I was at Crater Lake last month talking to a ranger about the night sky. She mentioned they track 'astronomical twilight' times, not just sunset, for true darkness. I'd been packing up way too early. Now I check that specific window and my recent Milky Way shots have way less light pollution. What other timing tricks do you use for deep sky photos?
I got the bill and just stared at it, because that's way more than our old apartment in Austin. Turns out the ancient fridge in the garage was running nonstop, basically a power hog in a metal box. Has anyone else found a single old appliance wrecking their whole energy goal?
Last month, I had to set up an alarm system in a secluded mountain cabin. The wireless door contacts kept losing connection due to the heavy timber construction and hilly landscape. I ended up using two signal repeaters and spent extra time mapping out the best sensor spots. This experience really drove home the need for thorough pre-installation checks in unique buildings.
