Bowmoreman
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 09/11/06
Posts: 2992
Loc: Bolton, MA
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Hopefully this will be a good "lesson learned" for many of the rest of you when you "pack things up" and head to a Dark Site.
In my case, the Dark Site is Camp Spofford, on the southern shore of Lake Spofford, NH. We've gone there every labor day weekend for 5 years now, along with about 7 other families from our Church, as a nice "way to end the Summer".
Its skies are quite nice, considering its only a 80 minute drive from home. LP maps suggest it is solidly in the "Yellow Zone"; but it "feels" better to me.
This time, I brought my SQM meter, it measured from 20.71 to 21.24... WAY better than my Orange Zone "best ever" of 20.05... The MilkyWay was easily viewable, including the rift in Cygnus. M31 was pretty easy Naked Eye.
On to the story and lessons learned.
Friday night was cloudy and so no setup whatsoever. I left all the scope stuff in the MiniVan near the athletic field where I hoped to setup.
Saturday night was totally clear; a bit humid and summer "hazy" but clear.
So... I started to setup. Round table platform in place and level? Check. Dob base on RTP? Check. Align to each other with my built in/homemade "jig"? Check.
Carry OTA over and slide 'er in? Check.
Where are my AZ knobs? Check EP case - nope? Think... "Hey, son, can you check the storage bins in the back of the Minivan?"... Pause...
(meanwhile a viewing crowd of about 30 folks have gathered around the "Cannon"! The buzz and excitement are building.
"Dad, they're not anywhere in the van!"
I remembered exactly where they were: back in the observatory right by the door (along with the battery pack for the cooling fan) right where I would get them on my LAST trip from the WSO to the Car...
Nuts!
It turns out I *also* forgot my 2" to 1.25" adapter, and so I couldn't use my Ethos8 (in Paracorr it MUST be in 1.25" mode), nor my TV 3-6 Zoom!
So, I salvaged the viewing that night (for about 20 of the folks who were patient enough!), by having it be a Jupiter ONLY session using the 13 Ethos, and "hand holding" the Azimuth hubs steady so people could get a quick view.
The next morning, I swung by Home Depot and got me 2 1.5"x20 bolts and a bunch of spacer washers... Didn't look so hot, but work fabulously.
And then we had a great session down on the beach (away from the klieg lights on the athletic field that I found out could NOT be turned off due to public safety regulations!)...
More people, many more targets, much more pleasant.
BTW: I now really want to move to a darker location! 
Lesson: I really should make a "packing list" for each/every trip, and not rely on memory.
Oh, and when I got home, guess what?
Yep - the door to the WSO warm room was OPEN and swinging in the breeze... I just never made that last trip to get the fan battery and the az knobs (and lock the obs!).
Thankfully, we live in a pretty secure area AND it hadn't rained!
Patience is NOT just for viewing!
Hope this experience helps someone else avoid MY errors!
clear enough skies
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Dave
Ustream
YLive
XT10i, RTP, CGE, R200CF, TMB80SS
31T5, 22T4, 13Ethos, 8Ethos, TV 3-6 Zoom; Paracorr
MallincamColorHyperPlus,SBIG STV&237A;CanonRebel Xti
WilderSkiesObservatory(BYO #90)
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tigerroach
sage
Reged: 08/13/08
Posts: 307
Loc: Houston, TX
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munchies
caffeine-bearing beverages
extra batteries
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Brian
TeleVue TV-102, Gibralter alt-az mount
Webster 14.5" f/4.3 truss dob *under construction*
Canon 10x30 IS binocs
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perfessor
sage
Reged: 12/30/07
Posts: 321
Loc: Northern Illinois
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I think a "packing list" is a great idea. I tend to be a little obsessive about such stuff, packing early and often.
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Tom
"Don't always know what I'm talkin about"
8" f/7
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mlcolbert
sage
Reged: 11/15/07
Posts: 353
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where the keys to the car are kept, once you arrive 
seriously though, spare glasses if needed or if you wear contacts some saline solution and a spare pair.
michael
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zeiss
APQ 130/3x500 mm Telephotos/2xMC80/MC35/5x7 back/lunar and planetary camera
Hasselblad
503cw/500el/m
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Joe Lalumia
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/24/07
Posts: 2571
Loc: Rockwall, Texas, USA
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Your RED flashlight!
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LX90 8" LNT, SV Nighthawk & TelePOD, SV 80/9D & M4 mount, ETX 90, Orion XT10i, 20x80 binoculars, SV-BV3s.
"The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax." - Albert Einstein
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desertstars
Deja moo
Reged: 11/05/03
Posts: 30031
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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Quote:
I think a "packing list" is a great idea. I tend to be a little obsessive about such stuff, packing early and often.
I've been using one ever since the time I arrived at a school star party with everything except my eyepiece case... 
(Fortunately, I wasn't so far from home that I couldn't fix the problem.)
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Tom W.
SVP8 'She turned me into a 3-legged Newt' EQ
Ralph, the All-Purpose 102mm Refractor
Under the Desert Stars
Alcohol and calculus do not mix. Please don't drink and derive.
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Zebra24601
Postmaster
Reged: 10/09/05
Posts: 7400
Loc: San Gabriel Valley, CA 91770
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This is advice I often don't follow, even though I know I should, because on many trips I forget SOMETHING that would have been nice to have. I'm a slow learner. 
The idea of a check list is like what a pilot does on the checklist before departure. The list needs to be EXHAUSTIVE. It NEEDS to include a lot of "obvious" things that you might think, "How could you forget. . . ?"
Basically, you need to take an inventory of everything that comes out of your car after a successful trip, which means more you need to list everything, not just the astronomy-related stuff: shoes, a jacket, long pants, etc.
Also, if you have multiple telescopes, you'll have to be very specific about things. Don't just list, "eyepieces." List the specific eyepieces you want to bring, and the specific accessories you'll need to use them: 2" refractor diagonal; 2" SCT diagonal; 1 1/4" refractor diagonal; Telrad; 50mm finderscope; Autostar handbox; Synscan handbox; 2 cigarette plug DC powerplugs, etc., etc.
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Zebra24601
Meade 8" SCT w/UHTC * Celestron 100ED * Celestron C11 * Barska 15x70 binoculars
Meade LXD55 mount * Orion Sirius goto mount * Bushnell Voyager 4.5" Compact Reflector
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rocco13
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/29/06
Posts: 1549
Loc: Phoenix, Arizona
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Jumper cables or a 'quick start' emergency starter. Of course, try not to be the last one leaving the site.
I try to think of what I'd need if I get stuck for one day longer than I plan to be there (extra drinks/food/warm clothing).
Remember, the more pieces your scope/mount/tripod/etc break down into, the more chances you have to forget something. The time I took my 4" refractor out to dark skies, I forgot to load the counterweight (& shaft) for the EQ mount. Still made it through the session, but it was a pain clamping it down tight enough to hold the scope still without the proper balancing.
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Rocco
Super C8 (1984 vintage)
Celestron 102 f/5
and a cheap pair of binoculars
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LLD
Lucky so far
Reged: 11/14/05
Posts: 1698
Loc: MASS.
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Hi Dave, Long time no see! Glad everything at the WSO was safe and sound! I need to make up a list too, But it sounds like you had a great time showing all folks the wonders of the night sky. My brother has a farm house in Louden NH. and the skies there are Awesome, Very dark great & for observing!
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LLD. Meade 16 inch dob. Meade 60mm Polaris refractor 76mm Bushnell reflector
Meade ETX60-BB,Meade 70MM / USB color camera
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DennisF
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 03/03/06
Posts: 855
Loc: Northern IL
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Over the holiday weekend I forgot to bring my observing chair! Yes I had all the other equipment but without the chair it wasn't as enjoyable and a lot shakier.
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10" XTi
C6 SE
ETX 125 (no more)
SV 102ED
SV80ED
PortaMount (no more)
SV M1
Original AYO EzTouch mount
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molniyabeer
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/08/05
Posts: 2058
Loc: Central Coast, California
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Spare bulbs for your red flashlight, extra batteries, star charts (especially for transient events like Neptune's location...), hat, scarf, munchies.
Yes, I've managed to forget all of the above at one time or another. Still able to observe but it does take a bit off the session.
Oh, and in my case, the critical bag of bolts for the dob base. Mine is modified to collapse for transport and isn't much good without the hardware to hold it togather. And the nearest hardware is basically back home...
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Steve
16" Meade LightBridge (Beowulf)
10" Hardin DSH, StarMax 127mm Mak, PST H-a
Oberwerk 11 x 70 binocs, Tasco 10 x 50 binocs
Santa Maria Clear Sky Clock
Figueroa Mt Clear Sky Clock
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Ernie00
member
Reged: 07/15/08
Posts: 24
Loc: Laval / Rivière-Du-Loup
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is it me or I never see people talking about beer here ? I never forget my beer !
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Ernie
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Celestron SLT 130
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Oreamnos
member
Reged: 08/18/08
Posts: 13
Loc: Portland, OR, and Cent. OR whe...
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I'm a fairly obsessive packing list person, mostly because I do a bunch of mountaineering, and forgetting certain things can cause a lot of trips to be very uncomfortable at best, or lethal at worst.
So when I recently renewed stargazing as a pastime, I promptly made a stargazing packing list, using my mountaineering list as a baseline. Obviously, I was able to eliminate basically all of the climbing-specific gear from the list, but the interesting thing is how much I retained from the clothing section. I'm very well-equipped already for cool to cold observing.
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Mr Q
sage
Reged: 02/25/08
Posts: 351
Loc: N Central New Mexico
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Bring a cell phone! Anything you forgot can be delivered by someone at home, friend, etc. Not to mention its a great aid in an emergency (IF the phone works at the area you are at).
Oh yea, DON'T forget to charge it before you leave in case you forget to bring the mobile charge cord.
Man, the things that can go wrong on a simple road trip!
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What goes around, comes around, eventually.
Meade DS-10(10" newt)
10x50, 10x70 binos
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Protheus
Vaguely offended
Reged: 09/01/07
Posts: 4657
Loc: Illinois, US
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Quote:
Bring a cell phone! Anything you forgot can be delivered by someone at home, friend, etc. Not to mention its a great aid in an emergency (IF the phone works at the area you are at).
Oh yea, DON'T forget to charge it before you leave in case you forget to bring the mobile charge cord.
Also don't forget to hide the display and the backlit keypad from others around you who might actually be trying to preserve their night vision. 
Chris
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"To tread the sharp edge of a sword;
to run on smooth-frozen ice,
one needs no footsteps to follow..."
"Well, people sometimes ask me 'how did you get involved in astronomy?' I said 'I got born, what's your problem?'" -- John Dobson
"In discussing the large-scale structure of the cosmos, astronomers sometimes say that space is curved, or that the universe is finite but unbounded. Whatever are they talking about?" -- Carl Sagan
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StacyJo
professor emeritus
Reged: 07/08/04
Posts: 639
Loc: Oakland, CA
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Don't forget to tell people where you are going, your flight plan as it were, phone numbers to the local authorities and exactly who you are with (with your car's license plate numbers).
Food, spare batteries, eye pieces, extra water and um, if you are heading to a remote wilderness place, a bat.
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Stacy
"Why yes, there is a difference between photon deprivation and PMS"
AKA Konstellation Kitty
M42Gal
Stellarvue Nighthawk II
Orion Starblast 6" Newtonian - newest addition to the family!!!
7x50 Orion Scenix Binoculars
Old 3" Jason Comet Chaser
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Protheus
Vaguely offended
Reged: 09/01/07
Posts: 4657
Loc: Illinois, US
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Quote:
Food, spare batteries, eye pieces, extra water and um, if you are heading to a remote wilderness place, a bat.
I'm not sure that's really the kind of pet you'd want to have with you at a remote place. The cage would be quite unwieldy...
Chris
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"To tread the sharp edge of a sword;
to run on smooth-frozen ice,
one needs no footsteps to follow..."
"Well, people sometimes ask me 'how did you get involved in astronomy?' I said 'I got born, what's your problem?'" -- John Dobson
"In discussing the large-scale structure of the cosmos, astronomers sometimes say that space is curved, or that the universe is finite but unbounded. Whatever are they talking about?" -- Carl Sagan
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Spoonsize
Vendor/Clothing
Reged: 08/27/04
Posts: 2184
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I don't know what you call it in your neck of the woods, but over here I simply refer to it as "Marge". As long as I remember to bring my "Marge", it seems everything else falls into place.
All kidding aside...a viewing partner that is familiar with the reason for the trip and the available equipment is a good thing to have, sort of like a co-pilot to be sure all the gages are checked and all the switches are switched.
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Steve Durham
www.margesmonograms.com
(Marge made me do it)
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katodog
Supreme Grandmaster
Reged: 03/31/06
Posts: 2301
Loc: Carol Stream, Illinois
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I'm with tigerroach on the highly caffeinated beverages.
I had a similar experience this past weekend, when we went to the inlaws. I forgot my dew shield, and had to cobble together one out of poster board and stiff black fabric. It worked, but the first night was a very short session, since I didn't have the dew shield, and I was having a great night, too. But, the next nights were very productive, and I enjoyed the makeshift dew shield while it lasted. And as always, immediately after you find out you forgot something, you can pinpoint its exact location in the garage. So, I sat down and made a check list so I won't forget anything any more.
The bad part about the whole thing is, how do you know you have everything on the check list? I had to go into the garage and pretend like I was going somewhere, just so I could see what all I had to put on the list.
Quote:
Quote:
Food, spare batteries, eye pieces, extra water and um, if you are heading to a remote wilderness place, a bat.
I'm not sure that's really the kind of pet you'd want to have with you at a remote place. The cage would be quite unwieldy...
Chris
 Now I don't care who you are, that's funny right there!! I'll bet it keeps the skeeters away though. 
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The only stupid question is the one that goes unasked
12" Starhopper / Coronado PST
Stellarvue 20x85mm Binocular / LXD75 Mount
Sigma APO 150-500mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM
Sigma 18-200mm f3.5-6.3 DC OS
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM
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hm insulators
professor emeritus
Reged: 01/22/07
Posts: 547
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Quote:
is it me or I never see people talking about beer here ? I never forget my beer !
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letimotif
no complaints
Reged: 05/20/07
Posts: 1109
Loc: Far Flung Isles of Langerhans
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The way home . . .
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Celestron CPC 1100
Celestron C6R-GT
Orion 120ST
B&L Banner Astro 80mm
Astro Telescopes 'tis a mystery 80mm ED
Sundry Oddments
Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a Heaven for?
Ad astra per aspera
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Saycbon
super member
Reged: 08/14/08
Posts: 163
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Your telescope.
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NightMonkey
super member
Reged: 01/10/08
Posts: 184
Loc: Upstate, SC
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This reminds me of a craigslist posting about a guy who had traveled down to Charleston, SC for some viewing and forgot his EP's......Posted in that area asking to borrow some for a few nights. I missed him by one day...
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Meade DS-2114ATS-LNT
Meade 285
Celestron Eyepiece and Filter Set
Thousand Oaks Solar Filter
Quickcam Pro 5000
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steveeb
sage
Reged: 05/06/08
Posts: 209
Loc: Murrieta, CA
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A lot of times, I forget and leave my common sense at home
Last time I packed everything up to go to a dark site only to be greeted by a full moon. OK, so I'm a noob 
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Steve
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Silicon Owl
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 11/25/05
Posts: 943
Loc: Waimea, Hawaii
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I was once attending a star party in Northern Arizona. The gals setting up next to me were having some trouble balancing their 10" newtonian. We drifted over as they struggled, wonder what could be the problem. Well known attendees at Arizona star parties the gals knew what they were doing, this is a well used scope and they had never had this sort of trouble with it!
As we took a closer look a friend of mine looked down the tube and asked a simple question... "Where is your primary?"
The 10" mirror was sitting beside the kitchen sink after being cleaned, two hours away in Phoenix.
Forgotten gear has caused me a little trouble over the years. These days everything lives in a hard case (eyepieces) and a couple nice nylon tool bags. As long as I remember these few critical containers I have everything needed for basic operation plus a few useful spares.
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Andrew Cooper
Personal Website and CN Gallery
Handmade 18" Dob / NS11GPS / 6" RFT / 90mm APO / TV-76 ...and a twin 10m
"I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night." --Sarah Williams
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kfred
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 11/11/03
Posts: 2005
Loc: Dayton, Ohio
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A jacket and a red flashlight.
Fred
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River Cam - Cambridge England
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RussL
Music Maker
Reged: 03/18/08
Posts: 1608
Loc: Cayce, SC
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Forgot my star diagonal and barlow once. Had to view with a correct-image 45-degree diagonal. About broke my neck trying to look at the zenith. And the image wasn't very good either for astro viewing with that diagonal.
Last time, I forgot my field guide. Good thing there's some info in my head. I still ended up doing a lot of scanning anyway. (Small brain, low volume).
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--Russell
"Akita mani yo." Observe everything as you walk. (--Lakota)
Celestron Celestar 8 Standard SCT, f10
Celestron 80mm Wide View ref., f5
Criterion RV-6 Dynascope, Newt., f8, (c. 1962)
Sears Discoverer 60mm ref., f7, (c. 1973)
Celestron Ultima DX 10x50, 6.5 TFOV
Tasco 7x35 wide
Several mediocre eyepieces
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DoctorNoodle
professor emeritus
Reged: 07/14/07
Posts: 663
Loc: Lawn Guyland, NY
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Your primary mirror!!!
A friend of mine used to live in Maryland about 20 miles west of Columbia in a very dark area about a 4-hour drive from my home on Long Island. I had a first-generation Coulter Odyssey 10.1-inch Dob with the primary mirror that is removed for storage and transport. Do I need to tell you the rest? I was half-way over the Delaware Memorial Bridge when I made the realization that I was a total EEEEEDIOT!!! As if to mock me, the heavens gave us ideal viewing conditions when clouds were in the forecast. (You know what would have happened had I remembered that mirror!)
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“Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true!” - Homer Simpson
Alanoodle's Model Portfolio
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Shawn H
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 05/16/07
Posts: 1132
Loc: Southern France 43°56'N-4°50'E
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Good story Dave!
Make yourself a pilots checklist! But as I keep ALL my kit in a roller toolbox, Its always 3 trips to the car, the tube, the base, the toolbox! Shawn
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xt10i with Telrad on 4" risers & feather touch focuser & huge Boston Red Sox decal
Starblast
15x70 Celestron Skymasters
35Stratus
27Pan
13 Ethos
8 Ethos
Orion ultrablock
Astronomik OIII
Tele Vue 2x barlow
Antares 1.6x barlow (2")
CATSEYE collimation tools
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Joe Aguiar
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/10/07
Posts: 725
Loc: Toront,Ontario
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