Niki

So many special things about this drive! Rain in the desert, every type of sky imaginable, stunning vista across all of Dubai, playing with the gazelles and the milestone drive to take @Foxtrot Oscar to Marshall! @Ale Vallecchi massive thanks (again) for putting together this trip with @Foxtrot Oscar and it delivered in every way! Though I realized I have a lot to learn with my DSLR as I went manual for the whole trip and messed up more time than I got it right! However, god bless the iPhone to ensure I came home with a few pics and vids that did the trip justice! @Desert Dweller I appreciate you letting me practice the CF role but being so close alongside with the added support anytime there was even a hint of a stuck! I watched you having so much fun at the back and I think you need to lead your own drive soon so the rest of us can enjoy the paths you create! Lots of fun through the dunes even for a photography drive! many new-newbies who all did great and I am eagerly waiting for the next newbie photography drive as that time I will absolutely bring my kids Was a pleasure to meet you all and offer support when needed! Enjoy the rest of the weekend and see you soon!

Many congrats @Foxtrot Oscar 🍻 … looking forward to joining many more of your drives!

@samamara was nice to meet you and knowing you are a pro/enthusiast photographer- join this lens lovers club and maybe introduce yourself on this thread by sharing your background and maybe a few shots! If you go from the beginning of this ‘introduce yourself’ thread there are many experienced and skilled photographers like yourself here at Carnity!

@samamara bring the radio charged … I have a spare unit with all the frequencies programmed so if we cannot make it work I am more than happy to loan you it (we can just switch batteries if mine is not carrying enough charge). I will sanitize it before passing your way so we are covid compliant. see you in the morning.

@Lakshmi Narasimhan in my experience as a Nikon user in the UAE I search on dubizzle for lenses with envy about how much more volume is available for Canon. just a consideration if you want to take advantage of used lenses ... I find UAE being Canon first Nikon second in popularity and therefore inventory in the used market. Good luck with your hunt and there’s plenty time for you to secure a setup for the Astro photo drive.

Didn’t find the gallery link so sharing a few pics here. Didn’t get too many this time.

@Luca Palanca Falsini pls see above. @Wadepat2 is taking the plunge for the foam cell technology shocks, using another Australian brand. Just connecting you both as we had a separate ‘Offroad suspension’ thread going on and Luca was keen on feedback relating to this type of shock (albeit a different brand - Ironman I think). hth and do share experiences on the other thread also. waiting 20+years to change the shocks is taking ‘ride it stock’ to the limit ... good luck both and keen to learn from your experiences

Hi @Frederic @Mikhail Lukichev - No Astro Photography experience (though i have gone through many Youtube tutorials since missing the last event in Feb) Nikon 3300 Lens: Sigma 17-50 F2.8 Tripod Spare batteries Red Head light Chair

Many congrats @Javier Lucero !!

@Watteau @Dodi Syahdar The twins brighten up every drive!

What a special drive that was! strongest convey i have had the pleasure to join! @Janarthan @Islam Soliman what a superb lead, route and blend of challenges! It was almost radio silent at times, with many of us not wanting to curse the drive by stating how stop-free it was..... well until @Alexander Alcala decided he needed a little drama and decided to radio in his joy a there being no refusals or stucks.... not soon after, the drama arrived in the form of an injured bikers (broken collar bone) and their convoy needing support to get him to medical help. @Islam Soliman @Alexander Alcala @Janarthan its a credit to you three for how composed and calm you handled that situation! Applying our own protocols and ensuring the UAE processes were followed is not easy when being insisted by others on what to do! flawless and this drama was enough for @Alexander Alcala to no longer use the radio I learnt a lot, enjoyed every moment of that drive and massively appreciate the 'no-pressure' approach to offering the convoy the choice to do the climbs vs insisting everyone tries. Brilliant convoy - thank you all and see you soon!

many congrats @Dodi Syahdar super news 🍹

happy birthday @Gaurav! What an awesome community you have created and are leading! Long may it continue! See you soon and hope we get to celebrate your birthday belated on the dunes one day soon!

Many congrats @N@ved 🎉🍻

@Frederic i think i read my own infographic wrong for May and it seems 11th not 4th would be best for us. apologies and shows my work needs to be double checked! Excited to get back out there! May 11 - New Moon. The Moon will located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This phase occurs at 19:01 UTC. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere.

BIG THANKYOU @Frederic

@Wadepat2 I came across this workshop space rental service and thought of you knowing your preference to work on your own car but resident in an apartment (like myself) https://www.ufixit.ae/we-have-what-you-need/ I would def use this but only learnt how to attach the compressor to a car battery since joining here ... mine is a dream vs your actual hobby/ability!

@Luca Palanca Falsini i found out that the Toyota dealership rotate guests companies to promote their products, so IronMan being there is not an endorsement from Toyota that they are their chosen/recommended Off-road suspension provider (don't believe their sales person if they said that). I found this out when i purchased my car, ARB had a stand/corner of the dealership advertising their suspension in Jan/Feb. I have no personal experience with IronMan HOWEVER please do not take their presence in the showroom as a sign of their recognition as main/recommended provider. Also the staff are separate, so the Ironman Sales team are completely different than Toyota. You will be spoilt for choice (1st world problem) as your car shares the same frame and suspension as the Hilux. Look into ARB, Dobinsons, TJM, Ironman - likely they will all fall into a similar budget. Sorry i offer no help - just confuse you more