Orpington Astronomical Society

Society => Introductions => Topic started by: LeeH on Apr 25, 2014, 07:44:56

Title: Greetings O.A.S.
Post by: LeeH on Apr 25, 2014, 07:44:56
Hello everyone,

It was good to meet some of you on my first visit to BEECHE last night (25/4/14). I had a great time and any uncertainties about joining that I might have had were immediately dispelled - so I did.

A little bit about me: I live in Tonbridge with my wife, two daughters and a dog. I have always been interested in astronomy and spaceflight, so in 2009, I decided to embark on a degree with Open University in Astronomy and Planetary Science. I am a software developer of 20 years and will shortly be working to start up a business in internet development.

My main scope is a 200mm Newt on an NEQ6 and does not get as much use as it should, I am hoping that will change. The last outing it got was to snap the supernova SN 2014J in M82 back in Jan.

I am looking forward to meeting more of you during the coming meetings.

Lee.


Title: Re: Greetings O.A.S.
Post by: Carole on Apr 25, 2014, 07:59:57
Hi Lee,  Nice to meet you last night.

I see you will be one of our imagers.  We generally go to Astro camps close to new Moon, so if you've got camping gear and fancy joining us you'd be more than welcome.

What sort of camera do you use?

Carole
Title: Re: Greetings O.A.S.
Post by: MarkS on Apr 25, 2014, 08:13:42
Welcome to OAS Lee and to the forum.  It was good to meet you last night.

Mark
Title: Re: Greetings O.A.S.
Post by: LeeH on Apr 25, 2014, 09:13:08
Quote from: Carole on Apr 25, 2014, 07:59:57
Hi Lee,  Nice to meet you last night.

I see you will be one of our imagers.  We generally go to Astro camps close to new Moon, so if you'd got camping gear and fancy joining us you'd be more than welcome.

What sort of camera do you us?

Carole

Thanks Carole. I am keen to get more use out of my kit so I may well be joining you. My imaging thus far has been limited to dabble status. I have a 1100D which I modified myself and fitted with an Astronomik CCD-CLS clip-in. I do have a 12nm H⍺ clip-in that I have been itching to use and had grand ideas of starting on the Horsehead at the start of the year, which for one reason (the weather) or another (laziness) I never got round to.
Title: Re: Greetings O.A.S.
Post by: doug on Apr 25, 2014, 10:02:21
     Hi Lee. Very nice to meet you last night and am glad you took the plunge and joined. You won`t regret it ...... :) There is an Observing evening this coming Tuesday, 29th April, so if you can come along, we are meeting at the Change of Horses in Farnborough village at about 8.15 or 20.15, which ever takes your fancy. If it`s cloudy we have a beer and if it`s nice we go up to the field at High Elms (up from the BEECHE).

     Hope to see you there.

     Rose and Doug.
Title: Re: Greetings O.A.S.
Post by: Ivor on Apr 25, 2014, 10:45:40
Hi Lee,

I'm not far from you I live in Southborough, I have a similar set of kit however I'm grounded by the weather waiting to test my rebuilt EQ6.

If you want to get together sometime and talk about kit, software etc let me know.

Ivor
Title: Re: Greetings O.A.S.
Post by: LeeH on Apr 25, 2014, 11:03:35
Quote from: Ivor on Apr 25, 2014, 10:45:40
If you want to get together sometime and talk about kit, software etc let me know.

Quite possibly Ivor. Are you going to be there this Tues?
Title: Re: Greetings O.A.S.
Post by: Ivor on Apr 25, 2014, 11:46:18
Unfortunately not, I teach Jitsu on Tuesday nights. I say teach but it's mainly a children's club so there's a strong aspect of herding sheep :)

PM me if you want to get in touch.
Title: Re: Greetings O.A.S.
Post by: Rick on Apr 25, 2014, 12:01:26
Hi Lee. Welcome. You should now be able to see "Behind the Scenes" and post elsewhere.
Title: Re: Greetings O.A.S.
Post by: MarkH on Apr 25, 2014, 14:13:31
Hi Lee, welcome aboard. I too am at the dabbling stage of imaging so I can empathise. It's nice to have someone aboard also into space travel and have am massed an embarassingly large collection of books on the subject. I attended my first launch last year of an atlas v from cape Canaveral. It was a life changing experience. I am hoping to organise a trip back to the cape to see the launch of the first manned sls/orion vehicle. It should be quite something at 8,500,000 lb of thrust more than that of the Saturn v , which was shattering windows 11 miles away. Maybe you would be interested? Hope to meet you soon
Mark. 8)
Title: Re: Greetings O.A.S.
Post by: Mike on Apr 25, 2014, 14:52:07
Nice to meet you last night Lee and look forward to seeing you at our Observing Evenings and Deep Sky Camps.

Mike