#1
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On the beach
I have a week of vacation coming up in early September and am thinking about
heading for Washington's pacific coast for a night or two of observing (seems the skies would be pretty dark). At this point, I am thinking about the Ocean Shores, Washington area. . .probably renting a room in a little motel to sleep in most of the day and then setting up the scope at night on the beach within shouting distance of the motel (security is an issue with me). What are the good and bad sides of observing on the beach? Martin |
#2
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On the beach
"Starstuffed" wrote in message thlink.net... I have a week of vacation coming up in early September and am thinking about heading for Washington's pacific coast for a night or two of observing (seems the skies would be pretty dark). At this point, I am thinking about the Ocean Shores, Washington area. . .probably renting a room in a little motel to sleep in most of the day and then setting up the scope at night on the beach within shouting distance of the motel (security is an issue with me). What are the good and bad sides of observing on the beach? Martin I view at the beach all the time, except on the other side of the country. The upside is that you get at least half the sky (in you case the western half) with little or no light pollution. The downside is the dew problem (take a dew heater with you), the sand which is easily picked up in the breeze and the distraction from the mermaids.:-) Al |
#3
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On the beach
"Al" wrote in message et... "Starstuffed" wrote in message thlink.net... I have a week of vacation coming up in early September and am thinking about heading for Washington's pacific coast for a night or two of observing (seems the skies would be pretty dark). At this point, I am thinking about the Ocean Shores, Washington area. . .probably renting a room in a little motel to sleep in most of the day and then setting up the scope at night on the beach within shouting distance of the motel (security is an issue with me). What are the good and bad sides of observing on the beach? Martin I view at the beach all the time, except on the other side of the country. The upside is that you get at least half the sky (in you case the western half) with little or no light pollution. The downside is the dew problem (take a dew heater with you), the sand which is easily picked up in the breeze and the distraction from the mermaids.:-) Al Ewww, I saw She Creature. Mermaids are naughty. Best regards, Bill |
#4
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On the beach
On the beach? Ocean salt water beach? Aren't you worried
about salt spray and salty air settling on your optics? Look how rusty the auto's get that are in those regions. Don't think I'd want to do that, or risk that, with a scope. Clear Skies, Tom W. Al wrote: "Starstuffed" wrote in message thlink.net... I have a week of vacation coming up in early September and am thinking about heading for Washington's pacific coast for a night or two of observing (seems the skies would be pretty dark). At this point, I am thinking |
#5
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On the beach
salt air readily attacks aluminum coatings
$.02 jc |
#6
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On the beach
The thing that surprised me most about being near the beach was the amount
of slime that built up on everything. After just a couple of days we had to wash the slime off our windshields before driving the car. And the car was parked a few hundred feet from the shore. This was Gulf Shores, Alabama on the Gulf of Mexico. I'd keep everthing inside as much as possible and keep it well sealed in plastic when not in use outside. Then I'd give everything a good cleaning when back home. Bryan Starstuffed wrote: I have a week of vacation coming up in early September and am thinking about heading for Washington's pacific coast for a night or two of observing (seems the skies would be pretty dark). At this point, I am thinking about the Ocean Shores, Washington area. . .probably renting a room in a little motel to sleep in most of the day and then setting up the scope at night on the beach within shouting distance of the motel (security is an issue with me). What are the good and bad sides of observing on the beach? Martin |
#7
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On the beach
Slime? Maybe you parked your car under a dirty tree?
I have a summer home right on the beach and my car is parked there for weeks on end. Guess what?...no slime. I honestly have no idea what you mean about slime, as I have never seen it before. Al wrote in message ... The thing that surprised me most about being near the beach was the amount of slime that built up on everything. After just a couple of days we had to wash the slime off our windshields before driving the car. And the car was parked a few hundred feet from the shore. This was Gulf Shores, Alabama on the Gulf of Mexico. I'd keep everthing inside as much as possible and keep it well sealed in plastic when not in use outside. Then I'd give everything a good cleaning when back home. Bryan Starstuffed wrote: I have a week of vacation coming up in early September and am thinking about heading for Washington's pacific coast for a night or two of observing (seems the skies would be pretty dark). At this point, I am thinking about the Ocean Shores, Washington area. . .probably renting a room in a little motel to sleep in most of the day and then setting up the scope at night on the beach within shouting distance of the motel (security is an issue with me). What are the good and bad sides of observing on the beach? Martin |
#8
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On the beach
Al wrote:
Slime? Maybe you parked your car under a dirty tree? I have a summer home right on the beach and my car is parked there for weeks on end. Guess what?...no slime. I honestly have no idea what you mean about slime, as I have never seen it before. Al I guess it all depends on where on the cost are you. Here on the west coast (or at least the places where I've been) things are pretty bad. One to two hours are enough to make the car windshield a complete mess, even if the car is parked few blocks from the beach. After a walk at the beach I have to wash my eyeglasses thoroughly with soap - wiping doesn't help. I hate to think what this salt (or whatever it is) can do to a scope mirror or lens coatings. - Alex |
#9
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On the beach
No, it was parked in the car port under the condo (the condo is up on
piers). No trees anywhere in the viscinity, just sand and a few small patches of sea oats. Only surfaces facing the gulf got slimed. We had a good stiff breese blowing in from the gulf and the "slime" was the residue left after all the fine mist carried by the wind evaporated. It was almost like a thin coating of bacon grease. We've been there few times and when it's calm, there's no problem. It was just those couple of really windy days that got us (the kiters really had to dig their heels in to hang on to their big kites). Bryan Al wrote: Slime? Maybe you parked your car under a dirty tree? I have a summer home right on the beach and my car is parked there for weeks on end. Guess what?...no slime. I honestly have no idea what you mean about slime, as I have never seen it before. Al wrote in message ... The thing that surprised me most about being near the beach was the amount of slime that built up on everything. After just a couple of days we had to wash the slime off our windshields before driving the car. And the car was parked a few hundred feet from the shore. This was Gulf Shores, Alabama on the Gulf of Mexico. I'd keep everthing inside as much as possible and keep it well sealed in plastic when not in use outside. Then I'd give everything a good cleaning when back home. Bryan Starstuffed wrote: I have a week of vacation coming up in early September and am thinking about heading for Washington's pacific coast for a night or two of observing (seems the skies would be pretty dark). At this point, I am thinking about the Ocean Shores, Washington area. . .probably renting a room in a little motel to sleep in most of the day and then setting up the scope at night on the beach within shouting distance of the motel (security is an issue with me). What are the good and bad sides of observing on the beach? Martin |
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