PaulW
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Observatory Jan 2016
Observatory visit 1.30.16
We drove up from Meling and noted the conduit construction and snow above 6200’. Road is in fine shape, but narrow in places due to the snow bank
beside the guardrail. We got briefed by the supervisor about the new observatories. There will be 3 new ones on the next summit NNE from the existing
main observatory. There is some conflicting info regarding the operation of the new ones. He told us the three will be operated by the US, Japan and
Mexico. But a friend that was there weeks ago was told by a different guy that Mexico, US, Germany Japan and Canada would be using them?
Any way in the picture all we could see is three white towers. Kinda hard to see --
Anyway these new units will be remotely operated and to accomplish this fiber must be installed. At the same time they will connect to the power grid.
The conduit is being installed along side of the road, and is completed below snow line. The construction we saw was in the sunny side of the mountain
around 7000’. I noticed the concrete junction boxes all the way from Hwy 1 to the top. The power lines will be in their own oversized conduit separate
from the usual smaller fiber conduit.
I also included a pic showing the snow at Valecieto. Not to deep – maybe 6-12”
Curious? go to www.astrosen.unam.mx Use this link to find the organization coordinating the effort
Then see the local climate data here http://www.astrossp.unam.mx/weather15/
If the link does not work or try this one search ‘clima san pedro Martir from unam’. OR ‘san pedro martir observatorio’ Anyway they have a web cam
the shows the view from the Observatory as well as all kinds of climate info.
3 new ones
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SFandH
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Thanks, a great place to visit. It is so quiet and pristine.
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David K
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NICE! I love it up there... been 16 years however since I was higher than Mike's road from Meling... and that was 10 years ago! Time flys...
Was the dry lake bed below and Colorado Delta obscured by clouds?
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ehall
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Nice pictures. Did you see any condors? I counted 9 when I was near there in early january.
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BigBearRider
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Nice pics.
Funny that you went there today. I was in Ensenada today and had been thinking for a few days that I might go to the observatory but I ended heading
home early. Now I log on here, and got to see what the place looks like anyway!
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Mexitron
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Cool info---had no idea they were putting more telescopes up there.
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TMW
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Thanks Paul, good info. It's been a long time since I've been there too, maybe 15 years. Need to plan a trip to see the changes.
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PaulW
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The escort guy said they now have identifiued 29 Condors. The place where they hang out is 10km (km80+/-?) before the observatory. Not close to the
road unless they are moving around. We did not see any.
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ehall
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I was between mikes and the gate to dark skies. I had a good pair of binos with me.
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Vince
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Thanks for the great photos of one of my favorite areas. I've been hiking, riding and exploring that area with the Meling cowboys, but not since
1959. Looking forward to another trip. Should be easier now that the road is paved.
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Whale-ista
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Beautiful! thanks for posting.
Really need to head there- would love to see condors as well as the beautiful mountains. Love seeing snow- good wildflowers this summer!
Not surprised they are adding 'scopes. Light pollution is a real problem NOB, less so in Baja. Good project for researchers, economy etc.
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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gsbotanico
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Nice photos!! I'm happy to see the snow. It was warm and dry there last year in August when we were there, in spite of some summer thunder storms.
We encountered the same trenching and installation of the cables. There was good traffic control where it was single lane, but very little traffic.
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Barry A.
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Quote: Originally posted by Vince  | | Thanks for the great photos of one of my favorite areas. I've been hiking, riding and exploring that area with the Meling cowboys, but not since
1959. Looking forward to another trip. Should be easier now that the road is paved. |
Well, Vince, I am jealous----------you went there without me since our trip in 1954 or '55. I assume you will invite me to join you on your proposed
visit this time. 
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Ken Cooke
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I noticed all of the paved roads. In 2001, it was more primitive with lots of dirt roads.
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Makhaon
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Are there any accommodations or camping areas near the observatory? Are there tours of the facilities?
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ehall
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Meling ranch is at the bottom of the hill. Very nice place. We got a tour by waiting at the gate till they came and got us. There was already 2 buses
of kids waiting.
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floydo
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Great report...we were last up there in the late 90's and the area is truely spectacular...
Our Spanish was very very limited at the time and we wandered around the barracks till we found someone (in the kitchen) who said the jefe was going
to be here in a bit...
Two guys in a pickup eventually showed up and wanted to know what we wanted....we asked if a tour was possible, but they said no..Cerrado.....After
about 5 min of very painful Spanish and pantomime, the guy on the left said, in perfect English "Why do you really want to go up there?"
Startled, I gave them my electrical engineer rationale of technical interest....He said, OK, hop in the back of my pickup...
We were very lucky at that time to browse the large telescope with the engineer that was working on the main telescope sensor cryo system...He even
opened the dome, showed us the sputtering chamber, his project, and the windows 3.1 soon to be linux computer control system...for well over an
hour...great experience..
You could view both Sea of Cortez (and mainland) and the Pacific Ocean from the tower...Wow
In case anyone is looking, here is the link to their webcam
http://www.astrossp.unam.mx/oanspm/index.php?option=com_cont...
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