blocking light pollution

Hey, gang.

These days, I'm spending most of my observing time out on my
rooftop balcony here on the top floor of my apartment building.
It wouldn't be too bad but for the fact that I get significant
light pollution in three directions. I need some sort of
enclosure to block out light pollution.

On the cheap side, I'm thinking along the lines of using plastic
plumbing piping/joints to build a three-wall temporary enclosure
that utilizes dark tarp to block the unwanted light. If it's
built right, it should only take about 10 minutes to erect.

I'm interested in hearing about others' solutions to blocking out
light in a non-tent fashion. A SkyTent would have been about the
ultimate solution for me, but it seems that company is no longer
viable.

trane
--
//------------------------------------------------------------
// Trane Francks Tokyo, Japan
// Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty.
// http://mp3.com/trane_francks/

"Trane Francks" wrote in message
...
Hey, gang.

These days, I'm spending most of my observing time out on my
rooftop balcony here on the top floor of my apartment building.
It wouldn't be too bad but for the fact that I get significant
light pollution in three directions. I need some sort of
enclosure to block out light pollution.

On the cheap side, I'm thinking along the lines of using plastic
plumbing piping/joints to build a three-wall temporary enclosure
that utilizes dark tarp to block the unwanted light. If it's
built right, it should only take about 10 minutes to erect.

I'm interested in hearing about others' solutions to blocking out
light in a non-tent fashion. A SkyTent would have been about the
ultimate solution for me, but it seems that company is no longer
viable.

trane
--


Try a hood over your head. If you don't have a hood, an old dark colored
T-shirt will do the trick.

Al

On 09/21/03 01:25 +0900, Al wrote:

Try a hood over your head. If you don't have a hood, an old dark colored
T-shirt will do the trick.

I appreciate the suggestion and do make use of hoods, T-shirts
and towels any time I want to observe DSOs. The problem is that
when I view westward or southward, the bright fluorescent lights
in the hallway adjacent to my balcony totally blow my dark
adaptation. I'm only about 8 metres from the closest light and
it's definitely bothersome. In fact, even looking north poses the
problem because the new lighting down at the river couldn't
possibly be worse. The light bloody well spills in every
direction. These aren't just cobras, they're hideously *bright*
cobras.

I'm looking for a more semi-permanent solution that will
withstand me looking away from the eyepiece.

trane
--
//------------------------------------------------------------
// Trane Francks Tokyo, Japan
// Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty.
// http://mp3.com/trane_francks/

I'm interested in hearing about others' solutions to blocking out=20
light in a non-tent fashion.


I have pictures of a couple of things i've made to block light
on my website here...

http://stargazing.com/bino/

-Florian

"Florian" wrote in message
...
I have pictures of a couple of things i've made to block light
on my website here...

Very interesting - How do you stop the 'big-blind' from getting blown over
by the wind? - Do you have some way of securing it to the ground?

Very interesting - How do you stop the 'big-blind' from getting blown =
over
by the wind? - Do you have some way of securing it to the ground?


Haven't really had a problem with wind. I suppose a few bricks on the =
bottom pipes would hold it pretty well.

-Florian

On 09/21/03 03:05 +0900, Florian wrote:

I have pictures of a couple of things i've made to block light
on my website here...

Nice, though I especially like the bino-bar. That looks like just
the thing to steady binos!

trane
--
//------------------------------------------------------------
// Trane Francks Tokyo, Japan
// Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty.
// http://mp3.com/trane_francks/

I put an 8 foot picket fence around my entire backyard. It helps quite a
bit.

In message , Trane Francks
writes
On 09/21/03 01:25 +0900, Al wrote:

Try a hood over your head. If you don't have a hood, an old dark colored
T-shirt will do the trick.

I appreciate the suggestion and do make use of hoods, T-shirts and
towels any time I want to observe DSOs. The problem is that when I view
westward or southward, the bright fluorescent lights in the hallway
adjacent to my balcony totally blow my dark adaptation.

Black fabric on a bamboo frame ought to do it. Provided you don't want
to observe on windy days.

The other possible solution that I have found are the red goggles sold
in some DIY chains as laser line level contrast enhancers. They are very
deep red and allow you to go through moderately white lit areas without
too much loss of dark adaptation.

Regards,
--
Martin Brown

We are not allowed to have a fence more than 6 feet in the area I live, even
in the back yard,

I would possibly give a vital part of my anatomy to be able to erect to 8
feet around my yard to block out the inconsiderate neighbors!

--
Clear Skies!

========
Tim Longwell
Black River Astronomical Society
http://junior.apk.net/~arstar50/BlackRiver.index.html
Elyria, Ohio

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=========

"Lunatiki" none wrote in message ...

I put an 8 foot picket fence around my entire backyard. It helps quite a
bit.