uDSC - 5th to 7th July - Blacklands

[Mike]

We don't have a DSC in July so how about an unofficial one on the New Moon weekend of 5th to 7th July ?

[Kylee]

I'm up for that one.....going to take the plunge and try out the new tent I've had for a year!!!

Let me know about booking it up Mike....will it be Rother?

Kylee

[Mike]

I've emailed Jackie at Rother to see if we can have our usual corner. It might well be already booked up at this time of year. If so we can make it Blacklands.

[Kylee]

Ok cheers.....will you let me know what I need to do? When you know where we are going that is!

Thanks Mike

[The Thing]

I would love to be there but I will be in France , back on the Sunday - but all the fun will be over by then! 

[MarkS]

Rats! I can't make that weekend

[Mike]

Doh!! Thanks to Julian for pointing out my mistake. The New Moon weekend is 5th to 7th July so it would have to be that weekend instead. Jackie had told me that Rother is now booked up till September so it will have to be at Blacklands.

[MarkS]

If the dates have changed, it might be worth changing the title of this thread?

[The Thing]

I can make that one!!!!! 

[Mike]

If the dates have changed, it might be worth changing the title of this thread?

Done.

[Fay]

Oh i cant make this one!

[Mike]

Mark and Kiley what about you?

[Kylee]

Can't do that one 

[Kylee]

Actually....checked again.....could be possible. Sounds like its no good for everyone else though!

[Mike]

Only 1 person has said no so far Kylee.

[Kylee]

I'm up for it 

[Kylee]

What's the address of the site Mike.....just so I can check out the website? As I said before....can you let me know what I need to do to book it etc.

Cheers.

[Mike]

This is it:

http://www.blacklandsfarm.co.uk/

[Carole]

Would have like to have come, but am doing something else that weekend unfortunately.

Carole

[MarkS]

I'd like to come but regrettably I'm going to say no.  The weekends before and after, I'm busy.  So the weekend of 5-7th is a good opportunity to put in a full weekend's work on the observatory.

[JonH]

Alas i'm in Brighton that weekend to punish my liver, ohhh the hardship 

One of these days i will make another DSC though!!!

[Mike]

I've told Leon we are coming and he has welcomed us. He says can everyone please book themselves online and then pay when you arrive:

http://www.blacklandsfarm.co.uk/booking

Thanks,

Mike

[Mike]

One of these days i will make another DSC though!!!

Yeah yeah you keep saying that

[RobertM]

I'm up for it if the weather is conducive

[Rocket Pooch]

I'll be in the area, the forecast if perfect

[julian]

Wont be able to make this one due to work 

Julian

[Mike]

Fingers crossed. The forecast for both nights is looking excellent so far.

[Kylee]

I know....just checked the weather....it looks fab!

Fingers crossed 

[Kylee]

Are people still up for this weekend? Just want to check as its my first.....don't want to be there on my own!

Also....I noticed on there website that if I put the postcode into a sat nav that it won't get me there. Can somebody tell me which exit from the A23 and rough idea of that last bit!

Cheers 

[Carole]

I'm sure my satnav takes me there Kylee, I've a TomTom.

Carole

[Kylee]

Cool.....it's just that the website stated that! Have you got the postcode? It's not on the site!

[Mike]

Kylee go down the M23/A23 and come off at Junction 13.
Turn right on the roundabout onto Cowfold Road A272.
After 1.6 miles turn left onto Wineham Road.
Keep driving 3 miles to the very end of Wineham Road.
Turn right onto Wheatsheaf Road.
Blacklands Farm is the next right. You can't miss it, it has a plastic cow outside.



Turn into the lane and go to the end. There is a gate at the end on the right. Enter the 4-digit code (Battle of Hastings). Then drive in once the gate is open.

Once in the field set up anywhere along the right hand edge of the field or the corner closest to you by a EHU.



Mike


Blacklands Campsite Address:
Wheatsheaf Road (B2116)
Henfield
West Sussex
BN5 9AT
Tel: 01273 493528 (Office Hours)

[Kylee]

Thanks Mike that's a great help......see you tomorrow 

[The Thing]

Mike, has the end of the field where you've indicated for Kylee got hookups? I have booked a hookup... Should be there around 6pm if all goes to plan.

[RobertM]

I'll be there a bit later tomorrow evening, probably around 8ish (just one night I'm afraid).  I don't have a hookup cable so could someone let me plug into one of their spare 13A sockets pretty please ?

Robert

[Mike]

Duncan - Yes according to Leon they've installed them along there.

Robert - No problem.

[RobertM]

Unfortunately I won't be able to make it tonight but possibly tomorrow may be on.  Have a good night tonight !

Robert

[Mac]

At some point in the near future, I will have a weekend off, wont know if its this year or next or the one after that for a ll i know.
and if im lucky, very lucky, then it might coincide with a DSC weekend.

But the rumor on the grape vine is they are going to change our shifts
so we work Thursday to Sunday ,

and its the close one as well, thats even more annoying.

Mac.

[Mike]

Well we are all set up waiting for the sky to get dark. Today was a glorious hot sunny day. We got a visit from Chris. Spent most of the day just lounging around under the sun shield keeping cool and drinking cider.

The field is absolutely full of tents, even the lower field. We've left a space clear in case Robert turns up.

Fingers crossed for tonight. Just in case, the fridge has plenty of alcohol.

[Rocket Pooch]

It's clear here so you should be ok, unless you get the mist!

[MarkS]

Really murky here at High Halden - lots of dew and milkiness in the air

Hope it's better at uDSC.

Later edit 1am:
The sky directly above is now less hazy and the Milky Way is quite obvious down to 30degrees above the horizon where it disappears again into general murkiness.

Saw the first glowworm of the season tonight but it must be very lonely because I've seen no others

[Carole]

Hope you are all having a great time, was gutted I couldn't come, but got some Ha imaging done from Home instead.

Carole

[Fay]

you will have to set up a glow worm breeding colony Mark

[mickw]

you will have to set up a glow worm breeding colony Mark

Wouldn't that be considered as encouraging light pollution ? 

Kill 'em all 

[Rick]

Kill 'em all 

Light pollution is apparently doing a good job of killing off glow-worms all by itself...

[Tony G]

Kill 'em all 

Light pollution is apparently doing a good job of killing off glow-worms all by itself...

They could also join this forum.

Tony G

[Mike]

Well we had a great weekend. What a scorcher!!

Nobody did any imaging Friday night as it was too hot and nobody could be bothered to set up. Also, the sky was a little murky that night.

Ssaturday night was much clearer. Like Mark said, murky to start with and cleared later. We were up until about 3.30am.

Duncan got some great images of the dumbbell. I was doing the same object but had guiding issues. Started again and rebalanced everything which helped for the DEC axis but I had oscillation on the RA axis. Weirdly, when I tried PHD2 I was then getting sub .25 pixel guiding. But it was gone 2am by then and I didn't have the time to do any proper imaging. I got a few frames only.

Overall a really nice weekend with fantastic weather.