rico10
member
Reged: 08/29/12
Loc: Northern Canada
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Re: Wish I had an observing bud!
[Re: Matt2003]
#5401821 - 09/03/12 08:45 PM
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I too suffered this fate when moving to a remote northern community in Canada. I thought I was alone in the world. I decided to start a club on facebook and found dozens of like minded people, one had a 14" Meade RC in a skypod! Telescopes are everywhere, they sell at all sorts of retailers, by the thousands daily. I found one member as I was driving down a street and saw a telescope in a window, I stopped knocked on the door, the guy had 20 years experience. What I have found is that one dedicated individual can be the difference, in this case I think that can be you.
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Billytk
sage
Reged: 04/22/12
Loc: Orlando, Fl.
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Re: Wish I had an observing bud!
[Re: jchoy46]
#5401862 - 09/03/12 09:16 PM
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i know the feeling. i moved to florida with hopes and being able to take the scope out and meet some new friends. I offered to get my brother inlaw into it and that was like talking to a wall. now I have to move back to Georgia. hopefully i will be able to get my life back
I live in Lake Mary Florida, PM me if you are staying in Fla.
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WhitenerJ
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/06/12
Loc: Waxahachie, Texas
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Re: Wish I had an observing bud!
[Re: Matt2003]
#5401873 - 09/03/12 09:22 PM
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Hey, didn't you e-mail me? I live in Waxahachie, but then I am purely a visual observer. I usually end up working though, it seems. Its hard at times. And I have been observing from 1975 (But a break mostly from 87-2003)to present. I do live in Waxahachie BTW.
Clear Skies,
Matt
Yeah I pm'd you but when asked about getting together you never replied. Send me a pm with your email address so maybe we can communicate better and set something up.
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WhitenerJ
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/06/12
Loc: Waxahachie, Texas
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Re: Wish I had an observing bud!
[Re: WhitenerJ]
#5404045 - 09/04/12 10:36 PM
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My point exactly...
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csrlice12
Postmaster
Reged: 05/22/12
Loc: Denver, CO
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Re: Wish I had an observing bud!
[Re: kfiscus]
#5404467 - 09/05/12 08:17 AM
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I'd try really hard to get a list of members of the club that died. Just because there wasn't enough interest to keep meeting as a group, doesn't mean that they all gave up on astronomy. It would only take one person of like mind to completely turn your luck around. This happened to me. I had almost completely given up stargazing because it wasn't fun going out alone. A newbie contacted me 1.5 years ago and now we stargaze together all the time. It made it all fun again.
The Dead Astronomer's Society...sounds like a lively group! 
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NeuWerld
super member
Reged: 08/14/12
Loc: Mentor-on-the-Lake, OH
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Re: Wish I had an observing bud!
[Re: csrlice12]
#5405045 - 09/05/12 03:00 PM
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I endure the trials of a lone skygazer quite often here. I attended a meeting for a local astronomy club here in NE Ohio but I think my age (and multitude of tattoo's) threw a lot of the people there off, they didn't take me very seriously or receptively 
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csrlice12
Postmaster
Reged: 05/22/12
Loc: Denver, CO
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Re: Wish I had an observing bud!
[Re: NeuWerld]
#5405122 - 09/05/12 03:36 PM
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Was that a pic of your Harley towing the scope in another thread?
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Matt2003
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/22/10
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Re: Wish I had an observing bud!
[Re: csrlice12]
#5405534 - 09/05/12 07:53 PM
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I did reply, I guess something happened to it. This has happened before, so its not just you. I do not know if its the system or my 'puter screwing things up.
Oh well, I will try again.
Clear Skies,
Matt'
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NeuWerld
super member
Reged: 08/14/12
Loc: Mentor-on-the-Lake, OH
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Re: Wish I had an observing bud!
[Re: csrlice12]
#5405680 - 09/05/12 10:18 PM
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Was that a pic of your Harley towing the scope in another thread?
Nah lol, I sold my bike last year (77 Harley Ironhead)...needed money to finish paying off my student loans
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jerwin
professor emeritus
Reged: 05/17/12
Loc: Romeoville IL
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Re: Wish I had an observing bud!
[Re: NeuWerld]
#5405857 - 09/06/12 12:23 AM
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There really should be an astronomer seeking astronomer forum, similar to craigslist, just less creepy and less pictures of men’s lower halves. Maybe a check box in your CN profile that (if you'd like) allows your location to be searchable to others. Then a search area where someone can search for people from 5 to 25 mile radius as a possible observing buddy. Maybe an optional age range, or experience level or something, type of equipment….. I could see the dob and SCT guys not getting along for some reason, and the night ending with fists flying. 
I'm not suggesting a "whites only" button or anything like that. But maybe if you filled out your profile completely then a search would calculate that someone is 85% compatible with you, and that person has posted x posts and has Y equipment so you maybe know they’re not just signing up on CN for a back yard to rob.
Maybe there are too many ways something like that could be abused and CN wouldn't want to be "responsible" for someone getting their hose broken into. But I've discovered people that live or work a few miles from me just randomly by reading their posts, I’d see no more liability than me PMing them to ask if they want to hang out some night.
I'm sure if I tried to seek out some CN users, I'd find someone right down the block from me.
Just a suggestion for CN if they are open to ideas.
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csrlice12
Postmaster
Reged: 05/22/12
Loc: Denver, CO
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Re: Wish I had an observing bud!
[Re: jerwin]
#5406158 - 09/06/12 08:24 AM
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Wanted: Observing Parntner, must provide photos of your scope(s).
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WhitenerJ
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/06/12
Loc: Waxahachie, Texas
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Re: Wish I had an observing bud!
[Re: csrlice12]
#5406172 - 09/06/12 08:39 AM
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Wanted: Observing Parntner, must provide photos of your scope(s).
LOL, yeah also must provide Dark site with at least green zone!! hahaha!!
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WaterMaster
Moat Keeper
Reged: 02/17/10
Loc: Southeast Idaho, USA
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Re: Wish I had an observing bud!
[Re: WhitenerJ]
#5406311 - 09/06/12 10:34 AM
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There's a website called Scopebuddies that apparently was set up specifically to find observing partners. Link
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jerwin
professor emeritus
Reged: 05/17/12
Loc: Romeoville IL
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Re: Wish I had an observing bud!
[Re: WaterMaster]
#5406421 - 09/06/12 11:48 AM
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too funny, that's basically what I was picturing. That's how most of my million dollar ideas play out. someone thought of it a few years ago and I never knew it.
My new invention is definitely a one of a kind. It's going to be a thin computer about the size of a PAD of paper. it will just be the screen and you'll do everything by touching the screen. Then you'll purchase applications, or "apps" for short from a online store. I'm thinking of calling it the APP PAD. What do you guys think??? I'm sure I wouldn't get me sued for a billion dollars over that idea.
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csrlice12
Postmaster
Reged: 05/22/12
Loc: Denver, CO
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Re: Wish I had an observing bud!
[Re: jerwin]
#5406481 - 09/06/12 12:35 PM
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No, but they might come after you for thinking......
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Grandpa Jim
old fogey
Reged: 08/04/12
Loc: GREAT AMERICAN DESERT
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Re: Wish I had an observing bud!
[Re: csrlice12]
#5406863 - 09/06/12 04:25 PM
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I was just suffering some of the same anxiety........I joined the local astronomy club, after being misled (my own fault,I guess) that the club had their own viewing site in the country. Turns out they don't.........I went out and bought scope, mount, etc. thinking I'd have an instant place to use it - now I don't, and I'm left scrambling to find someplace in the country where I can without getting shot for trespass, or robbed! Sure would be nice to have a mentor!!!
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csrlice12
Postmaster
Reged: 05/22/12
Loc: Denver, CO
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Re: Wish I had an observing bud!
[Re: Grandpa Jim]
#5406876 - 09/06/12 04:34 PM
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You know what, I've been known to drive out to the middle of nowheres, down county gravel back roads. There's usually abandoned farms (old falling down, not properties for sale or inhabited). I'll just set up in the driveway. Usually don't see anyone else the rest of the night. Many of these back country roads are there for farmers to get to their fields and are basically deserted at night. On those rare occasions someone has passed by in a car, they usually just waved and went there way if they paid any attention at all. I've NEVER had anyone stop and ask what I was doing...
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Steve Daniel
super member
Reged: 06/03/12
Loc: Austin, TX
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Re: Wish I had an observing bud!
[Re: Grandpa Jim]
#5406884 - 09/06/12 04:46 PM
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I'm kind of a weird hybrid I guess. Much of my observing so after 3 months of rekindled interest in astronomy is alone, and I like it that way. I go to the back yard or a state park an spend most of the night out "playing" as my wife calls it. Wife - that's where the hybrid part comes in. She's not interested in the equipment or the ins and outs of go to alignment or anything like that, but loves the views. So... I set up, get several objects in mind, and do a little tour, kind of a two-person outreach event. She gets the ooooh-ahhh experience, I get the fun with the toys, and we get some together time. Sometimes she will bring a flute outside and play while I'm out there. Then she'll go back inside and then it's back to me and my machine and the objets d'noir. Peaceful.
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MikeBOKC
Post Laureate
Reged: 05/10/10
Loc: Oklahoma City, OK
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Re: Wish I had an observing bud!
[Re: Grandpa Jim]
#5406935 - 09/06/12 05:24 PM
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Check on state parks. Most have campgrounds where you can overnight and most will easily accomodate people with scopes.
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kfiscus
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 07/09/12
Loc: Albert Lea, MN, USA
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Re: Wish I had an observing bud!
[Re: MikeBOKC]
#5407069 - 09/06/12 07:00 PM
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The above ScopeBuddies link takes you to a cool site. This could be a real good thing for people looking for new observing partners (and maybe observing places). The site credits CN for its beginnings.
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