Aperture Fever. Is there a cure?

[sabana]

Coming from a Nikon background there is a condition called NAS (Nikon Aquisition Syndrome). It is real believe me. I have had it and spent several thousands of pounds buying lenses, cameras, etc etc. Its a horrible affliction that can bite at any time and keeps you awake at night thinking should I or shouldn't I? There are lots of us out there lol.

Now I came to this forum and lo and behold I soon discovered there is a similar affliction. Called 'Aperture Fever'. You can never get enough and you dream of bigger things. It may be funny to some, but I believe that many of the people in this forum have found it far from funny. Going through the angst of it all.

Now you may have resisted with a clove of Garlic or something. But I know there is no cure for NAS escept to avoid forums and the internet. But have you found yourself immune to this condition. Or maybe a victim who has gone the whole way and bought a huge aperture telescope to see it in front of you and think. My God what have I done.?

Has anyone experience of being afflicted at some time. Or maybe going through it now?

If so could you kindly share your thoughts to the group as to a way of coping in this time of strife.

Tea and biscuits will be served in the interval.

Edited December 4, 2011 by sabana

[Double Kick Drum]

I don't cope. I have had a 5" refractor for just over two years and am already considering how to convince my wife that I really need a 10" dobsonian.

At the moment, it is affordable but what happens when i'm bored of 10" of aperture..... apart from a divorce.

I fear there are much worse cases judging from the kit some people have around here.

[John]

I've used scopes up to 20" in aperture and the lure of the views through them is very great but I've also owned a scope that was too large and heavy for me to use often at home which was rather frustrating and provided the antidote to some extent.

But I'm still not immune and often have a small internal mental "battle" when a large aperture scope comes on the market

I'm actually using my smallest scope this evening and getting lovely views without any hassles

[umadog]

The thing with aperture fever is that, to an extent, it is self-limiting. I think it strikes hardest with smaller apertures: if you have a 4" then an 8" seems tempting because it's so manageable. Then a 12" seems tempting from an 8": a 12" is still quite a managable scope if it's a truss. Even as a solid tube it's not *that* big. If you put a 12" next to a 16" you'll realise that. However, after the 12" the next significant jump is >16" and a lot people just aren't willing to go that big. I keep hearing about people who bought a scope in the 16" to 20" range then sold it and went back to a 12". After a 16", you really are looking at a ~25" and that entails a trailer, a mortgage, and a divorce. See? Cures itself!

The other side to all this is that bigger scopes aren't better at everything. The field of view is more narrow and so a lot of larger objects look at least as nice in a smaller scope. The other thing that gets pushed aside sometimes are the skies: dark skies matter a lot!. Yes, even in light polluted areas a bigger scope shows you more; but a smaller scope out in dark skies will still trounce the large, light-polluted, scope on many if not most objects.

For me, 18" is my absolute maximum. I've observed though as large as 32" (albeit briefly) and whilst that's nice, it's not something I want to dabble in myself. What I would like, however, is a 12" f/3.... Will resist!

Edited December 4, 2011 by umadog

[cabby]

I'm just getting the hang of our first scope after a month and seen some great things.

I was going to take my son to my local club open night last night. I thought better of it as I just knew if I looked into one of those big scopes I'd be really disappointed with our's and would definately get Apperture Fever!!

The "War Office" wouldn't be to happy if I bought another one so soon, but saying that I have just succumed to the "Can we have a dog"!! so I'm very high on the Brownie Point scale at present and paid out what would of got me a nice 2nd hand 12" dob. Maybe once the puppy comes in Jan (you know what women are like with babies and small animals!!) I could slip in that I'd like something seeing as her and the kids have got what they wanted

[umadog]

No, don't even do that. Just quietly substitute one scope for another and nobody will notice

[saturn4me]

I'm a doctor* and i can tell you now there is no cure.At all!

*I lied about being a doctor.I'm not one really:D

[kris h]

I have found the cure !!! , a monster Dob from David Lukehurst

but they cost quite a bit ££££ so will have the fever for many many

years unless i win on the lotto.

[ixalon]

Wonder if you can get large Dobs on the NHS?

[sirmetin]

I have just ordered my seventy inch and the observatory to hold it on an island just near hawaii.

Just wait and your Euro Lottery numbers will come up too you are guaranteed a win every 162 000 million years.

Gah jsut woke up did I say anything silly at all ?

[PreludeToADream]

Definitely victim to aperture fever. I was originally looking at an 8" Dob, then it moved to 10" and now it's creeping towards 12". I can already tell by the time I've bought this 'scope and it turns up I'll be looking at 16" 'scopes...

[Luke]

I think if you are using a ladder then in all seriousness it is too late, there is nothing that can be done to help. However, I wish I was as ill as you. Where's my lotto ticket?

[RikM]

There is no cure, but you can suppress the symptoms by getting a small scope and sticking a camera on it.

Take two and call me in the morning if it's no better.

[haitch]

No, don't even do that. Just quietly substitute one scope for another and nobody will notice

I did that but it got noticed... I went from a 6" newt to a 14" solid tube dob. Can't think how she spotted the difference

[swamp thing]

My limiting aperture will be what I can fit through a front door as whatever scope I build next has to be able to go through a door.

I'll be using the Kreige Berry aproach, so I am looking at around 20". This will be as big as I will go.

Then again, maybe it's time for a new front door.

Regards Steve

[granty515]

i went from a 6" inch to a 10" inch sw dob 3 months ago and seems to have settled the fever for now i told the mrs they where on sale at £439 with 150 quid off and said its a once in a life time opp she didnt know any different.....

[granty515]

i went from a 6" inch to a 10" inch sw dob 3 months ago and seems to have settled the fever for now i told the mrs they where on sale at £439 with 150 quid off and said its a once in a life time opp she didnt know any different.....

im thinking of doing the same thing again with a eq6 to mount it on will trick her with the january sales and the once in a life time routine

[Nexus 6]

I'm a doctor* and i can tell you now there is no cure.At all!

*I lied about being a doctor.I'm not one really:D

you should see a doctor to seek help with your lying affliction

as for the topic..would seem I too am in need of a cure. I am looking along the line's of a 12" only so hope that, along with some reasonable darkish skies, may "cure" me

[LukeSkywatcher]

I think i am cured. I started off with a 90mm scope. I moved up to a 130mm scope a couple of years ago and now i am about to move on to a 200mm scope. Thats about my limit before portability becomes an issue.

I only had the fever for about 7 yrs.

[DOBBY]

cure ? nope... look out for symptoms...such as empty-wallet syndrome

[glowjet]

The government is helping to curb this fever by having to introduce the current financial climate for us all, we should all write to the PM ( Prime Minister not Sir PM ) and thank him

[Mr Spock]

Once you get 20", you'll soon be wanting 36"...

[sabana]

Tea and biscuits are now being served in the Green room. Kindly take any valuables you have with you on the way.

[Charon]

There is no known cure, we all suffer from it and always will.

[todd8137]

hi from me ap fever ermmm never had it ,due to SGL have in great threads on this my first scope was a 12"reflector i did not want to take the chance with a a 4,6,8 inch ect as i new i would want the big tube a some point,then we went the other way ,we brought a small frac 90mm and that gives us lots of quick views or makes a good grab and go