
and your daughter will have great fun. Consider it a better investment
than pensions!
Enjoy!
Pierre

Hi - I am just off the A30 between Camberley and Bagshot.

Location itself not bad, if you discount the enormous tree to the North
(behind which is the A30 street lighting, Similar trees to the East, HUGELY
nasty street light to the East, and that leaves me with a 60 deg window of
clear viewing to the south with no obviously bad lighting in that
direction. -- yes, it really is as bad as I describe)

In short, to make use of any telepscope I need to identify a few local
patches which work for astronomers in the area. I suspect there's one or two
a few miles down the A30, past Blackbush airport etc. I expect you know the
are. Apart from wanting a patch where ai can set up near my car (some of the
villages that way seem to have small unused greens, I hope to be guided by a
couple local astronomers too (any pointers for some dark sites not too far
away?)

Is there any high-ish clear ground south of Camberley / Deepcut /
Farnborough ? Any favourite haunts where people gather?

You have dome near the Meadows? What a swine of a situation.

Humperdinck


"Chef!" :
I bit the bullet at Astrofest and bought an LX-200SCT-UHTC-GPS etc.
10" from Telescope House - having peered through other scopes off and
on for 30 years I decided it was time to buy my own and join the
hobby. So, GREETINGS from Camberley, Surrey!

I was going to get the Meade LXD-75 8" SN but my daughtet said I'd
only want to upgrade at some point in the future. The trouble was,
this meant doubling the budget ... and, since I agreed with her, I
was a lost cause from the start. However, as a hobby for both of us,
I was able to make appropriate excuses to my wife (who I told over
the phone). Since astrophotography and deep space are my interests,
why start on the wrong foot?
Apart from the charm and considerable patience of of Ted Harrison of
Telescope House (I grilled him for an hour), I trusted the advice
given from their team. I was also very pleased with the deal, and the
Meade Deep Space Imager included was a big help. Remarkably, they
didn't try to steer me one way or the other, and the advice was very
impartial.
I did get the 26 mm and 12.5 mm Plossl included, along with Starry
Night s/w, a moon filter and some other goodies, so I think I'm well
sorted for a fair time (I hope so).

So, armed with many books, and a scope which is way too adavanced
for my miniscule knowledge of astronomy, I hope there will be
patience from the group with some elementary questions from time to
time?
Anyone local? I like to hear from you.

Humperdinck Jackman


Camberley...telescope. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

I guess you don't live anywhere near The Meadows then. I can see this
light dome from my back garden in N. Farnborough.

I'm very local. If no one nearer contacts you, feel free to email me
offlist.

Regards
Chef!

Humperdinck wrote:
In short, to make use of any telepscope I need to identify a few local
patches which work for astronomers in the area. I suspect there's one or two
a few miles down the A30, past Blackbush airport etc. I expect you know the
are. Apart from wanting a patch where ai can set up near my car (some of the
villages that way seem to have small unused greens, I hope to be guided by a
couple local astronomers too (any pointers for some dark sites not too far
away?)

I don't know if anyone would complain if you set up a scope there, but
the grassy area at the top of the Finchampstead Ridges:

http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.c...e=25000&icon=x

has always seemed like it'd be a nice site to try. There's room to park
a few cars at the roadside where the red circle indicates.

"Humperdinck" wrote in message
...
Hi - I am just off the A30 between Camberley and Bagshot.

Location itself not bad, if you discount the enormous tree to the North
(behind which is the A30 street lighting, Similar trees to the East,
HUGELY nasty street light to the East, and that leaves me with a 60 deg
window of clear viewing to the south with no obviously bad lighting in
that direction. -- yes, it really is as bad as I describe)

In short, to make use of any telepscope I need to identify a few local
patches which work for astronomers in the area. I suspect there's one or
two a few miles down the A30, past Blackbush airport etc. I expect you
know the are. Apart from wanting a patch where ai can set up near my car
(some of the villages that way seem to have small unused greens, I hope to
be guided by a couple local astronomers too (any pointers for some dark
sites not too far away?)

Is there any high-ish clear ground south of Camberley / Deepcut /
Farnborough ? Any favourite haunts where people gather?

You have dome near the Meadows? What a swine of a situation.

Humperdinck

Hump

Have you thought about Chobham Common, or perhaps the open ground to the
north of the A30? The latter has some areas quite devoid of trees.

More information may, I am sure, be obtained from a local society and in any
case membership of such an organisation would stimulate your interest in the
subject perhaps in directions that you are not even aware of yet.

The Farnham AS (www.farnhamas.plus.com/home.htm) is based not far from
where you live, and I know there is a similar group in Reading. You can get
information about many local societies from the FAS website
(http://www.fedastro.org.uk/).

Best regards, Roger

HI

I am in Sandhurst and have a 10" LX200 classic.

I think there is a large dark carp park near Twesesldown racecourse, on the
road between Aldershot and Fleet (Boundry road?), might be MOD

I would be up for on observing session some evenings

REgards

Ian

"Roger Smith" wrote in message
...

"Humperdinck" wrote in message
...
Hi - I am just off the A30 between Camberley and Bagshot.

Location itself not bad, if you discount the enormous tree to the North
(behind which is the A30 street lighting, Similar trees to the East,
HUGELY nasty street light to the East, and that leaves me with a 60 deg
window of clear viewing to the south with no obviously bad lighting in
that direction. -- yes, it really is as bad as I describe)

In short, to make use of any telepscope I need to identify a few local
patches which work for astronomers in the area. I suspect there's one or
two a few miles down the A30, past Blackbush airport etc. I expect you
know the are. Apart from wanting a patch where ai can set up near my car
(some of the villages that way seem to have small unused greens, I hope
to
be guided by a couple local astronomers too (any pointers for some dark
sites not too far away?)

Is there any high-ish clear ground south of Camberley / Deepcut /
Farnborough ? Any favourite haunts where people gather?

You have dome near the Meadows? What a swine of a situation.

Humperdinck

Hump

Have you thought about Chobham Common, or perhaps the open ground to the
north of the A30? The latter has some areas quite devoid of trees.

More information may, I am sure, be obtained from a local society and in
any
case membership of such an organisation would stimulate your interest in
the
subject perhaps in directions that you are not even aware of yet.

The Farnham AS (www.farnhamas.plus.com/home.htm) is based not far from
where you live, and I know there is a similar group in Reading. You can
get
information about many local societies from the FAS website
(http://www.fedastro.org.uk/).

Best regards, Roger

"Humperdinck" wrote in message
...
Anyone local? I like to hear from you.

Hi

I'm in Farnham, not far away. Also have a Meade LX (90) and Lunar Planetary
Imager & Deep Sky Imager. If you need any help, feel free to shout.

Regards


Chris

In message , Osvaldo Falco
writes
Humperdinck wrote:
In short, to make use of any telepscope I need to identify a few
local patches which work for astronomers in the area. I suspect
there's one or two a few miles down the A30, past Blackbush airport
etc. I expect you know the are. Apart from wanting a patch where ai
can set up near my car (some of the villages that way seem to have
small unused greens, I hope to be guided by a couple local
astronomers too (any pointers for some dark sites not too far away?)

I don't know if anyone would complain if you set up a scope there, but
the grassy area at the top of the Finchampstead Ridges:

http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.c...8408&scale=250
00&icon=x

has always seemed like it'd be a nice site to try. There's room to park
a few cars at the roadside where the red circle indicates.

The big problem with that location may be that all the cars bomb down
the road their with headlights on full beam and you will suffer as they
go round the corner - I know this because I live a few miles north of
there and regularly use that route. Otherwise the location should be
ideal - except that the people in the expensive houses up there may
wonder what on earth you're up to.

Another idea may be the road that runs from Eversley to Heckfield near
the Bramshill police college - I seem to remember that there are some
parking spots down there where the footpaths are and, because it is a
straight road, you may be less affected by headlights.

I image with Starlight Express and a SBIG ST2000 cameras - at the moment
I am using the Borg refractor rather than the 12"LX200 classic. I think
that you made a good choice to go for the LX200 on a fork mount rather
than the LXD75 GEM (at least, I think that it is easier having just
switched to a G11) and you can always put the LX200 it on a wedge at a
later date.

Pete

--
Pete Smith

Humperdinck wrote:
Hi - I am just off the A30 between Camberley and Bagshot.

Location itself not bad, if you discount the enormous tree to the
North (behind which is the A30 street lighting, Similar trees to the
East, HUGELY nasty street light to the East, and that leaves me with
a 60 deg window of clear viewing to the south with no obviously bad
lighting in that direction. -- yes, it really is as bad as I describe)


Oh. A lot better than I expected then. ))

In short, to make use of any telepscope I need to identify a few local
patches which work for astronomers in the area. I suspect there's one
or two a few miles down the A30, past Blackbush airport etc. I expect
you know the are. Apart from wanting a patch where ai can set up near
my car (some of the villages that way seem to have small unused
greens, I hope to be guided by a couple local astronomers too (any
pointers for some dark sites not too far away?)

Is there any high-ish clear ground south of Camberley / Deepcut /
Farnborough ? Any favourite haunts where people gather?


Not really, because the Blackwater valley is so crap. Skies start darkening
up west of Farnham. I have used various sites in Crondall, Dogmersfield,
Well and Long Sutton with varying results, but as a deep-sky observer my
demands may be quite different to yours. West of Blackbushe may be OK,
though I personally find the light domes from Reading, Bracknell and
Wokingham to the north, Camberley to the east and Fleet to the south, are
too much to take.

Tweazledown is just about passable but as it's sandwiched between Fleet,
Farnbough, Aldershot and Farnham, and overlooks the Quinetic car park 2
miles away, its only saving grace is that it's easy to park there.

The south-side of the Hogs Back (A31) at Puttenham isn't bad and worth a
visit. My Society (Guildford AS) usually meets up on Albury Heath, (E of
Guidford) which may well be outside your travel limit, but on the positive
side, is a regular event and attracts a wide variety of observers and
scopes.

I have heard that various locations in the Alice Holt forest (S Farnham) are
'good' but I can't confirm that. Perhaps someone else can advise?

I didn't know that so many people lived nearby...

Regards
Chef!