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Missed night...

Portable Setup
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Markus Gorski avatar
Markus Gorski avatar
Hello folks,
I'm one of those guys who always has to run out and set up all the gear outside to take astro photos. That means I have to feel like it's worth the effort. Especially when I have to work the next day…
It happens again and again that the conditions are not good enough at 10pm, but when I have to go to the toilet at 3am and look out the window, it's a beautiful, clear night. Then I have the feeling that I've really missed something…
Do you sometimes feel like you have a stupid feeling when you "missed" a nice clear night in this way, although you were actually "of good will"?
It's actually "just" a hobby… ;)
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Jeff avatar
Jeff avatar
I feel your frustration, that has happened to me many times over.

The other thing I find that when I've had a really busy day and I look out of the window to find thick cloud I often think to myself "Thats a shame, I can't go out now….and its not my fault" 😂 makes me feel better 😂

Cheers,
Jeff
Markus Gorski avatar
Markus Gorski avatar
"Thats a shame, I can't go out now....and its not my fault" 😂 makes me feel better 😂


...that's right...
Jesco avatar
Jesco avatar
This hobby is a marathon not a sprint. I stopped worrying about missed nights because I realized there will be another good night eventually.
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Markus Gorski avatar
Markus Gorski avatar
Jesco:
This hobby is a marathon not a sprint. I stopped worrying about missed nights because I realized there will be another good night eventually.

Yes, that is right.
But the feeling still stays with me. It's a question of wisdom, I think ;)
Sean van Drogen avatar
Sean van Drogen avatar
The other way around is just as frustrating. Getting everything setup under a nice clear sky waiting for darkness to set in and then after 30 minutes of imaging clouds roll in.
For the missed night conundrum this is why I think a permanent observatory with cloud and rain sensor is very high on my wish list to not miss any imaging time.

CS Sean
Stuart Taylor avatar
Stuart Taylor avatar
Markus Gorski:
Hello folks,
I'm one of those guys who always has to run out and set up all the gear outside to take astro photos. That means I have to feel like it's worth the effort. Especially when I have to work the next day...
It happens again and again that the conditions are not good enough at 10pm, but when I have to go to the toilet at 3am and look out the window, it's a beautiful, clear night. Then I have the feeling that I've really missed something...
Do you sometimes feel like you have a stupid feeling when you "missed" a nice clear night in this way, although you were actually "of good will"?
It's actually "just" a hobby... ;)

Can I recommend a Telegizmos 365 cover for your equipment? For those of us (like me) without a permanent observatory it's a very good second best. I leave my telescope set up and polar aligned all the time. It means it's far quicker to take advantage of unexpected clear nights and means I get far more use out of my equipment. I just lift off the covers and check my PA (which is never more than a few arcminutes off and I can be imaging within about 15 mins. Then when I am done (or if the clouds roll in) I just replace the cover. The only thing I don't leave out there is the camera (as that is more sensitive to moisture).
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Markus Gorski avatar
Markus Gorski avatar
Stuart Taylor:
Can I recommend a Telegizmos 365 cover for your equipment? For those of us (like me) without a permanent observatory it's a very good second best. I leave my telescope set up and polar aligned all the time. It means it's far quicker to take advantage of unexpected clear nights and means I get far more use out of my equipment. I just lift off the covers and check my PA (which is never more than a few arcminutes off and I can be imaging within about 15 mins. Then when I am done (or if the clouds roll in) I just replace the cover. The only thing I don't leave out there is the camera (as that is more sensitive to moisture).


I have such a case from TS. If I know there will be several clear nights in a row, I also leave my gear outside and cover it with it during the day.
AWcBut I still don't dare to leave them outside permanently...
Markus Gorski avatar
Markus Gorski avatar
Sean van Drogen:
The other way around is just as frustrating. Getting everything setup under a nice clear sky waiting for darkness to set in and then after 30 minutes of imaging clouds roll in.
For the missed night conundrum this is why I think a permanent observatory with cloud and rain sensor is very high on my wish list to not miss any imaging time.


You're right!
On the other hand, you can also enjoy setting everything up calmly when it's still light, knowing that it's going to be a great night later
Aygen avatar
Aygen avatar
I hear you and fully understand the frustration. Before having my obs up and running, I had the same feeling - more than once believe me. Now, with my obs being fully automated, things are quite different, I stoped worrying with such things. 

But don't be demotivated - as others pointed out - this is hobby a really special, and it requires to have "stamina".

CS,
Aygen
Stuart Taylor avatar
Stuart Taylor avatar
Markus Gorski:
Stuart Taylor:
Can I recommend a Telegizmos 365 cover for your equipment? For those of us (like me) without a permanent observatory it's a very good second best. I leave my telescope set up and polar aligned all the time. It means it's far quicker to take advantage of unexpected clear nights and means I get far more use out of my equipment. I just lift off the covers and check my PA (which is never more than a few arcminutes off and I can be imaging within about 15 mins. Then when I am done (or if the clouds roll in) I just replace the cover. The only thing I don't leave out there is the camera (as that is more sensitive to moisture).


I have such a case from TS. If I know there will be several clear nights in a row, I also leave my gear outside and cover it with it during the day.
AWcBut I still don't dare to leave them outside permanently...

Actually, it's not as scary as you might think. Under the cover I also use a large polythene bag and a large towel. I also have a set of rechargeable moisture-absorbing cells inside. My gear has now been outside for over a year and it's as good as new.
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Steven avatar
Steven avatar
Not the end of the world to miss a night.
Best you can do is use all you can to figure out when you can shoot. So, what methods do you use to determine it?

Just a look out the window? or a weather app?

Do't rely on 1 app to tell you. Take 3-4 different ones.. and look at the entire night, per hour. 
you might be able to sneak in a few hours before clouds come.. or you might be able to figure out that it's going to clear up at 2 or 3 and still get a few more hours in.


I use Apple Weather, Accuweather, 7timer, Clear outside. 
the reliability of each can be different every day.. but if the majority say "clear night" I'll set up the rigs.

Any time I've "missed" a night, are the times where I didn't look into the weather enough and only glanced at 1 app, which showed a cloud, so I didn't bother.
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Markus Gorski avatar
Markus Gorski avatar
Stuart Taylor:
Actually, it's not as scary as you might think. Under the cover I also use a large polythene bag and a large towel. I also have a set of rechargeable moisture-absorbing cells inside. My gear has now been outside for over a year and it's as good as new.

Wow, that's interesting!
Markus Gorski avatar
Markus Gorski avatar
Just a look out the window? or a weather app?

Do't rely on 1 app to tell you. Take 3-4 different ones.. and look at the entire night, per hour.
you might be able to sneak in a few hours before clouds come.. or you might be able to figure out that it's going to clear up at 2 or 3 and still get a few more hours in.


I do it the same way. I use the Xasteria+ app for the iPad. There are weather forecasts from four different providers and a live cloud radar. The most reliable thing is the cloud radar...
Arun H avatar
Arun H avatar
It is worthwhile to remember that this is a hobby, not an obsession.

Early on, I would try to make use of every single clear night. I found it took time away from family  and work. And I eventually realized I wasn't enjoying going after every available clear night. Nowadays, if I miss a night or two, I don't bother about it. Another opportunity will come, eventually.

I do keep my mount and tripod under a Telegizmos cover so it is less work to set up when I decide to image.
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andrea tasselli avatar
andrea tasselli avatar
Markus Gorski:
Stuart Taylor:
Actually, it's not as scary as you might think. Under the cover I also use a large polythene bag and a large towel. I also have a set of rechargeable moisture-absorbing cells inside. My gear has now been outside for over a year and it's as good as new.

Wow, that's interesting!

i had my gear outside for 10 years under various type of covers in one stretch and they are still working quite well to this day and it can get pretty wet around here. Never had any moisture controlling gizmos as I find them not useful but I have provisions to heat up the inside in the wettest nights.
kuechlew avatar
kuechlew avatar
It's a hobby and we should enjoy it. Sometimes I let go a clear night, because I just don't feel like staying up. There are other ways to enjoy life and sometimes there are other priorities.

Enjoy and clear skies
Wolfgang
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Werner Stumpferl avatar
Werner Stumpferl avatar
I use 6 different weather apps and when 3 of them are telling me that there are no clouds tonight, I start capturing.
Disadvantage is, sometimes the other 3 apps are right smile

CS
Werner
Markus Gorski avatar
Markus Gorski avatar
Werner Stumpferl:
Disadvantage is, sometimes the other 3 apps are right


that's the way it is
Francesco avatar
Francesco avatar
Oh… that happened to me too many times!
Even now that I built a protection to my gear and it takes 10min. to be ready to shoot, I’m sometimes too tired to go out so I find some excuses so I do not feel guilty, but I do feel guilty anyway 🙄
Clear nights are so rare here, that’s probably why I feel guilty.  
But on the other hand I know that if the weather conditions are not good, the final image will also be not good, despite that I feel anyway that I missed a clear night🙁
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Michael von Berner-Purgstall avatar
Michael von Berner-Purgstall avatar
Markus Gorski:
Hello folks,
I'm one of those guys who always has to run out and set up all the gear outside to take astro photos. That means I have to feel like it's worth the effort. Especially when I have to work the next day...
It happens again and again that the conditions are not good enough at 10pm, but when I have to go to the toilet at 3am and look out the window, it's a beautiful, clear night. Then I have the feeling that I've really missed something...
Do you sometimes feel like you have a stupid feeling when you "missed" a nice clear night in this way, although you were actually "of good will"?
It's actually "just" a hobby... ;)

Hi Markus!

I exactly know what your feelings are - me too getting up to work at 6:15am and always thinking "how lovely would it have been - being up on the way to the toilet between 2 and 4am.
:-)
You have the alternative, like more and more do - just download files someone else/some computer has made and present it as your work by paying a lot of money for it.


best regards
Markus Gorski avatar
Markus Gorski avatar
Michael von Berner-Purgstall:
You have the alternative, like more and more do - just download files someone else/some computer has made and present it as your work by paying a lot of money for it.


No, no, I prefer to take the pictures myself ;)
Stuart Taylor avatar
Stuart Taylor avatar
andrea tasselli:
Markus Gorski:
Stuart Taylor:
Actually, it's not as scary as you might think. Under the cover I also use a large polythene bag and a large towel. I also have a set of rechargeable moisture-absorbing cells inside. My gear has now been outside for over a year and it's as good as new.

Wow, that's interesting!

i had my gear outside for 10 years under various type of covers in one stretch and they are still working quite well to this day and it can get pretty wet around here. Never had any moisture controlling gizmos as I find them not useful but I have provisions to heat up the inside in the wettest nights.

Yes, you may be right about moisture absorbers. Not really convinced they make much difference, but I put them under there to make myself feel better