[elky] Re: OTL (but what isn't during "non-car season.;/SRB firing
- From: faithcubsmc2691@xxxxxxx
- To: elky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:47:14 -0500
Holy cow, Ray ... between this and that Bonneville Reunion, I think you're just
having way too much fun, dude. LOL! But, simply awesome. Very glad that you
are getting to have so much fun ... and work ... and enjoy it ... and, better
yet, share it with us!!!!!
Cort | 36swm.IL | "Mr Monte Carlo"."Mr Road Trip" | pig valve.pacemaker ** my
radio show.03/13/10 **
WRMNshowcase.legos.HO.models.MCs.RTs.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort
"Like a good book, I can't put this day back" ... Tori Amos ... 'A Sorta
Fairytale'
-----Original Message-----
From: Ray Buck <rbuck@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: elky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Fri, Feb 26, 2010 12:47 pm
Subject: [elky] OTL (but what isn't during "non-car season.;/SRB firing
Once again I started an email and fellasleep while writing it. Duh. So here
here it is, just a bit late.
Today was the last test firing of a Solid fuel Rocket Booster (SRB) forthe
Space Shuttle. My friend Jim Halladay and his lovely lady Mary Anninvited me
to come with them to watch the firing. It was IMPRESSIVE!
I was able to use two cameras; my trusty Canon 40D with the newlyrepaired
18-200mm lens (hand-held) and my newly "adjusted" 7D with the100-400mm lens On
the monopod.) Both seem to work very nicely now. The real test will be the
proof things/ Right noe I'm pretty happywith the photos:
http://www.raytherat.com/events/srb_firing/Welcome.html
I'll just mention that there were a coupla guys with HUGE large formatcameras
there to shoot the event. I could slap myself for not gettinga business card
from them to see the results.
Then there was the firing itself. For those who like things that goBOOM and
emit smoke and flames, man, this woulda been the ultimaterush. (I guess the
boom and flames is a guything.) Well, at least in adesolate part of Northern
Utah, where there ain't too many other thingsto provide rushes...unless ya
count the rushes (botanical type) thatwere at the Bird Refuge area nearby. But
they were slightly frozen.
I went inside the National US Fish & Wildlife Service building touse the
restroom and saw a stuffed and mounted (go for it Frank) baldeagle. I got a
chance to test the 7D with the EX430 II flash and itseems to be working very
nicely. Much better than the photos I got atthe Auto Expo.
This is a good thing cuz I'm gonna be shooting the Autorama in a weekor so and
I'd really like to have some nice shots from that...and thenthere are three
more shows in 3 weeks: 1 in Boise Id, 1 in Pocatello(also in Idaho) and then
the Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly weekend whereChuck Berry's scheduled to perform.
That's a real big deal to me. So. I'm gonna be busy and I'm glad I got a
chance to do a "shakedowncruise" with the lens and the 7D body. I'm gonna do
one more testshoot to see if I can establish confidence in both pieces.
So. After a bit of a detour, we got to scene if the crime...or thefiring...and
found out that (surprise, surprise) we weren't the onlyfolks there...by several
thousand. But the location they (ATK Systems,manufacturer of the SRBs)
provided was pretty good. I did somewalking around and found a fairly good
spot where I visited with acouple of real nice people (Nikonians) and when the
firing commenced, Iwas able to switch back and forth between cameras and I
think I gotsome pretty good shots.
It was really impressive. The one thing that I hadn't expected (Ishould have;
if I'd given it some thought it would have been obvious)was the delay in the
sound reaching my location. It was somewherebetween 2 and 3 seconds (5 seconds
per mile, more or less) and I reallywasn't expecting the huge roar that hit
after I'd shot severalphotos.
The other thing that had me fascinated was the billowing cloud ofsmoke, dust
and steam from the snow that was on the ground...but didn'tlast very long in
the exhaust/thrust of the rocket motor. I'm not surewhy it was so fascinating,
but it was...sorta like watching a stormcloud develop in milliseconds.
Here's some info on the SRB:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Solid_Rocket_Booster
I better close this and move on to the other stuff I need to do today.
Ray
p.s. I'm very grateful to Jim and Mary Ann for inviting me to comealong. It
was a very good time.
--
Sent from my Dreadnought using that gawdawful Thunderbird email program
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