ASTRO: Time to clean the ol' eyepieces.

Posted on the "NY Times" website an hour ago: "...............areas in a
line stretching from Montreal through Vermont to Binghamton, N.Y., could get
two feet of snow or more."

Actually NOAA is now saying 30+ inches of snow in 24 hours, followed by
another 6-10, plus high winds, so the snow comes with -30 C wind-chill. I
guess it's time to clean the eyepieces, bake the CCD cameras' desiccant
plugs, re-process old images, etc, etc.

I think I just saw a herd of wooly mammoths going thru my back yard! It's
hard to believe that we were still playing golf in early January.

The last time we had a blizzard this bad (1993) we ended up with two feet of
snow *inside* the C-14's dome!

George N

George Normandin wrote:

Posted on the "NY Times" website an hour ago: "...............areas in a
line stretching from Montreal through Vermont to Binghamton, N.Y., could get
two feet of snow or more."

Actually NOAA is now saying 30+ inches of snow in 24 hours, followed by
another 6-10, plus high winds, so the snow comes with -30 C wind-chill. I
guess it's time to clean the eyepieces, bake the CCD cameras' desiccant
plugs, re-process old images, etc, etc.

I think I just saw a herd of wooly mammoths going thru my back yard! It's
hard to believe that we were still playing golf in early January.

The last time we had a blizzard this bad (1993) we ended up with two feet of
snow *inside* the C-14's dome!

George N



This is the first winter for my roll off roof and we've had little snow
but what we have gotten was very fine and wind driven. None has made it
inside but then we haven't had 3" at one time let alone 3'.

Though the cold dried out the wood which then shrunk as it freeze dried.
The steel base of the roof that it sets on then lifted up as the wood
shrunk. I went to close the roof the other night and it hit that base
that had lifted up so wouldn't close. In the dark at -30C with just a
flashlight I didn't see the problem. Had to leave it open until
morning. Then all it needed was the bolts pulled tight again. 5
minutes with a socket wrench and it is back working again. Sure glad it
didn't decide to snow while it was stuck open. But that is too cold for
much snow.

Rick
--
Correct domain name is arvig and it is net not com. Prefix is correct.
Third character is a zero rather than a capital "Oh".

Don't worry!!! it will melt.....someday.



Joe




"George Normandin" wrote in message
...
Posted on the "NY Times" website an hour ago: "...............areas in a
line stretching from Montreal through Vermont to Binghamton, N.Y., could
get
two feet of snow or more."

Actually NOAA is now saying 30+ inches of snow in 24 hours, followed by
another 6-10, plus high winds, so the snow comes with -30 C wind-chill. I
guess it's time to clean the eyepieces, bake the CCD cameras' desiccant
plugs, re-process old images, etc, etc.

I think I just saw a herd of wooly mammoths going thru my back yard! It's
hard to believe that we were still playing golf in early January.

The last time we had a blizzard this bad (1993) we ended up with two feet
of
snow *inside* the C-14's dome!

George N

My friend at Fairlee Vt reports tonight they have 5" on the ground
and 4-6" forecast.

George Normandin wrote:

Posted on the "NY Times" website an hour ago: "...............areas in a
line stretching from Montreal through Vermont to Binghamton, N.Y., could get
two feet of snow or more."

Actually NOAA is now saying 30+ inches of snow in 24 hours, followed by
another 6-10, plus high winds, so the snow comes with -30 C wind-chill. I
guess it's time to clean the eyepieces, bake the CCD cameras' desiccant
plugs, re-process old images, etc, etc.

I think I just saw a herd of wooly mammoths going thru my back yard! It's
hard to believe that we were still playing golf in early January.

The last time we had a blizzard this bad (1993) we ended up with two feet of
snow *inside* the C-14's dome!

George N

It sounds like we're headed for another ice age. How do you guys get around
in that weather? We have trouble when roads get icy here but it only lasts
for a day or two. I can't imagine weeks of this stuff and foot upon foot of
snow. Does everything pretty much shut down?
Clear Skyz, LA


"George Normandin" wrote in message
...
Posted on the "NY Times" website an hour ago: "...............areas in a
line stretching from Montreal through Vermont to Binghamton, N.Y., could
get two feet of snow or more."

Actually NOAA is now saying 30+ inches of snow in 24 hours, followed by
another 6-10, plus high winds, so the snow comes with -30 C wind-chill. I
guess it's time to clean the eyepieces, bake the CCD cameras' desiccant
plugs, re-process old images, etc, etc.

I think I just saw a herd of wooly mammoths going thru my back yard! It's
hard to believe that we were still playing golf in early January.

The last time we had a blizzard this bad (1993) we ended up with two feet
of snow *inside* the C-14's dome!

George N

You warm climate guys haven't learned how to drive in such weather. It
is a skill. Unfortunately, us northerners seem to forget how as well
the first ice of the season. But they do quickly learn or get
"Darwined" out of the gene pool the hard way.

I've lived in snow country all my life and never found it to be all that
much of a problem though our son's first experience with snow when he
was 16 ended up in a slow fender bender for him as he learned you don't
use the brake and try to steer at the same time. That just locks the
wheels so they don't turn and thus don't steer. So he slowly slid into
a parked car. It's bumper took out some grill and a headlight on his
car. He thought it neat to drive a car lowered to the pavement. Odd,
after paying $400 to fix it (his insurance didn't kick in until $500) he
raised the car back up to it's normal height. Think he'd have raised it
further but didn't have the money for the parts.

Our road crews are prepared for this weather as well. They will be out
spreading sand and melt even as the storm starts in. Main roads have
plows running all through the storms. Down there you don't have that
much equipment nor trained drivers to run them. I have a friend who
moved to Dallas. Says the town comes to a standstill with 1" of snow.
The big problem he says is drivers that just don't understand driving in
such weather isn't the same as driving in rain or on dry roads. 3 feet
may slow us down for a day and close schools so the kids don't stand out
in it waiting for delayed buses (extreme cold shuts them more often than
snow) but that's about all. Those who forget how to drive in the
weather just slide into the now snow cushioned ditches. Come spring
they can get their cars back. My problem is I live 20 miles into the
woods and I have to wait for the township to plow the township road out
to the county road. The township contracts that out to a guy who does
several townships. We have only one township road in this entire
township so he usually puts us off to last as there are only a half
dozen of us living down that road in winter. I have another 0.6 miles
of drive I have to blow myself. Can't plow it from a nice warm pickup
as it goes through thick woods with no place to push the snow so I use a
blower on the front of my ATV. In the -20F temps this years snows seem
to fall in, that is a bit cold but I've been done long before the
township guy gets to us. That's always the same day, just might be mid
afternoon when I've done our road by 9 a.m. then go back to remove the
wall he left across it with his plow. The township road has ditches to
push the snow into -- or my drive which he seems to prefer. Actually,
he has just crossed a bridge so the snow has piled up on the blade when
he hits our road and it all gets dumped there. No way to avoid that
problem though he could back up and remove the wall. He doesn't seem to
think that part of his contract however. So I drive back and remove it.
For some reason it is always colder the second trip.

Just in case there's a fully stocked pantry and an emergency generator
that runs the important stuff -- including observatory of course.

Rick


LA wrote:
It sounds like we're headed for another ice age. How do you guys get around
in that weather? We have trouble when roads get icy here but it only lasts
for a day or two. I can't imagine weeks of this stuff and foot upon foot of
snow. Does everything pretty much shut down?
Clear Skyz, LA


"George Normandin" wrote in message
...

Posted on the "NY Times" website an hour ago: "...............areas in a
line stretching from Montreal through Vermont to Binghamton, N.Y., could
get two feet of snow or more."

Actually NOAA is now saying 30+ inches of snow in 24 hours, followed by
another 6-10, plus high winds, so the snow comes with -30 C wind-chill. I
guess it's time to clean the eyepieces, bake the CCD cameras' desiccant
plugs, re-process old images, etc, etc.

I think I just saw a herd of wooly mammoths going thru my back yard! It's
hard to believe that we were still playing golf in early January.

The last time we had a blizzard this bad (1993) we ended up with two feet
of snow *inside* the C-14's dome!

George N

"Rick Johnson" wrote
...

The last time we had a blizzard this bad (1993) we ended up with two feet
of snow *inside* the C-14's dome!


...... went to close the roof the other night and it hit that base that
had lifted up so wouldn't close. In the dark at -30C with just a
flashlight I didn't see the problem. Had to leave it open until morning.
Then all it needed was the bolts pulled tight again. 5 minutes with a
socket wrench and it is back working again. Sure glad it didn't decide to
snow while it was stuck open. But that is too cold for much snow.

Rick,

Glad you got it fixed before any snow happened. My greatest fear at
Kopernik is to lose power with the dome of the 20-inch open. There is no way
to close it with a crank. With the other two domes the slit doors close by
hand. The problem we had with the C-14 in 1993 was the wind: 70+ MPH with 5
to 6 feet of snow. I blew the snow right in the dome doors. It looks now
like this current storm will be no where near as bad as that one, but 2 to 3
feet of snow is still bad.

George N

"J McBride" wrote
....
Don't worry!!! it will melt.....someday.


Ya Joe........ and guess where all that water is going!

I've already put my Obsession 20 up on blocks.

George N

"LA" wrote
...
It sounds like we're headed for another ice age. How do you guys get
around in that weather? We have trouble when roads get icy here but it
only lasts for a day or two. I can't imagine weeks of this stuff and foot
upon foot of snow. Does everything pretty much shut down?
Clear Skyz, LA


Larry,

Right now travel is "discouraged" and many businesses are closed, but the
roads are open (although some of the "vehicles" going by my house are
snowmobiles). However as the wind picks up this "light fluffy stuff" will
blow back on the road as soon as they plow it. I'm sure that driving up the
mountain to Kopernik will be an adventure for a few weeks. Like Rick has,
the road goes thru the woods (but at a steep climb) so it gets like driving
thru a tunnel with snow much higher than the top of my Tahoe on both sides -
plus there's usually about 10 deer in the road.

Actually the final total snow right where I live will probably only be
around 18-20 inches, but with a 50 mile round trip to work I'll probably
take another day off. Plus after this storm the 'lake effect' is suppose to
start back up with light snow forecast for the next 5 days.

Bottom line: My telescopes and golf clubs are put away and the ski stuff is
out!

George N

PS: I asked my wife if she wanted to help me put the Obsession 20 on the
front lawn (snow field??) and she said "We'll have to dig a hole to put it
in!"

George Normandin wrote:



Rick,

Glad you got it fixed before any snow happened. My greatest fear at
Kopernik is to lose power with the dome of the 20-inch open. There is no way
to close it with a crank. With the other two domes the slit doors close by
hand. The problem we had with the C-14 in 1993 was the wind: 70+ MPH with 5
to 6 feet of snow. I blew the snow right in the dome doors. It looks now
like this current storm will be no where near as bad as that one, but 2 to 3
feet of snow is still bad.

George N


That storm you're getting went south of us. In fact it was through
those clouds I imaged NGC 1535 for G. I couldn't see any stars but
Sirius and a hint of Rigel and Betelgeuse when I took it. Worst seeing
I've ever tried to work through as well as the clouds to deal with. By
2 a.m. it was clear but seeing was still lousy.

Fear of a stuck open roof is why I put the observatory on the emergency
generator. When I built here, in the middle of nowhere I knew power
outages happen even without storms. That many miles of line through
woods and some tree is bound to fall the wrong way on a calm day. Seems
the storm a couple days earlier weakens them then they pick the perfect
day to fall and kill power for a few hours. Twice I've had power go out
with the roof open like that. So I budgeted for a 25kw propane
generator which has seen about 150 hours of service in the two years
we've been here.

Rick
--
Correct domain name is arvig and it is net not com. Prefix is correct.
Third character is a zero rather than a capital "Oh".