Re: (SNES) Re: Dark Adaption & CCDs

[Albireo54@aol.com]

In a message dated 9/6/01 8:43:25 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
colemans@riconnect.com writes:

Before reading Joe's next post, I had written this one and prepared to send 
it:

Les wrote:

<<While it certainly won't meet the needs of photographers or CCD imagers, 
we can relieve the problems of blinding lights near the Observatory with 
something less draconian than a set of unenforceable restrictions.>>

I agree....rules are great, but ONLY if folks will respect them.

<<(1) Put black plastic along the fence during sessions.>>

As odd as this might sound, some groups actually do this sort of thing. I 
believe it's ASNH (New Haven) that sets up a billboard sized shield near the 
entrance to their site to block unwanted lights from penetrating. But I can't 
imagine struggling with something like this in the dark!

<< A 1500 watt PowerPak (the big version of my $130, 300 watt powerpack) 
would go a long way to providing power at the end of the road by Ninigret Pond
>>

Precisely what I had in mind, and the portability would be great. It could be 
used in any remote corner where there's no A/C. Also as an emergency backup 
for the main  activities at the dome or NC / Sky Theater.

<<Members' only VFNs with no crowds to control would be very popular. Strict 
no-lights policies and everyone in the gates by a fixed hour and "no cars 
moving rules" until fixed periods of a few minutes every hour on the hour 
could be enforced. {Move your car any other time and you don't get invited 
back}. Because these members only nights would be dark of the Moon usually 
and 
limited to 10 to 12 sessions a year, staffing them should be no impossible 
extra workload. >>

Les has just described an excellent programming goal that we should be 
working toward. You know in advance when the moon conditions will be 
favorable, and since we're probably talking about Saturday nights most of the 
time, scheduling would be a snap. Given our luck with the weather, we might 
actually get in 6 or 7 nights a year. That shouldn't tax our staff at all - 
since most of them would want to participate themselves! With no public 
involved we'd have far fewer issues to contend with, especially with the Town 
of Charlestown.

Next moonless Saturday night? A week from this Saturday, September 15th.

:o)
Doug Stewart
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