----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul LeFevre" <lefevre@No-Spam>
To: "The Astronomy Connection" <sf-bay-tac@No-Spam>
Sent: Friday, February 28, 2003 7:39 AM
Subject: RE: [TAC] astro events and "ryans rules"..
> Richard wrote:
> > > Sorta like "murphy's law" for astro events...
> > >
> > > http://flyboy999.freeyellow.com/LinksPage/WhatCanGoWrongWill.htm
> > >
> > > B^) <chuckle>
> >
> >
> > that is soooo true.
> >
> > I can add:
> < snip >
>
> Richard, do you have any idea how dead-on your additions are? See
below...
> > 2) of course there is the new gear curse: the more expensive
> > and or the
> > longer you wanted the gear, the longer the weather is bad
> > once you take
> > possession
>
> Yep. After a multi-year wait and considerable $$, got my AP900GTO mount
end
> of January. One clear night (full moon!) since.
>
> > 3) when you are planning a two week long biz trip to another
> > continent, the
> > weather leading up to your departure will be terrible but the
> > day you fly,
> > the weather becomes magnificent and remains so until you
> > return home, at
> > which time it turns lousy again.
>
> Yep. I leave for London on Sunday morning for a week. It's been raining
for
> a solid week. Guess when it's supposed to clear up? You guessed it,
Sunday
> night.
>
> > 4) the further the distance you travel and the more time,
> > effort and expense
> > you incur to reach your site for your astr-expedition, the
> > more likely: a)
> > you forgot something critical like the bolts that mount your
> > telescope to
> > the mount b) a solder joint will fail c) the battery you plan
> > to use to run
> > the rig will not hold charge anymore
>
> I'll always remember the late afternoon I showed up at The Peak, talked to
> the folks and asked where Rashad was..."he had to go back home (San
> Francisco) 'cause he forgot his truss tubes." ;-)
>
> Clear skies!
> Paul
>
There are a couple of additions I forgot:
When debating whether to setup or not, if I set up the clouds will move it,
if I do not it will still be clear in the morning.
(was true last night)
When setting up for imaging, when everything is ready to go; aligned,
focused, guider calibrated, the clouds will move in during the middle of the
first planned "keeper" (happened on Tuesday night for example)
and finally-----
I wanted to get an ST10 for 1.5 years, Since buying one in early December, I
have yet to have a truly good night that I could use it. Tomorrow is the
first of March and I begin a two week trip through Asia....
What else can I say?
Richard