starsoup
member
Reged: 06/21/08
Posts: 48
Loc: AR
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Okay..I bought a house two years ago, and recently got back into astronomy. The back yard was the only place to do any kind of observing. The problem was the property is circled by trees. Except there is one big white oak on my land that blocked the southern view. This oak was about 60 feet tall and really hogged my sky.
So I had to do some thing.....Long story short I hired a tree removal company, actually it was two friends of mine and I got a really good deal on it , $300.00 to have tree cut down and the brush removed, the rest of it I gave away as firewood.
Anyway..
<Has anyone else ever cut down a large tree(s) so you could have access to the sky for using your telescope?>
It sure has opened up a whole new world in my backyard, even though the neighbors probably think I'm crazy for cutting down that tree, don't get me wrong I like trees but it had to go. Jupiter and the moon looked great last night btw.
Chris
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Orion Starblast 4.5 EQ
15mm Expanse
6mm Expanse
3x tri-mag Barlow
Orion 80mm Shortscope
Orion 32mm & 20mm plossl
10x50 Binoculars
(Past equipment, 1990's)
Celestar 8
10.1" Coulter Dob
Naglers:
16mm,12mm,9mm,4.8mm
Homemade 16" f/4 Dob.
(First telescope 1975, Jason 70mm..1-EP)
"In the beginning there was nothing.......which exploded!"
Edited by starsoup (10/25/09 01:03 PM)
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Andy Taylor
twistin' by the pool
Reged: 09/24/08
Posts: 432
Loc: t=0 UK
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Yeah - a flippin' great cherry tree that overtook the whole garden.
Still too many trees but the rest are apple trees from the old orchard that the house was built on and they still crop wonderfully...
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Equipment list of shame:
A strange heap of assorted junk that when thrown together and dragged out into the dark shows me the wonders of the universe...
And then dews up...
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panhard
Mongo
Reged: 01/20/08
Posts: 5186
Loc: Markham Ontario Canada
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I hope you will plant another tree somewhere to help the environment of the planet. I don't have a problem with doing what you did. It would be good for all of us if you planted a tree somewhere else to replace what you removed.
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starsoup
member
Reged: 06/21/08
Posts: 48
Loc: AR
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I live in Arkansas...There's fricking more trees here then you could climb in a life time.
I knew I would probably PO a tree hugger. but I'll take that into consideration.
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Orion Starblast 4.5 EQ
15mm Expanse
6mm Expanse
3x tri-mag Barlow
Orion 80mm Shortscope
Orion 32mm & 20mm plossl
10x50 Binoculars
(Past equipment, 1990's)
Celestar 8
10.1" Coulter Dob
Naglers:
16mm,12mm,9mm,4.8mm
Homemade 16" f/4 Dob.
(First telescope 1975, Jason 70mm..1-EP)
"In the beginning there was nothing.......which exploded!"
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starrancher
professor emeritus
Reged: 06/09/09
Posts: 577
Loc: Northern Arizona
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Do we ride a bike or do we drive a car ? 
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LXD75 AR5
LXD75 SN8
Series 4000 Plossls
Misc. other stuff
Fort Rock , Az .
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ebusinesstutor
sage
Reged: 07/01/09
Posts: 458
Loc: Nanaimo, BC, Canada
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I know what you mean. I have a decent view to the south, but in the north, there are huge towering trees - sometimes I can't even see the Big Dipper.
And to the west, I have "mountain pollution."
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Garland Coulson
Orion XT8i Dob & Celestron 80 ED on a Vixen Porta Mount Mini
Baader Hyperion 8-24mm Click Zoom & Siebert Observatory 36mm
Siebert Black Knight Binoviewers
SkyWatcher Observing Chair
Celestron Skymaster 15x70mm binos
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Ray4852
sage
Reged: 09/30/08
Posts: 396
Loc: Arcade, NY
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I agree. we have to protect our environment.
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Home Built 18 dobsonian
Panoptic 27mm
Tele vue 16mm 9mm naglers
Tele vue big barlow
Telrad and DSC
deepsky and skytools software
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Bob Griffiths
Postmaster
Reged: 10/10/05
Posts: 6548
Loc: Frederick Maryland
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I cut down a very tall Maple (guess 80 or so foot tall with a trunk a little more then 4 foot diameter) ... BIG sucker But I did not cut it down to get a better view of the sky...I cut it down because it was the only place I could build my observatory...and BTW the estimate I got for over $2000.00 to cut it down ...found a guy who did it for $800 but it took him 3 months on the weekends... !!!
Then last year my nice little old (I am in my mid 60's so I know old) widow neighbor of 40 some years had one of her monster trees cut down...Tree was about the same as My Maple probably planted at about the same time .
I asked her why and she said it was to close to her house and she was afraid it may fall and damage the place !!!! BUT I think she did it because she knew it restricted my view a little and to thank me for cutting her grass the last 2 years when it became too much work for her to do...
Good neighbors may be hard to find BUT I've got a great one....
Bob G.
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CPC1100
Nexstar 8i + GPS & Rays Brackets
Denk S1 power switch
Orion 100 mm Refractor
Meade LXD 55 ...AR-5 127 mm Refractor
Exploradome Observatory S.I.E. (Smiling Irish Eyes)
Gerbring Heated Motorcycle clothing in the winter
39*21'03" N
77*28'12" W
The sky over my head....
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revans
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 09/26/05
Posts: 1513
Loc: Fitchburg, MA
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I love my maple and put up with it obstructing my view for years until it started to scrape against my slate roof... couldn't afford another slate roof so the tree had to go  But now that its done, the sky views are really great
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Rick Evans
http://www.freewebs.com/revans_01420/
"The universe is there for us to see, but it cannot be understood without learning its language -- mathematics." Galileo Galilei
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starsoup
member
Reged: 06/21/08
Posts: 48
Loc: AR
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Yeah same here ...We get ice storms from time to time and they can leave your favorite tree crashing into the roof of your home causing much distuction...I don't want that kind of drama, I prefer the quite skies I have now.
Clear Skies!
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Orion Starblast 4.5 EQ
15mm Expanse
6mm Expanse
3x tri-mag Barlow
Orion 80mm Shortscope
Orion 32mm & 20mm plossl
10x50 Binoculars
(Past equipment, 1990's)
Celestar 8
10.1" Coulter Dob
Naglers:
16mm,12mm,9mm,4.8mm
Homemade 16" f/4 Dob.
(First telescope 1975, Jason 70mm..1-EP)
"In the beginning there was nothing.......which exploded!"
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b1gred
Enginerd
Reged: 04/01/04
Posts: 15703
Loc: Castle Rock, CO 6677' MSL
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I'm not a "tree hugger", and I realize there are a lot of legitimate reasons to remove a healthy tree - impinging on power lines, posing a threat to a house (although trimming helps in both of those cases), etc. But I think it's kind of sad to cut down a healthy tree - a living thing that helps purify the air and provide a home for other living things, just so we're not inconvenienced when we occasionally want to glance at the stars, which are visible from almost anywhere.
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"Dark Skies & Great Viewing"
RandyR / W0RDR
GPS 9.25 XLT/Sky Align /FeatherTouch
TV85 w/FeatherTouch
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nyc_nurse
sage
Reged: 07/29/09
Posts: 253
Loc: nyc
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You sure got a good price for cutting it down. When I lived in California they routinely charge $10k to cut and another $5k to remove from site. It's too bad you couldn't end up using the wood for furniture. Oak that tall probably had a good trunk width.
I love trees (would describe myself as an eco-nut) but have known people's homes get pretty busted up by them in storms. Only thing better than a great big oak in the front lawn is a great big oak that's far enough away not to come crashing down on your roof.
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Sam P.
www.agirlandaguy.blogspot.com
Pentax 7X50
TV-102 APO w/ (Starbeam - on backorder  )
Ash Gibraltar w/ SkyTour DSC
NZ3-6, N9T6, N13T6
TV 20 Plossl
Pan 24, 35
Pentax XW10, XW14
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starsoup
member
Reged: 06/21/08
Posts: 48
Loc: AR
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I drive a Chevy pick up, with the 350 engine...that's 8 cylinders. Why you ask?
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Orion Starblast 4.5 EQ
15mm Expanse
6mm Expanse
3x tri-mag Barlow
Orion 80mm Shortscope
Orion 32mm & 20mm plossl
10x50 Binoculars
(Past equipment, 1990's)
Celestar 8
10.1" Coulter Dob
Naglers:
16mm,12mm,9mm,4.8mm
Homemade 16" f/4 Dob.
(First telescope 1975, Jason 70mm..1-EP)
"In the beginning there was nothing.......which exploded!"
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Tony Flanders
Post Laureate
Reged: 05/18/06
Posts: 3449
Loc: Cambridge, MA, USA
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Quote:
I think it's kind of sad to cut down a healthy tree - a living thing that helps purify the air and provide a home for other living things, just so we're not inconvenienced when we occasionally want to glance at the stars, which are visible from almost anywhere.
Easy for you to say, living in Colorado! Here in the Northeast, the stars would be totally invisible if people didn't cut down trees, except along the edges of bodies of water. There are no natural clearings in the East, except swamps and a handful of mountaintops.
I don't cut down trees lightly, especially big, well-established ones. But when there's good reason to do so, I don't hesitate. For every tree I cut down, dozens are growing to take its place.
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Tony Flanders
First and foremost observing love: naked eye.
Second, binoculars.
Last but not least, telescopes.
And I sometimes dabble with cameras.
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panhard
Mongo
Reged: 01/20/08
Posts: 5186
Loc: Markham Ontario Canada
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Don't get so riled up. I am not a tree hugger but we are in enough trouble with our atmosphere as it is. Every little bit helps. The effect your nearby trees have affect on us as a whole.My suggestion was one that is catching on world wide. We can't take, take, take without giving back a little at least. I by no means meant to offend you & I don't want this thread to go south like others have. Lets have respect for each other.
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brianb11213
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 02/25/09
Posts: 2076
Loc: 55.215N 6.554W
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Quote:
Every little bit helps. The effect your nearby trees have affect us as a whole.My suggestion was one that is catching on world wide.
I agree absolutely. Trees have a natural life span anyway, they can't be preserved forever - in a natural forest, every tree will eventually fall and be replaced by a new one.
Just don't replace a slow-growing native tree with a fast-growing non-native variety, like the leylandii that some people use to create a barrier, which then rapidly bolt to 80 feet or more ... sucking the life out of the soil all around in the process.
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starrancher
professor emeritus
Reged: 06/09/09
Posts: 577
Loc: Northern Arizona
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Quote:
Don't get so riled up. I am not a tree hugger but we are in enough trouble with our atmosphere as it is. Every little bit helps. The effect your nearby trees have affect us as a whole.My suggestion was one that is catching on world wide. We can't take, take, take without giving back a little at least. I by no means meant to offend you & I don't want this thread to go south like others have. Lets have respect for each other.
I would think that a more beneficial move would be to synchronize traffic lights & improve the roadway infrastructure so as traffic could move in an efficient manor .
I sit at intersections where 40 cars are waiting at a red light & the light that is green has no cars coming . (Brilliant) At the cost of multiple 6 figures per intersection to install sensors , why is this happening ? I guess the programmers that make 6 figure salaries to set them up are just doin' a bang up job !
How about the freeway system where people commute back & forth to work for 50 or so miles & can't get out of first or second gear due to gridlock ?
We talk about fuel consumption & fuel efficiency banging on the self destructed American auto industry , but nobody's cars get good mileage in first gear or sitting idle at a poorly designed traffic light setup . How about addressing the root of the problem , (pardon the pun) , but this would make a much larger difference than the odd saving of a tree here & there .
BTW , I put up with triple digit temps all summer long & never turned my central or otherwise air conditioning on once .
I did my part , what say you ? .............
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LXD75 AR5
LXD75 SN8
Series 4000 Plossls
Misc. other stuff
Fort Rock , Az .
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b1gred
Enginerd
Reged: 04/01/04
Posts: 15703
Loc: Castle Rock, CO 6677' MSL
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Quote:
Easy for you to say, living in Colorado! Here in the Northeast, the stars would be totally invisible if people didn't cut down trees, except along the edges of bodies of water. There are no natural clearings in the East, except swamps and a handful of mountaintops.
I don't cut down trees lightly, especially big, well-established ones. But when there's good reason to do so, I don't hesitate. For every tree I cut down, dozens are growing to take its place.
My view of the sky from my own back yard is pretty severely impeded by trees. I'm sorry that your uninformed impression of where I live leads you to believe I'm either at a mountain top or in a treeless high desert.
I would never consider removing a tree as a remedy for an inconvenience. When I decide to observe, I either deal with the trees, or take my equipment where I can see the desired part of the sky. I sure don't kill a healthy tree that's taken dozens of years to grow to resolve an inconvenience.
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"Dark Skies & Great Viewing"
RandyR / W0RDR
GPS 9.25 XLT/Sky Align /FeatherTouch
TV85 w/FeatherTouch
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starrancher
professor emeritus
Reged: 06/09/09
Posts: 577
Loc: Northern Arizona
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Quote:
I drive a Chevy pick up, with the 350 engine...that's 8 cylinders. Why you ask?
The question would be more directed to the tree hugger type that may not be broad minded enough to take a look at the bigger picture .
Do we use "Swiffer" mops with a throw away pad or convenient microwavable dinners that are packaged with an abundant amount of garbage that goes into the landfill .
These are all part of the bigger picture & I feel that there are more than a few who will condemn for a green cause while in other aspects probably have a larger carbon footprint than their narrow minded thinking allows them to realize .
Do we heat up hot tubs on a regular basis ? Do we heat our homes to above 68 degree temperatures in the winter & do we cool them to below 78 degrees in the summer ? Do we buy drinks in a styrofoam cup , eat at fast food places where an over abundance of paper is used just for a hamburger , fries & a Coke ? Do we have more lights on in the house with larger than needed wattage ratings or run a 52" wide screen plasma television set ?
A cut down tree can be mulched & put to good use & it can be burned for warmth in place of a non replenishable fuel source .
Do we all recycle ?
I live on a courtyard street with 14 houses & I can tell you that I am the only one of fourteen that deposits the recyclable material diligently into the proper reclamation container . I see more recyclable material going to the landfill due to careless residents than you can shake a stick at .
All I am saying is that there is a lot more to preserving the environment than saving a tree !
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LXD75 AR5
LXD75 SN8
Series 4000 Plossls
Misc. other stuff
Fort Rock , Az .
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panhard
Mongo
Reged: 01/20/08
Posts: 5186
Loc: Markham Ontario Canada
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I honestly feel that the reason more items do not make it to the recycle bin is that it takes time and effort to do it. What we do today will impact our future generations. We will be gone before the real impact is felt. I recycle everything that they will take. Yes there is a lot more to it than just saving a tree. Five years ago I was more wasteful in many ways. If an old goat like me can change others can also. Cutting back on my speed when driving gets me much better mileage. I used to drive at 75mph or better. Now I do under the speed limit by a couple of mph and stick to the right lane.
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