RussL
Music Maker
Reged: 03/18/08
Posts: 1598
Loc: Cayce, SC
|
|
I'm sure we all have idiot moments when observing. Here's one of mine from last night (I'm ashamed to admit it):
A really clear sky beckoned me. It was already 10:15, but I decided I could at least get in 30 minutes or so with the 8" SCT before bedtime. So, out I went, set up, dropped in my 40mm (51x) for scanning purposes and started with M104. Found it ok, but not much detail. I tried the 25mm wide angle (81x), but no better. Then, I tried the 25mm with the 2x shorty barlow just for grins (162x). No good. Ok, moving on.
So, I carried the scope to the side yard to get a better view of M13, then decided to try for something new, like Bootes. I've never looked at Izar and Alkalurops. So, back in scanning mode here I went. Boy, I was having a hard time aiming straight up through my finder, and an even harder time locating either object. I wondered what the heck was wrong with me. I don't usually have a hard time finding things that are bright enough. I kept re-aiming and scanning while my neck and legs began to tire out. I finally gave up, not sure if I actually found either. "Dang, I must be more tired than I thought," I said to myself.
So, then, I moved back to the front yard, dissatisfied, and decided to go for M3--a familiar target.
Never found it.
I was REALLY disgusted with myself by then. I thought about packing up, but decided to try just one more thing since the sky was so nice--M51. Well.....No luck there either, of course. I couldn't take it any more.
So, being defeated for 45 minutes, I began to hatefully pack up. I was very sorry to have wasted that good sky. I put the covers over the corrector and finder, took the eyepiece out and then...OMG, realized that what I had been scouting with all that time wasn't my 40mm, but was the 25mm, still in the shorty barlow. No wonder I couldn't find anything, no wonder the image never seemed as sharp as I thought it should. In the dark, without looking closely the set-up looks pretty much like the 40mm. It had been in there since M104. I guess the first move to the side yard made me forget what was in the scope.
What a dope.
Anyone else wanna confess? 
--------------------
--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
|
alienux
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/17/08
Posts: 673
Loc: Dayton, Ohio
|
|
Luckily the only thing I've done so far happened with the 60mm Meade, and it at least didn't end up being a problem.
I was trying out some of my Orion EPs on the Meade 60mm refractor, and I wanted to see how the cheap giveaway Barlow that came with the 60mm would compare to my Orion Shorty Barlow. When I went to put the Shorty in, the thumbscrew in the focuser needed to be loosened a little, and I loosened it too quickly, causing the thumbscrew to come all the way out and drop in the grass.
It took me about 15 or 20 minutes to find it with a bright flashlight, but I did finally see it, so no harm done 
--------------------
Brian
Orion SkyView Pro 127mm EQ Mak
Meade 60mm Push-To TeleStar
Phillips SPC900NC
|
Snow dog
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/17/05
Posts: 1716
Loc: Alberta Canada
|
|
My only opps was when I had been out all night observing with my ETX and the sun was starting to come back up. I opened the slider to go in for a second and my Alpha Male went out onto the deck and decided the the scope tripod was "his" and he started to lift his leg on it. Got there just in time to move it out of his firing range 
--------------------
Marc
Someone get these crazy dogs off me
12" LX200 Classic
ETX-90PE
Meade DSI
Canon AE-1, EOS Rebel 350
My Home Page
|
avalondr
newbie
Reged: 07/01/07
Posts: 3
Loc: Arizona
|
|
The OP story reminds me of the time I couldn't figure out why I couldn't bring my Televue 12mm Nagler into focus. Every other eyepiece I was using focused. I won't tell you how long it took to discover I had failed to remove the translucent cap from the obejective side of the eyepiece.
|
DblVision
professor emeritus
Reged: 10/11/06
Posts: 548
Loc: 29.99N 92.15W
|
|
Russell:
I’ve got a BS, but also have an “MS”… “Masters in Stupidity”. Oh, I’ve had quite a few head-slap moments. For some insane reason I like to track old, faint and dead satellites, “Space Junk”, along with some current ones. Well, they weren’t junk when I was growing up. Trying to watch them has brought some humiliating moments.
My most often occurring stupid moments are when I visualize an asterism in a sat’s predicted track, lock in the spotter on the target star in the asterism, and wait. Just to be sure, I often retrace the asterism just before the sat’s pass. Nervous tension becomes exasperation when 10 SECONDS after the predicted crossing nothing is seen. DUH! In retracing the pattern I stopped at the WRONG star. When I return inside and receive an “Any luck?” query, the honest answer is “No, I locked onto the wrong star”.
The best one involved a very active sat and only happened two days ago. The orbiting city that is ISS, ATV and Progress was due to fly over at 76-degrees altitude at Mag –2.6. I duly copied the whole sky chart from H-A and e-mailed it to a bunch of friends who are now accustomed to my peculiar habit. The next day I found out the perhaps two-dozen people benefited from that mailing, but our family almost missed it.
You see, the pass was from the southwest to northeast, but bright-boy here, earlier busy chasing weather balloons, forgot this fact. As the appointed time neared, Mr. “I-Watch-Satellites-so-Pay-Attention-and-Learn-Something” trotted the family outside. I proudly pointed a Howie Glatter green laser pointer to the trees to the NORTH-WEST and duly pronounced “IT SHALL FIRST APPEAR HERE IN 30-SECONDS” (In a Yul Brynner “So let it be written, so let it be done” kind of way). Well, almost a minute AFTER it should have appeared, as I stared dumbfounded, our 10-year old, as she later stated, “…began to look around elsewhere since it sure wasn’t where you said it’d be”, and quietly said “There it is”. Seconds after first seeing the flying metropolis, it seemed to flare to an easy –4. Talk about feeling LOW. I was proud of my daughter, who MOST CERTAINLY is now beginning to realize that Mr. Know-it-All is often clueless!
Ride Safe.
--------------------
Neal
G.O. Sig 10.5x70
Swift 761 8X42
60mm Spotter
|
vinnie
Latinist
Reged: 01/05/08
Posts: 1446
Loc: Queensland, Australia
|
|
Hi Dawg,
I think the stupid things I do these days are all related to "Old Timers Disease"
Here's one for you
Saturday night in the work camp, no work tomorrow, so the boys get on the beer.
Now we are out in the bush, so Vin grabs a few beers, and telescope travelling rig, and jumps in 4x4 off up that hill for a few hours, see you guys later.
Gets to a nice dark site a few miles from camp, and sets up. But I have an HEQ5 mount on this trip, and my battery pack is flat, (forgot to recharge, old timers stuff). Now this mount just doesn't work without 12v. Well sure you can disengage the clutches and slew but its a bit hit and miss for fine tuning.
Brilliant idea! Run jumpers from truck battery, to 12v pack, then to mount. Well that worked for a bit, then the pack drained the truck, and the mount stopped, and so now I am miles from camp, and flat batteries all round.
No Drama, truck has UHF/VHF/and SAT Phone. Duh! They don't work without 12v either! Too far too walk back. Nothing to do but sleep in truck.
The boys came and got me about midday on Sunday.....
LTR/RTL
Vin
|
Thunderhead
professor emeritus
Reged: 08/27/05
Posts: 562
Loc: Melbourne, Australia
|
|
Once while setting up my truss dob, I left the secondary cover on which promptly dropped onto the primary.
--------------------
SAB - Melbourne, Australia
GSO 10" F5 Dob with flocking & dewshield
12" (304mm) F4.6 truss dob with premium optics
|
Will
sage
Reged: 03/03/07
Posts: 211
Loc: O'Fallon MO
|
|
Excited about my new Atlas I quick grabbed my 8" Newt and placed it on the mount. Flipped it to balance the DEC axis and left it sitting. I turned to grab an EP and when I did I heard a crash.... Uh-Oh. I had attempted to secure it with the existing LXD75 dovetail which was not a good fit. The glass survived and I can still collimate but I think I threw up in my mouth a little when I heard the sound and realized what I had done.
--------------------
Will Day
Celestron C 80ED & C 100ED
Orion Atlas EQG
http://www.wsday.com/astrophotos
|
Tony Flanders
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 05/18/06
Posts: 2093
Loc: Cambridge, MA, USA
|
|
Quote:
Anyone else wanna confess?
Who, me? Do stupid things? Like dropping my 100-mm refractor when I thought it was attached to the mount and it wasn't? Or stepping on and crushing the eyeglasses that I had set aside for "just a moment?" Or traveling to a remote site with a telescope and no eyepieces?
No, of course, I never do things like that! 
--------------------
Tony Flanders
eyeglasses
6x15 and 8x32 monoculars
8x25, 7x35, 10x30 IS, 10x50, and 15x70 binoculars
70mm and 100mm achromatic refractors
4.5", 7", and 12.5" Dobs
|
Tom Trusock
Reged: 02/26/02
Posts: 27381
Loc: Alternate Reality (TM)
|
|
Does accidentally using a 15" dob as a trebuchet (with a sky commander payload) count? How about trying to clean a new mirror in subzero weather? How about purposely torture testing my personal 4" apo regarding the durability of it's finish? Or maybe setting eyepieces on a curved surface?
--------------------
There are two theories to arguing with my wife. Neither one works.
|
PXR-5
super member
Reged: 03/28/08
Posts: 184
Loc: Monroe, NC
|
|
My wife says standing outside in freezing temps or being eaten alive by skeeters looking at little grey fuzz balls is insanely stupid  "Your sick, Im going back inside and watch Law and Order" 
--------------------
Jeff
------------------------
I hope you brought your credit card with you, and I hope you know how to
Drive on these long, lonely freeways and intersections we've got up
Here. We've got two cars in the garage, and
Drum-majorettes in white ankle socks and baton twirling on Sundays.
We've got stripes and the stars and Uncle Sam's on Mars....
|
RussL
Music Maker
Reged: 03/18/08
Posts: 1598
Loc: Cayce, SC
|
|
Quote:
“IT SHALL FIRST APPEAR HERE IN 30-SECONDS” (In a Yul Brynner “So let it be written, so let it be done” kind of way).
 Hee, hee, that's a good description of the way those things go--been there myself. (I do love that line, though). Kinda hard to change from Yul Brenner to Woddy Allen. 
--------------------
--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
|
RussL
Music Maker
Reged: 03/18/08
Posts: 1598
Loc: Cayce, SC
|
|
Quote:
No Drama, truck has UHF/VHF/and SAT Phone. Duh! They don't work without 12v either! Too far too walk back. Nothing to do but sleep in truck.
The boys came and got me about midday on Sunday.....
Hey Vin, what a ridiculous predicament to be in. But, did you have enough XXXX? All that matters.
--------------------
--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
|
RussL
Music Maker
Reged: 03/18/08
Posts: 1598
Loc: Cayce, SC
|
|
To everybody, so far: great stories everyone. I'm laughing out of my chair. Glad I'm not the only one who acts like a fool in the dark.
"Old Timers" disease is gettin me fer sure. 
--------------------
--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
|
alienux
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/17/08
Posts: 673
Loc: Dayton, Ohio
|
|
Quote:
Or stepping on and crushing the eyeglasses that I had set aside for "just a moment?"
I'm having visions of Ralphie from Christmas Story after reading that 
--------------------
Brian
Orion SkyView Pro 127mm EQ Mak
Meade 60mm Push-To TeleStar
Phillips SPC900NC
|
Al Canarelli
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/06/07
Posts: 1559
|
|
I once was starting out on an evening that promised to be clear. So I thought I would check collimation quickly before I did anything else. So I put the SCT on a bright star and realized I had a problem. The star had the shape of a banana...what did I do to this telescope? I finally realized that the bright star was not a star at all...it was Venus. Duh!!!
|
skypilgrim
sage
Reged: 12/25/06
Posts: 412
Loc: Under a cloud
|
|
I do my backyard observing from our patio which has a basketball pole/hoop installed. Years ago I had it lowered for my daughter, (she's almost as tall as me now!)
Anyway, I was observing a few targets with a little 6" dob and had to keep picking it up and move it due to all the trees we have when I wanted to see something else. On one move I was keeping my eye's more on the sky than where I was walking and walked right under the hoop. The finderscope got all tangled up in the net and just wouldn't come loose. 
I had to turn on the patio lights to untangle everything. Sure looked silly hanging from the net like that!
Ruined my night vision for a while but I had to chuckle about it all.
Sam
--------------------
Equipment:
Scope #1: 5" f/8 refractor.
Scope #2: 3" f/6 refractor.
Daughters scope: XT6 dobsonian.
Area of interest: Ethnoastronomy
My Blog: http://fathersky.wordpress.com/
|
Achernar
Post Laureate
Reged: 02/25/06
Posts: 3720
Loc: Alabama, USA
|
|
I once forgot to secure a large 2-inch eyepiece in the focuser. When I picked up the tube so I could move the scope, it dropped out and fell into the base, where it struck the pivot bolt with a loud klunk! I expected the worst in the form of smashed glass elements but the edge of the eyepiece was what bounced off the pivot bolt, sparing the glass. To this day that eyepiece is still little worse for wear but my heart almost hung out of my mouth when I heard the terrible sound eyepieces make when they bounce off metal.
Taras
--------------------
10-inch F/4.5 Discovery Dob
6-inch F/8 Homebuilt Dob
4 1/4-inch F/4 Homebuilt reflector
|
Curt B
super member
Reged: 08/02/05
Posts: 173
Loc: Regina, Canada
|
|
This is a breaking news alert, it happened to me a 1/2 hour ago, and I am still shaking...
Last week I received my 13mm Ethos! Anyways, since it is big and heavy, I wanted to know if I had to adjust the tension on the crayford focuser on my 80mm, so today I decided to find out. I inserted the Ethos into the diagonal and pointed the scope almost to zenith. While I was watching the markings on the draw tube to see if it was moving, the diagonal popped out of the focuser along with Ethos! Luckily I was right behind it, and I was able to quickly catch it. The tripod legs were not fully extended, but it would still have been at least a two foot drop onto the basement floor. I had the thumb screw finger tightened from the diagonal to the focuser as much as I could before inserting the eyepiece, now I really tightened it with a pair of pliers. I hope there is no such thing as over tightening it, but I don't want this to happen again in the dark over my cement patio with the tripod legs fully extended. Now I think I am going for a drink......
--------------------
Celestron 102SLT,red dot finder
WO ZenithStar 80II ED with WO 1 1/4" dielectric diagonal, and red dot finder
SkyWatcher 100mmED Pro, with WO 2" Dielectric diagonal, 9X50 RAC finder, with telrad
Baader Hyperion 21, 13, and 5mm eyepieces
GSO 30 & 26mm 2" eyepieces
WO 8 - 24mm Zoom eyepiece
Tele Vue Ethos 13mm eyepiece
Celestron Power Tank 17
Orion SkyView AZ mount
William Optics TR-188 Tripod
|
hm insulators
professor emeritus
Reged: 01/22/07
Posts: 542
|
|
I don't have a telescope, but I do have a pair of binoculars that I wanted to bring to a star party last fall way out in the desert between Phoenix and Tucson. On the way, I checked into a motel right on I-10, brought my stuff into the motel room, then left to have dinner before driving about thirty miles to the star party site.
It wasn't until I got to the star party that I realized that I had left my binoculars in the motel! 
|
Achernar
Post Laureate
Reged: 02/25/06
Posts: 3720
Loc: Alabama, USA
|
|
Once when I went out to a dark sky site, I forgot to take the eyepieces along, and I didn't realize that until I got there.
Taras
--------------------
10-inch F/4.5 Discovery Dob
6-inch F/8 Homebuilt Dob
4 1/4-inch F/4 Homebuilt reflector
|
RussL
Music Maker
Reged: 03/18/08
Posts: 1598
Loc: Cayce, SC
|
|
Quote:
The finderscope got all tangled up in the net and just wouldn't come loose.
I'm just sitting here picturing that scene in my mind.
--------------------
--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
|
hm insulators
professor emeritus
Reged: 01/22/07
Posts: 542
|
|
Quote:
Quote:
The finderscope got all tangled up in the net and just wouldn't come loose.
I'm just sitting here picturing that scene in my mind.
I just wonder if the refs called a technical foul.
|
Nick Lloyd
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 10/24/06
Posts: 1640
Loc: cincinnati
|
|
Stupid Things? How about the same thing 3 different times?
I use one 2" W.O. Diagonal. When it is used with the 4" APO, I end up leaving it in the tube of the OTA, and in the case. However, I've traveled out to a dark sky site at 3 DIFFERENT TIMES (with the 7") and forgotten my diagonal. Luckily I was able to borrow a diagonal 2 of those times!
--------------------
"The best scope is the one you use." -rcg
|
cuzimthedad
Just Be Cuz
Reged: 04/09/06
Posts: 2715
Loc: Sonoma, Northern California
|
|
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
The finderscope got all tangled up in the net and just wouldn't come loose.
I'm just sitting here picturing that scene in my mind.
I just wonder if the refs called a technical foul.
Yeah and did they wager the odds on it happening as well?
--------------------
Dan
20" Obsession (Freedom I...aka cuzimthescope)
TV102 (Star Dagger)
LXD75 AR-6 (Phoenix)
Megrez 80SD
Antares 1529 (Awaiting arrival)
Bushnell 7X50 Binoc
Zhumell 20X80 Astro-binocs
EPs: TV 5,7,9,11 T6s, 17 & 22 T4s, 31T5, 13E.
The Off Fisher Lane Irregulars
|
Carol L
Reged: 07/05/04
Posts: 5880
Loc: Tomahawk, WI 45N//89W
|
|
Well, there's the time I forgot to load film into the camera for my first afocal solar shoot.
And let's not forget the time that I left a lunar filter in the ep and wondered why my pics were so dark.
--------------------
 *Step-by-Step Lunar Sketching*
CN Gallery
Photo Gallery
8"SCT ~ 120achro ~ 90Mak ~ 80ST ~ 11x70s ~ 22x100s
|
star drop
Guilty as Charged
Reged: 02/02/08
Posts: 3181
Loc: Cattaraugus Co., NY
|
|
Last night I was coming down the ladder and did not keep count of the steps. Going down backwards I went from step two to ground level. Stepping straight down 24", not "fun wow".
--------------------
Ted
|
KWB
Postmaster
Reged: 09/30/06
Posts: 7623
Loc: Westminster,Co Elev.1646Meters
|
|
I've done the stupid lay the eyeglasses on the ground and step on them trick numerous times and recently as well. I'll never use a black scope and a black tripod in a truely dark viewing location again. Totally sober I've walked into and over my C102HD a couple of times and had to fetch it out of the rocks and mud. Hard on the scope and if you walk into/land on it it just the "right" way it's hard on the body. One white component makes locating the scope easier when you walk away from it. Always use your red light when coming back to the scope and walk carefully.
--------------------
Kenny
"When dealing with a mystery,choose the most unlikely of the likely possibilities"-Sherlock Holmes
|
dgs©
Postmaster
Reged: 03/29/04
Posts: 13892
Loc: West Monroe, Louisiana
|
|
Nope. Never do anything stupid. 
Well, OK...
There was this one time when I made out a list of RA/Dec coordinates for a bunch of objects to find with my setting circles. I was in a rush and grabbed a scrap of paper and the only writing instrument I had handy... a red pen. If you don't think that sounds stupid, try it one night and then go out and read it with your red flashlight.
There may be a few other things, astonomy related, I could think up if my memory was any better. 
--------------------
- david
8"Ø Newtonian on SVP, Moonlite CR2, Telrad
PST Oberwerk Ultra 15x70 Orion Ultraview 10×50
Hand-me-down |
Previous
Index
Next
Threaded
Edit
Reply
Quote
[Re: 