My New Mobile Observatory
Al Gore would not approve
Well, at least that’s how I’m justifying the purchase. I recently acquired this RV from a friend who just wanted to get rid of it. I had used it on road trips in the past (but that was when gas was $1.50 a gallon) and really enjoyed it.
I bought this because:
- I got it for way less than it was worth.
- It has a generator and a bank of batteries that will run lots of electronic and telescope equipment.
It’s certainly a buyers market right now for RV’s. It’s not surprising though, with gas around $3.00 a gallon, who can afford to fill up the damn thing? I just spent $120.00 to fill it up. YIKES!
Coffee and Omelettes at 3:00am, mmmmm
I don’t think I’ll be going anywhere very far with this thing, it gets about 7 MPG, but because I live in a very light polluted neighborhood, I could take it to some of my favorite dark sky locations around Colorado for overnighters. The factor that limits how far I travel to observe is how long the drive home will be, I get real tired at 5am and the prospect of a long drive home usually keeps me closer. Now, I could just sleep till noon after a night’s observing and drive home after that.
I’m also toying with the idea of taking it to some nearby star parties in NM and Wyoming (which has some really good skies and it’s only 2 hours from me).
I need a name for my new observatory though. Any ideas?
Welcome sight at 5am
Technorati Tags: mobile observatory
ummm, where are you going to park that thing?
Name suggestion:
The Pony Express
or….The Tony Express, but I like pony better. ;)
Also, is that logo on the front a picture of a dog humping the C in the word coachmen?
Tony,
Can you reccommend a first on cosomology?
James
The Mystery Machine!
or
The NCC1107 USS Tony Darnell (sorry, trekky fan here!)
The staR-V.
AstronomyRUs
AstronomyMart
The A-Team (The Astronomy Team – I think we just found your theme song!!!)
Ok ok, I’m getting silly now with my suggestions. Id better stop…:D
Wow, thanks for the great suggestions guys. I love these!
I’m going to take it out on a maiden voyage this weekend, hopefully it won’t be cloudy. I’m going to Brainard lake, which is at about 10,000 feet. No electricity, nothing. Should be a good test.
The Pony Express (heh, heh).
The A Team… nice one…
staR-V is easy to say, I like that one too.
Thanks again!
Oh and Julie, the dog is JUMPING over the C, not humping it.
well, it isn’t jumping very well, ’cause it is hardly over the C. It is clearly humping it. ya know what I’m sayin’….. which says a lot about that RV.
hum-V with a p.
You ain’t just hostin’ no star parties up in there. for realz. ;)
You don’t have to live in W. Va. to call it the Wheeling Observatory, do you?
Hi! I’m an amateur astronomer from Hungary, and I’d like to “build” me a mobile observatory. Nobody have mobile observatory in Hungary, so I’d be gratefull, if you could tell me about advantages and disadvantages of yours. Thanks. :)
Excellent observation vehicle! For my part I have a very small budget and so I am making a wooden box trailer similar to a teardrop camping trailer. Then it has a section supporting my telescopes under a large hatch on the top. I have one Konus reflector telescope which I use to look at the moon and a smaller scope for watching deer with when it is cloudy. Now if I can connect my digital camera up I will be a happy man.
Good luck and many outings with your RV. Nick, England.