Re: Dark-Sky site
Just for the record: It is probably not a good idea to discuss SLAS fund allocations in this forum, before the idea has been taken to the general membership and reveiwed by club executives. Especially considering the history of the Dark Sky site issue. The club is committed to the SPOC site for the forseeable future and should act according to that committment. Tooele & Stansbury residents will have to decide where they stand on the issue of ecconomic growth and the light pollution it brings, and how they as residents will act on that stance. It is pretty clear that the skies out there will be deteriorating rapidly in the next few years if development contiunues at current levels. I am not so sure that a club-sponsored dark site is the best idea; a privately-owned co-op may be a better solution. Share owners could of course bring guests and there could be scheduled "club nights" just to be inclusive, but most members will not be regular users of a remote site. Many things need to be discussed by the involved parties before any property is purchased or leased. Our immediate concern as SLAS members really should be the completion of the SPOC facility this year, refractor house included. Many people have given a lot of time, money, materials, blood, sweat, and tears to this and it will soon be time to enjoy it, for as long as the sky stays reasonably dark. Discussion of a dark-sky site should be ressurected in SLAS, and private individuals can pursue a site independantly for now, but we have to finish what we started first. I like to play Devil's Advocate, but I'm not in a hurry to change things just for the sake of change. I do like to know where I'm going, however, and have reasonable expectations of what I'll find when I get there. Another 6 cents worth. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
I agree with Chuck, and my interest in heading to a super-dark site in no way diminishes my enthusiasm for the Stansbury complex. I really admire the people who have worked so hard and done such an excellent job there. I am just thinking about an especially dark spot where I can do my all-night, away-from-crowds photography. I know I'd rarely, if ever, get Cory to go with me to a remote place like the Cricket Mountains but she would enjoy the new big Stansbury telescope as much as anyone. From my personal viewpoint it would be wonderful to have both types of facilities available. It's never been either-or, in my mind. Thanks for bringing that up, Chuck. -- Joe
There are two distinct purposes for the sites being dicussed. SPOC was never intended to be a dark sky site. It was always intended to be a compromise between the quality of the sky and convenience to the public. Has anyone acually been out to the site in question with a telescope, or been out to look at the physical facilities? I agree the best form of organization for this is a private property owners association outside of SLAS. That kind of venture wouldn't need SLAS's OK or funds. Getting SLAS monies involved is sort of like getting the government involved. Siegfried Quoting Chuck Hards <chuckhards@yahoo.com>:
Just for the record:
It is probably not a good idea to discuss SLAS fund allocations in this forum, before the idea has been taken to the general membership and reveiwed by club executives. Especially considering the history of the Dark Sky site issue.
The club is committed to the SPOC site for the forseeable future and should act according to that committment. Tooele & Stansbury residents will have to decide where they stand on the issue of ecconomic growth and the light pollution it brings, and how they as residents will act on that stance. It is pretty clear that the skies out there will be deteriorating rapidly in the next few years if development contiunues at current levels.
I am not so sure that a club-sponsored dark site is the best idea; a privately-owned co-op may be a better solution. Share owners could of course bring guests and there could be scheduled "club nights" just to be inclusive, but most members will not be regular users of a remote site.
Many things need to be discussed by the involved parties before any property is purchased or leased.
Our immediate concern as SLAS members really should be the completion of the SPOC facility this year, refractor house included. Many people have given a lot of time, money, materials, blood, sweat, and tears to this and it will soon be time to enjoy it, for as long as the sky stays reasonably dark. Discussion of a dark-sky site should be ressurected in SLAS, and private individuals can pursue a site independantly for now, but we have to finish what we started first.
I like to play Devil's Advocate, but I'm not in a hurry to change things just for the sake of change. I do like to know where I'm going, however, and have reasonable expectations of what I'll find when I get there.
Another 6 cents worth.
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I've never been to the site in question but did set up a scope at Old Stone Face on the NW side of the Cricket Mountains to observe one of the comets a few years ago. The skies are good, stars down to the horizon, zodiacal light and winter milky way very obvious. There is a plant&mine(?) on the east side of the mountains that has 'security' lighting that might be visible from the proposed site. But it's over one hundred miles to the west with no towns bigger than Baker NV. Since we were on the west side of the hills I can't comment on the eastern skies, any lights that way would be coming from the I15 corridor. Quoting Siegfried:
There are two distinct purposes for the sites being dicussed. SPOC was never intended to be a dark sky site. It was always intended to be a compromise between the quality of the sky and convenience to the public.
Has anyone acually been out to the site in question with a telescope, or been out to look at the physical facilities?
I agree the best form of organization for this is a private property owners association outside of SLAS. That kind of venture wouldn't need SLAS's OK or funds. Getting SLAS monies involved is sort of like getting the government involved.
Siegfried
Quoting Chuck Hards <chuckhards@yahoo.com>:
Just for the record:
It is probably not a good idea to discuss SLAS fund allocations in this forum, before the idea has been taken to the general membership and reveiwed by club executives. Especially considering the history of the Dark Sky site issue.
The club is committed to the SPOC site for the forseeable future and should act according to that committment. Tooele & Stansbury residents will have to decide where they stand on the issue of ecconomic growth and the light pollution it brings, and how they as residents will act on that stance. It is pretty clear that the skies out there will be deteriorating rapidly in the next few years if development contiunues at current levels.
I am not so sure that a club-sponsored dark site is the best idea; a privately-owned co-op may be a better solution. Share owners could of course bring guests and there could be scheduled "club nights" just to be inclusive, but most members will not be regular users of a remote site.
Many things need to be discussed by the involved parties before any property is purchased or leased.
Our immediate concern as SLAS members really should be the completion of the SPOC facility this year, refractor house included. Many people have given a lot of time, money, materials, blood, sweat, and tears to this and it will soon be time to enjoy it, for as long as the sky stays reasonably dark. Discussion of a dark-sky site should be ressurected in SLAS, and private individuals can pursue a site independantly for now, but we have to finish what we started first.
I like to play Devil's Advocate, but I'm not in a hurry to change things just for the sake of change. I do like to know where I'm going, however, and have reasonable expectations of what I'll find when I get there.
Another 6 cents worth.
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Dear Friends, I received this note from the man who is offering the site, in response to my query through eBay. He also included a map with the note, but that can't go through our email system because it's too large. If anyone wants a copy, send me a note and I'll send it directly to you instead of going through the mailing list. I sent a note back to him explaining what the interest is and asking about these subjects: access, light pollution, secure building, power supply. Thanks, Joe Thanks for your inquiry about the site. I'll answer your questions below. I am a member of a group that is considering this offering. I'm hoping you can clear up a few questions we have. What sort of roads are in the area? SR257 that travels south from Delta is a paved 2-lane State road. The Clear Lake Junction where you turn off the main road to go to the site is 17 miles south of the Highway 6/SR257 turn outside of Delta. The road to the site from the paved road is a fairly nice BLM maintained dirt/gravel road. You can access the site by car most of the time but a truck is better. Is this access strictly by dirt road? Yes Where is the nearest paved road? SR257 is the nearest paved road. The site is 10 miles WSW of the Clear Lake Junction on SR257 How much traffic does it have? Thanks very much, Joe I will attach a map that shows where the site is. The road that goes by the bottom of the hill south and below the site probably sees maybe 1 or 2 vehicles a week. The only traffic that would go by the actual site would be people maintaining a small microwave site to the north of mine or people just simply sightseeing. So basically little to no traffic at all. Just FYI, I have a rural telephone company that has expressed some serious interest and another person who owns a wireless Internet company sent his techs down to the site this morning to check it out. He told me yesterday he wanted to buy it and would write me out a check today. I'll let you know if it goes through or not. The site is priced so cheap it's silly. Ranse L. Parker Intermountain Wireless, Inc.
Hi, Here's a further note from the seller: Everything would work fine except there is no concrete pad. The ground around the entire property is gravel. The roof is flat and made of concrete with a covering but the location would work very well for what you are talking about. I've had several amateur radio people interested in the site because of its remoteness. There is a working outhouse in the corner of the property as well. The only other thing that may be iffy is that the BLM Right of Way specifies the building be used for communication purposes. That only means you need to have a 2-way radio, amateur radio or something in there to make the ROW valid. Other than that you should be fine. You also have to provide the BLM with a $15,000 Surety Bond. Are you aware of that? Ranse Hi Mr. Parker, I much appreciate your note. I'll tell you what's going on. A few of us amateur astronomers from the Salt Lake area are interested in finding a site where we can set up our telescopes far from light pollution. This place intrigues us because it seems to have reasonable access, no serious light pollution, a concrete pad where we can easily set up our gear, a secure building where we could leave instruments and can sleep, and electrical power. Am I wrong in any of those assumptions? Thank you, Joe Bauman
Hi all, I guess nobody is that interested in the prospects of buying that site in the boonies beyond Delta. Still, a map of the site showing location of the communications tower for sale on eBay is posted at: http://www.trilobyte.net/paw/temp/CLEARLAKEMAP.JPG -- Thanks, Joe
participants (4)
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Chuck Hards -
Joe Bauman -
William Biesele -
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