Post by Bill W on Apr 10, 2010 16:58:33 GMT
Hello all,
Over the past few years there have been a variety of suggestions about NLC alerts.
I've always had the worry that relying on an alert system makes you lazy, it does me! and the usefulness of the information given weather and geographic variations.
Having said that it would be nice to have some way to directly communicate with fellow observers on a night by night basis if conditions, wherever they may be, are looking good.
Over the past couple of weeks I have finally dragged myself into the 21st century and got a mobile broadband dongle. I have also been doing some trials with Skype, the voice over internet phone service and it has proved interesting and succesful.
Skype to Skype calls are free, Multi Skype users phone conferences are also available and video links too (but the video is only person to person.)
Picture the scene, you're out observing and would like to know who else is out and what they're seeing in real time. If they've logged onto Skype a little icon tells you this (when you're logged on too) then you can give em a call. Or if there is a group on select the appropriate settings and call the group. It also means that if you see some observers online with Skype it might also be a hint that something is afoot and a call might put you onto some viewing. Finally you can send short messages via Skype, so it's got lots of potential for us late night anoraks.
I think this might have possibilites, registration is free and it seems to work fine. If anyone would like to give this a go, google Skype, instal the software and get on the system. I would suggest that users id's are exchanged via private message rather than publicly here.
Something to think about for the coming season.
Cheers,
Bill.
Over the past few years there have been a variety of suggestions about NLC alerts.
I've always had the worry that relying on an alert system makes you lazy, it does me! and the usefulness of the information given weather and geographic variations.
Having said that it would be nice to have some way to directly communicate with fellow observers on a night by night basis if conditions, wherever they may be, are looking good.
Over the past couple of weeks I have finally dragged myself into the 21st century and got a mobile broadband dongle. I have also been doing some trials with Skype, the voice over internet phone service and it has proved interesting and succesful.
Skype to Skype calls are free, Multi Skype users phone conferences are also available and video links too (but the video is only person to person.)
Picture the scene, you're out observing and would like to know who else is out and what they're seeing in real time. If they've logged onto Skype a little icon tells you this (when you're logged on too) then you can give em a call. Or if there is a group on select the appropriate settings and call the group. It also means that if you see some observers online with Skype it might also be a hint that something is afoot and a call might put you onto some viewing. Finally you can send short messages via Skype, so it's got lots of potential for us late night anoraks.
I think this might have possibilites, registration is free and it seems to work fine. If anyone would like to give this a go, google Skype, instal the software and get on the system. I would suggest that users id's are exchanged via private message rather than publicly here.
Something to think about for the coming season.
Cheers,
Bill.
