Getting amateurs to visit DARK sites...

BllFs6 wrote:
Hi all,

A previous post of mine got me thinking back to the good ole days...the 1980s..

Snip


But, gawd...it was like pulling hen's teeth to get even a few members to show
up even ONCE! I'd be suprised if over that time period we got even a dozen
folks to check the skies out EVEN once....it was probably more like 6 of em
over a 3 year period.....

Any other folks have this kinda of experience? Or were our club members just
more homebound than usual?

I have a hunch. Your dark site wasn't equipment oriented, so who cared?
If it was a 1.5 hour drive to an equipment demo in a mall parking lot
during a full moon, then you would've had something.
Just my $0.02

Shawn

You might try setting up an email list for your club or, better yet, clubs and
observers throughout your state.

The AZ-observing mail list is where just about any observing event in Arizona
gets announced and discussed. Whether an annual star party that attracts 100 or
more participants, or a weekend run that attracts a handful, Arizona amateurs
use the list to let folks know where they'll be observing and to encourage
others to join in the fun.

Something like this could help to get another 5% or more of your membership
involved in regular monthly observing at your dark sky site. And if you can get
clubs from around the state to participate, then you're talking 10%
representation from 2, 3, 4 or more organizations. The numbers start to add up
either way you look at it.

You can set up your own mail list through Free Lists: http://www.freelists.org

Regards,

Bill Ferris
"Cosmic Voyage: The Online Resource for Amateur Astronomers"
URL: http://www.cosmic-voyage.net
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Email: Remove "ic" from .comic above to respond

(BllFs6) wrote in message ...
Well, a few of us (the bigger dob owners mostly), with myself having a 2 ton 10
incher with so so grade commercial optics and three eyepieces of dubious
quality, eventually "scoped out" a very nice dark observing region/area,
probably one of the best half dozen or so areas east of the missippi....

Please tell us at least roughly where this site is. Those of us who
live in the southeast would love to know about it.

quality, eventually "scoped out" a very nice dark observing region/area,
probably one of the best half dozen or so areas east of the missippi....

Please tell us at least roughly where this site is. Those of us who
live in the southeast would love to know about it.



Email me directly with an appropriate subject header and I will send the
relevant info

Just not gonna post it here to protect the innocent (and guilty?.....

And post back here if for some reason you you dont get an email back from
me....

though its not like its a secret....just go to one of those dark sky sight/maps
on the internet and you can figure out where the really dark areas are.....

the BIGGER trick is usually really more of finding PUBLIC land you can use at
night that ALSO has decent horizions and aint itself lit up like a Walmart
parking lot...

And I think in the past 6 months (maybe a bit more) I posted a bunch of regions
(with and emphasis on Florida) that were pretty darn darn.....you'll have to do
a newsgroup internet search

And if you like, post here where you live, and I try to point you in the right
direction..

take care

Blll

at