EPISODE 100 - BORTLE 1 OR BUST (part 2)

   ✨ Agena Astro | 🔭 High Point Scientific | 📦 Amazon | 🌌 First Light Optics

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WELCOME BAAAACK to The Astrocast!

WATCH this weeks new episode on YouTube! LOTS of video content!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7UZA-h5MTw

We’re celebrating Episode 100 with a full-length road-trip adventure from Charlotte to the Bortle 1 skies of Utah. Join Parish and me as we visit Astro Peak, build remote observatory rigs, image under some of the darkest skies in the country, and reflect on 100 episodes of The Astrocast.

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AFFILIATE LINKS — PAID LINKS

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BUILD YOUR OWN REMOTE ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY RIG — AFFILIATE LINKS

I’m still adding the DeepSkyDad FP2 flat panel and dew heaters, but here is the rest of the setup:

GL.iNet Comet Remote KVM
https://amzn.to/4fF9GNp

ZWO ASI2600MC Pro Cooled Astronomy Camera
https://bit.ly/4ymcjLD

ZWO ASI120MM Mini Guide Camera
https://bit.ly/4vwbs8b

ZWO AM3N Harmonic Drive Mount with Tripod
https://bit.ly/4ysuIX1

Mini PC
https://amzn.to/4gHGLcH

ZWO EAF Electronic Automatic Focuser
https://bit.ly/4yIEf1X

ZWO CAA Camera Angle Adjuster
https://bit.ly/4pnFoC6

ZWO 5 x 2-inch EFW Filter Wheel
https://bit.ly/4w9Kkxa

SVBONY SV241 Pro Power Hub
https://amzn.to/4h1lsD9

APC BE600M1 UPS Battery Backup
https://amzn.to/4f8snci

NETGEAR GS305E Network Switch
https://amzn.to/44v2uNE

TP-Link Tapo P316M Smart Power Strip
https://amzn.to/4ymeJdb

If this kind of trip sounds great to you, consider joining our Patreon. You’ll get access to our members-only Discord, where 99% of adventures like these begin. While Parish and I were heading for Bortle 1 in the United States, our friend and cohost Mark was meeting up with other listeners in Europe. Stay tuned for that episode!

Thank you for helping The Astrocast celebrate 100 episodes in style. Please stop by Facebook, YouTube, or—better yet—the Discord and say hello!

CHAPTERS

00:00 Why We Didn’t Fly
01:00 Episode 100 & Astro Peak Update
02:57 The CEM26 Remote-Mount Mistake
07:07 Supporting The Astrocast
09:23 First Night at Astro Peak
11:45 Utah Drive & First Light 2027
15:34 Bortle 1 Skies & 100 Episodes
18:43 The 100th-Episode Intro
19:42 Final Night Under Bortle 1 Skies
22:15 The Road From Charlotte to Utah
24:11 Building Astro Peak Observatory
26:05 First Piers & Parish’s Astro-Physics AP1100GTO
30:48 Polar Alignment and First Light
35:24 Five-Minute Unguided M81
37:06 Sleeping Under the Milky Way
39:26 Building the Remote Observatory Rigs
45:26 Rho Ophiuchi and the Bortle 1 Sky
46:31 The Otherworldly Drive Across Utah
50:18 Ticaboo Lodge and Mile Marker 13
1:02:29 Setting Up a Bortle 1 Imaging Night
1:10:15 Seestar, Rho Ophiuchi & 30-Second Exposures
1:17:12 The 2027 Astrocast Listener Meetup
1:23:03 Satellites, Space Ads & Saving the Night Sky
1:30:14 Cosmic Perspective, Learning the Sky & Polar Alignment
1:35:46 Parish’s Astrophotography Gear Journey
1:43:44 Modern Star Trackers & Rethinking Smart Telescopes
1:58:19 Harmonic Mounts & Ultimate Travel Rigs
2:10:26 Integration Time, Processing & Growth
2:14:08 Friendship and the Astrocast Community
2:23:24 Life Is Short, Saturn & Endless Possibilities
2:28:41 Remote Observatories and the People Who Inspire Us
2:36:48 Final Thoughts Under the Milky Way
2:39:28 The Astrocast Song
2:42:41 Dropping Off Parish & Heading Home
2:46:13 Road-Trip Essentials & Remote-Rig Backups
2:59:34 Laws, Sober Driving & Mountain Safety
3:05:27 Speed, Police, Brakes & Mountain Descents
3:12:30 No Cell Service, Satellites & Starlink Mini
3:25:01 Portable Fridge, Missouri Roads & Desert Comforts
3:34:27 Scorpions, Wildlife & Remote-Site Safety
3:41:57 Protecting Gear and Choosing Hotels
3:48:51 Why You Should Bring a Friend
3:55:34 Rental-Car Lessons & Two-Person Benefits
4:00:20 Driving Limits and Knowing When to Stop
4:04:16 Blue Horsehead First Light & Astro Peak Thanks
4:07:01 Thank You, Astrocast Family
4:07:55 Clear Skies

Questions or comments?
[Roo@TheAstrocast.com](mailto:Roo@TheAstrocast.com)

Clear skies, and thank you for watching!