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**rprosperi** · 07-29-2017, 08:53 PM

We all know there will be a total solar eclipse (in USA at least) on August 21st, but until today, I did not know why it was happening then...

The answer can be found here: http://www.hpcalc.org/

Massimo Gnerucci · 07-29-2017, 09:00 PM

(07-29-2017 08:53 PM)rprosperi Wrote: We all know there will be a total solar eclipse (in USA at least) on August 21st, but until today, I did not know why it was happening then...

The answer can be found here: http://www.hpcalc.org/

Ahahah! Funny.

Big Grin

**Gene** · 07-29-2017, 10:26 PM

haha.

My driveway has about 1 minute of totality during that eclipse here in Nashville.

If I drive 10 min away (during REGULAR day traffic) I can get 1 min 30 seconds.

Driving perhaps 45 min away gets me 2 min 10 seconds or such.

But that's under REGULAR daily traffic. Predictions are that we may see 500K-1 mil visitors either coming to or through Nashville that day. It will kill us all.

Our infrastructure cannot hardly handle daily rush hour traffic, much less a mass of people coming into town that morning ? and all wanting to leave 15 minutes after the eclipse is over.

I may opt for my 1 minute and stay at my house... unless it is cloudy or raining that day, then all bets are off.

Jlouis · 07-30-2017, 12:20 AM

hpcalc.org deserves it and much more!

Congratulation Eric!

Cheers

JL

EugeneNine · 07-30-2017, 01:00 AM

It would have been around 1999-2000 when I scanned my 48sx manuals and sent them in. We got a HP 9100 Digital sender at work.

Eddie W. Shore · 07-30-2017, 02:17 AM

Eric is ushering the historical moment!

Thomas Okken · 07-30-2017, 02:24 AM

(07-29-2017 10:26 PM)Gene Wrote: haha.

My driveway has about 1 minute of totality during that eclipse here in Nashville.

If I drive 10 min away (during REGULAR day traffic) I can get 1 min 30 seconds.

Driving perhaps 45 min away gets me 2 min 10 seconds or such.

But that's under REGULAR daily traffic. Predictions are that we may see 500K-1 mil visitors either coming to or through Nashville that day. It will kill us all.

Our infrastructure cannot hardly handle daily rush hour traffic, much less a mass of people coming into town that morning ? and all wanting to leave 15 minutes after the eclipse is over.

I may opt for my 1 minute and stay at my house... unless it is cloudy or raining that day, then all bets are off.

Ha! Here in New Jersey, we're going to be far, far away from the totality, so I'm going to Charleston, SC, to put myself in a better spot that day. Whether I'm going to do my eclipse-watching at the airport or somewhere in the city or somewhere else is yet to be decided. I'm curious just how crazy things will turn out to be that day!

Eric Rechlin · 07-30-2017, 02:41 AM

I was wondering how long it would take someone to comment on that!

I will be going to Wyoming to see the eclipse from there. I was debating between that and Missouri and decided the weather would probably be better in Wyoming, plus I'll be stopping in Missouri a month later when driving back from HHC.

JurgenRo · 07-30-2017, 08:51 PM

(07-29-2017 08:53 PM)rprosperi Wrote: We all know there will be a total solar eclipse (in USA at least) on August 21st, but until today, I did not know why it was happening then...

The answer can be found here: http://www.hpcalc.org/

Great sense of humor!!

cyrille de brébisson · 07-31-2017, 04:51 AM

Hello,

Being an amateur astronomer myself, you have no clue how much I envy you guys in the US.

We are not schedule for another eclipse in Europe for at least 20 years!

Enjoy watching the eclipse and be safe. Have multiple viewing systems ready (Projection works great BTW)...

Here is a picture of my collection of home made telescopes:

[Image: post-261899-0-20110000-1496059358_thumb.jpg]

Cyrille

Maximilian Hohmann · 07-31-2017, 10:58 AM

Hello!

(07-31-2017 04:51 AM)cyrille de brébisson Wrote: Here is a picture of my collection of home made telescopes:...

Very impressive! Did you make them all yourself? I have also been an amateur astronomer since decades but apart from some small accessories I have not made much myself yet.

And regarding the eclipse: We will stay in Torrington, WY the night before the eclipse and decide on the fly where to see the event the next morning. Depending on weather and traffic. But I won't take along any astronomical stuff, just binoculars, cameras and lenses.

Regards
Max

EugeneNine · 07-31-2017, 02:42 PM

I would suggest traveling to the US but I don't know if I'd want to trust any airline to something you made yourself as they seem to consider everything disposable.

Doesn't look like I'll get to see much from Ohio.

With the site being this old, is there a lot of traffic, do you still sell a lot of the cd sets? I'm just wondering how big of a market retroHP is.

paul0207 · (This post was last modified: 08-01-2017 01:03 AM by paul0207.)

Hello,
I am a forum lurker and I seldom post, anyway on August 20th I will fly the long trip with my family from Fairbanks AK to Fort Collins CO, next early morning we plan to leave around 6 am (perhaps earlier) with the hope to make it in time with the traffic to Glendo WY. I will be taking with me a 600mm lens for a bracketed picture of the corona and a Tecsun PL660 radio to "track" changes in the F layer of the ionosphere (http://www.skyandtelescope.com/2017-tota...r-eclipse/)

Cheers,

Paul

Eric Rechlin · 08-01-2017, 01:16 AM

I, too, will be spending the couple nights before in Fort Collins and driving to Glendo. I just hope half of Denver doesn't have the same idea or I'll never get there!

cyrille de brébisson · 08-01-2017, 06:00 AM

Hello,

(07-31-2017 10:58 AM)Maximilian Hohmann Wrote: Very impressive! Did you make them all yourself?
I have also been an amateur astronomer since decades but apart from some small accessories I have not made much myself yet.

Yep, all made by my little hands...
With very different styles.
The tardiscope (Tardis + Telescope for Dr Who fans) came from a "brain fart" idea (after all a telescope does seem bigger on the inside than the outside)...

Other scopes such as the 1 poles one were designed as work of art
https://www.leboncoin.fr/sports_hobbies/...tm?ca=22_s

Yet others, such as the one made out of a PVC pipe in roughly 1h were study in cheap scope creation (this is actually the scope that I made for my daughter)...

Cyrille

pier4r · 08-01-2017, 06:22 PM

To mirror the information for the readers of the future that won't see the reference (it happens a lot when I read the old posts of the general forum)

Quote:from the site:
Celebrating 20 years online, August 21st, 1997 - August 21st, 2017. A total solar eclipse has been scheduled in recognition of 20 years since I launched this site.

Maximilian Hohmann · 08-01-2017, 07:03 PM

(08-01-2017 06:00 AM)cyrille de brébisson Wrote: The tardiscope (Tardis + Telescope for Dr Who fans) came from a "brain fart" idea (after all a telescope does seem bigger on the inside than the outside)...

I really like that one! Also the wood&brass artwork you offer for sale - one of the few telescopes one can actually store in the living room. Personally I am rather one of the lazy amateur astronomers who appreciate a tracking system for their telescope, a Dobsonian mount is too "sporty" for my taste.

And regarding the eclipse: Glendo was high on list of the locations from where to view the event, but that name is now mentioned so often that I fear it will be overcrowded on that day. Some miles to the east there is another little lake/reservoir at Guernsey which also seems to have some landscape and which hopefully attracts less day travelers.

Regards
Max

paul0207 · 08-01-2017, 07:53 PM

Max, thanks for the Guernsey reference, I will consider it.
Glendo, a town of 200, is for now expecting 50,000 visitors at the town/state park.
A good site to check that day will be the Wyoming 511 Travel Information Map at http://oldmap.wyoroad.info/hi.html.

Cordially,
Paul.

(08-01-2017 07:03 PM)Maximilian Hohmann Wrote: And regarding the eclipse: Glendo was high on list of the locations from where to view the event, but that name is now mentioned so often that I fear it will be overcrowded on that day. Some miles to the east there is another little lake/reservoir at Guernsey which also seems to have some landscape and which hopefully attracts less day travelers.

Eddie W. Shore · 08-02-2017, 01:34 PM

(07-31-2017 04:51 AM)cyrille de brébisson Wrote: Hello,

Being an amateur astronomer myself, you have no clue how much I envy you guys in the US.

We are not schedule for another eclipse in Europe for at least 20 years!

Enjoy watching the eclipse and be safe. Have multiple viewing systems ready (Projection works great BTW)...

Here is a picture of my collection of home made telescopes:

Cyrille

Impressive Cyrille!

Fred Lusk · 08-04-2017, 04:07 AM

Very cool telescopes, an HP website anniversary, and good stories about upcoming trips to the see the eclipse. What more could anyone want? :-)

My wife are heading to eastern Idaho for the eclipse. Our first plan was to drive from central California to Madras, Oregon, (or Lebanon, Oregon, where a friend has second home) then continue the trip to Glacier/Waterton National Parks. However, that ended up requiring 4,000 miles of driving and more than two weeks to do it right. So, we changed plans.

Now we won't be able to take a telescope, but the trip fits our available time. Instead, we will fly to Salt Lake City, drive to Pocatello, Idaho, to stay with a friend from high school for a few days, then head to the Rexburg area for the eclipse. As soon as the traffic clears after the eclipse it's off to the national parks. This trip only requires 2,000 miles of driving and 11 days.

I have a solar filter that fits three of the lenses for my DSLR and my wife and I each have 10x25 Celestron EclipSmart solar binoculars.

This will be my first totol eclipse. I have seen several partials, as well as the 2012 annular eclipse from Whiskeytown Reservoir near Redding, California.