Many of the CRO members who regularly open CRO for All Members Night are at Okie-Tex.
Please check back here to ensure that a CRO member will have the observatory open BEFORE leaving!
CRO MEMBERS: if you are planning on attending, please post here that you will be there, and what time you anticipate CRO will be open. All that is necessary is to unlock the gate and the building, follow the checklist to turn on pad power, etc., and ensure that you, or another CRO member follow the checklist to close things and lock up.
Iāll come out and open up CRO for any Regular Members who want to visit, with or without your own telescope. There are a few telescopes available for members to try. If thereās interest, Iāll open the rolloff roof observatory and run the C14 for a while.
I will arrive by 6:45 to open the gate. Thereās still plenty of daylight through sunset to see the facility, set up your scope, etc.
If I am the only CRO Member there, I will want to be locking up and leaving by 11:30 pm. Regular Members cannot remain unless there are other CRO members staying later.
If you need a guide to the facility, please be in the Geary City Hall parking lot by 6:00-6:10. Its on the lefthand side of the road near the center of town. I will pull in there in my Toyota Highlander and wait 10 minutes. The observatory is on Google Maps if you donāt need a guide.
As a reminder, next Saturday is also a night when regular members are invited to experience the clubās dark site. Feel free to PM me if you need further assistance.
new cro member without key; can you provide; had planned on
being there sat to set up and try various eaa setups over saturday
night but thought that code was sufficient
actually i donāt need a key to lock up just to unlock; if I met you at whatever time and you could verify membership then i can lock up when we (my wife and I) leave sunday
@bill
What Mitche said. Iāll be glad to open the buildingās for you. But I donāt have extra keys. Although Iāve got access to where a spare MIGHT be located.
Iād have to key lock the building when i leave, but with the code, you can open and lock up the main farm gate.
Dave called me, so we assume you want the RV spot overnight. If thereās a spare youāll get it too.
Iāll walk you through our procedures for opening and closing the facility.
There is wifi. No password needed for guests. The protected wifi password for CRO members is CRO-ĆĆĆĆ, where x is the gate code. Itās changed every year, just like the gate/door code.
There is a camper/motorhome spot that has electricity. Potable water is NOT available, even in the building since weāre on well water and cows live nearby. Iām not certain that there is a septic sewer connection at the camping site. The building does have a shower and complete clean bathrooms on septic. Youāll get the tour.
Iāll arrive at 6:45 to show you where to park your RV.
Youāre very welcome! You donāt have to have a special CRO Membership to visit CRO. All Regular club members are invited out twice a month, Saturdays surrounding the new moon.
Everyone coming should always wear shoes and socks, and long pants. The stickers are wild even if weāve mowed (which we did today). Also, any time of year it can be 10-20 degrees cooler than in the city. Dress warmly. Temps drop rapidly under clear skies. Winds may be light, but out of the north theyāre especially chilling.
Iāll arrive at 6:45 after ive stopped at Geary City Hall to meet anyone needing a guide. Also, be aware that Geary has a descending speed limit down to 25mph in town, and is a known speed trap.
It was a night of meeting new members, and reunion with existing members! Temps were very pleasant and the north wind wasnāt much of a factor.
4 Members came out with family members.
CRO member Dennis Lynch came out for his first visit ever. He worked with his Seestar. He had to leave early so I didnāt get to see his results. New CRO member Bill Beson & wife brought their RV to stay overnight. Bill worked on setting up an EAA rig.
Club member Brent Greenroyd and his son came out for their first visit. Brent and his son had 2 beginner scopes that proved very interesting. They were successful viewing Saturn, once it got up out of the clouds rolling in from the eastern horizon. I loaned them a Barlow so they could experience doubled power from their eyepieces.
CRO Member Dru Alleman and son Joshua came, as well. They didnāt have a scope, but with a tripod and camera worked at taking pictures. They also borrowed the clubās Cometseeker114 from inside the building to try out.
Viewing was spotty after dark, and by 10 more clouds had rolled in from remants of hurricane Helene. Everyone except the Besons had left by 10:30, so swept up, took out the trash, locked up and left. But it was rewarding to have some new members and fine company!
