[sac-forum] Re: New Moon weekend

I vote for Hovatter, for reasons stated as well as personal . . .

 

Matt

 

  _____  

From: sac-forum-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:sac-forum-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Steve Coe
Sent: Sunday, September 17, 2006 6:35 AM
To: sac-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [sac-forum] New Moon weekend

 

Howdy SAC;

 

We had a great evening at Cherry Road, lots of folks and scopes.  The sky
was turbulent, but clear, and we had fun watching the Summer skies go away
and the Autumn skies appear.  

 

I would now like to start the discussion about the club star party for next
weekend.  As I said at the club meeting, I think that going to 5 Mile Meadow
is going to present the problem of cold temperatures and dew.  I still
believe that.  By 10 PM at Cherry Road there was dew already forming.
Obviously that problem will only be worse at a higher altitude.  

 

My thought is that we have two reasonable choices:  Cherry Road again or
stay on the desert floor at Hovatter Road.  If there are a few folks who
don't know where the Hovatter site is located, I will put the directions at
the end of this email.  Basically, it is 100 miles from central Phoenix on
I-10, about 25 miles this side of Quartzsite.

 

The temperature at Cherry Road was quite comfortable and the dew was
irritating, but manageable.  The good news about the Hovatter site is that
the dew will not be a problem and the nighttime temperatures will be very
comfortable.  The bad news about Hovatter is that the daytime temperatures
will be warm.  We can string up some tarps for cover from the Sun and wait
for night.

 

So, I will end this email with my vote and that is Hovatter Road.  If there
is a general clamor to hold a star party in the Rim country at 5 Mile
Meadow, then so be it.  We do need to decide so that the portable toilet can
be ordered.  I await your input.

 

Clear Skies to us all;

Steve Coe 

 

Hovatter Road  "Antennas"  site

 



North

 

This site is 100 miles from central Phoenix.  Drive west on I-10 to the
Hovatter Road exit; that is exit number 53.  This is about 40 miles past the
Palo Verde nuclear power plant.  At the end of the off ramp, turn left over
the freeway and drive over the canal and then the road takes a sharp right
and the pavement ends at a "dead end" sign.  Turn left at the sign and you
will be headed directly toward some radio and cell phone antennas.  After
you pass the antennas the road takes a sharp right and makes its way through
a wash or stream gulley; then the road levels off for half a mile before you
pass into a second gulley.  As soon as you come out of the second gulley the
observing site is on your left.  It is a large desert pavement that is
exactly 2 miles from the I-10 freeway.

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