FLO Access
FLO is located in sheltered and secure conservation area land outside of Ottawa, in Mississippi Mills, Ontario. Mississippi Mills lighting by-laws help to reduce light pollution. There is sky glow from Ottawa toward the east. The surrounding farmlands provide much darker skies in to the south, west, and north.
Members should read the document “FLO General Site Guidelines” for full information about and instructions for using the site. It is available upon request from the director at: flo@ottawa.rasc.ca
Guests are ONLY permitted as long as they are accompanied and supervised by a club member. Guests may observe through the club telescopes but are NOT permitted to operate them.
The following is a brief summary of the main guidelines:
- set up your gear on one of the two observing mounds, not in the parking lot.
- use red lights while on site and shield your laptop/tablet/phone screens from other users
- power is available at external outlets; two at the south mound and one on the north mound
- always make an entry in the clubhouse log book about your visit
- the mobile phone coverage is marginal (one bar)
- notices regarding club telescope operations and training are posted on the “RASC Ottawa FLO” private google group. Club telescope users should post when they plan to observe and are expected to share time with other members who wish to join.
“Haven” mosquito repellent systems have been installed on both observing mounds. There are five perimeter fixtures on each mound. Controllers are located on the outside of the roll-off roof structure and on the SkyShed deck. Operating instructions are posted in the clubhouse and linked here.
The Clear Sky Forecast for FLO can be found at: http://www.cleardarksky.com/c/FLOkey.html?1
Real-time weather information for the FLO vicinity can be found at: http://paquette.dyndns.org/FLO/index.html
FLO is accessed from 365 Bennies Corners Road, Mississippi Mills (between Almonte and Pakenham, off County Road 29). Below are the guidelines for accessing the site:
- first person to arrive leaves the gate open and the padlock locked on the gate with the combination scrambled
- the lane & parking lot are plowed during the winter after snowfalls of ~5-10cm. Bring lock de-icer in winter in case the lock is frozen.
- drive slowly long the 300 metre lane and dim your lights if possible.
- at the parking lot minimize shining your headlights at the observing mounds if there are others on site, and park such that when you leave your headlights will point away from the mounds and telescopes
- last person out ensures all doors are locked, then closes and locks the gate (“left-handed” – see below)
Hold the lock in left hand when closing up, so that when it is re-locked “Master” is on top and numbers are oriented face up.
Code is set by aligning at top beside painted marks (1234 in the photo above – contact the director to obtain the actual code).
