After 3 months of observing I might sell up?

[Veracocha]

Been at this game over a year now and I have not even viewed anything like the amount of stuff I set out to do. That's due to rubbish nights, light pollution and darn bad luck. Last year I made 8 star parties all around the country and in total I had three or four half decent (not brilliant) nights. I sold all my imaging stuff to fund a big dob (awaiting) due to seeing being at a premium. I am fed up of "not" stargazing if that makes sense.

[Thirdway]

Been at this game over a year now and I have not even viewed anything like the amount of stuff I set out to do. That's due to rubbish nights, light pollution and darn bad luck. Last year I made 8 star parties all around the country and in total I had three or four half decent (not brilliant) nights. I sold all my imaging stuff to fund a big dob (awaiting) due to seeing being at a premium. I am fed up of "not" stargazing if that makes sense.

Yes it does. What are you hoping your going to improve/get by that? What size Dob?

[Thirdway]

Second bite at the cherry: I've been birdwatching for over 30 years. Most days I go birding I see nothing new. Sometimes I go a year without seeing anything new. Often I'm looking at waders on the other side of a reservoir or ducks at sea - ornithological fuzzies, not in the least spectacular. But I still enjoy getting out and birding and couldn't image ever stopping while I have my health. I'm hoping to get something like that from astronomy too.

I think you will get exactly that. It's made for you.

[Thirdway]

It's a shame you feel like you do. Having been on SGL for a few years now, yours seems to be a similar feeling that quite a number of SGL'rs (especially new observers) have commented on from time to time. They then seem to fade away and disappear from the hobby altogether.

Like most things, I suppose we are all different. Some hobbies suiting some people more than others. One man's meat and all that. If it grabs you, it will be extremely rewarding and could build into a real passion. That's where I am and have been doing astronomy for well over 40 years now, and still get a real buzz from my regular "walks" around the skies, even if all I do see sometimes is a little fuzzy blob, or a tiny planetary disk wobbling around where it's almost impossible to see much. Not to mention the light pollution!

If it doesn't grab you then no-one will be able to persuade you otherwise.

Whatever you decide to do, keep Looking up!

I don't think it's a shame and I don't feel anything, I'm really pleased that I did it, just don't think it's a hobby ( I wasn't really looking for one) after the initial flush of newness. I had a totally open mind either way and even this brief flirtation has been very enjoyable and educational. To see Saturn in all her glory was very special and would continue to be so, however, cramped over a scope on a cold night for several hours after an hours driving is certainly one of the limiting factors.

Definitely will continue looking up.

[Veracocha]

Yes it does. What are you hoping your going to improve/get by that? What size Dob?

I can stretch to a 14" dob, anything bigger and I will struggle to get to the star-parties/dark skies that elude me here in Birmingham. I had chance to look through a 14" dob at Cumbria (3) and it was the star clusters that got me. I could happily tick these off a list If I was that sort of stargazer. I really enjoy the star parties and meeting the guys on here but if there's no viewing it does get you down, especially when you consider the cost/effort I put into it.

[Thirdway]

I always think that 90% of any interest is down to the people that you meet. What did the 14" do that your current setup didn't on star clusters? Up to now I have been pretty unimpressed with star clusters, yet most rave about them and mention stunning beauty.......and my wife and I have a look and usually say something like " I can just see more stars? " I would think a 14" with a good mirror, properly set up, would give greater contrast ?

[Veracocha]

You can't compare the views through a 14" dob and a William Optics 80mm refractor. One's great for imaging, the others great for viewing. It's pointless trying to explain a star cluster (M13) through a big dob and I doubt I could do it justice. To me it made anything smaller seem redundant.

[Moonshane]

I completely agree that larger apertures make virtually everything look better, I have a 16"dob. star clusters just fill the view and with muvh greater density than with smaller scopes; I agree there's just no comparison with a small aperture.

[Macavity]

It was more about trying to see if I was missing something and finding what others have gone through.

Well, you could give Video Astronomy a go? A fair investment in the camera, but many people have a spare "screen" these days and you (may) only need a coax lead. The standard 12V battery of course. But it can be an antidote to those, uninspired by an endless procession of "grey blobs".

[crbazzer]

i feel in a similar way to 'thirdway' does, i was really excited when i first started, seeing jupiters bands and moons, mars although not very well and well the fantastic sights of saturn for the first time and every time since, it was something new and interesting, i've allways been amazed by space, the universe and galaxies. i had big ideas as to what i was going to do with my new hobby. i was going to build an observatory with a sliding roof and a warm room and have a nice scope on a pillar all connected up elctronically to my computer. it was only last week i was going to buy a 12" dob. then it hit me. am i willing to spend all this money if at the end of it i'm still only going to be able to see jupiter, mars ,saturn and faint clouds that are apparently nebulae. don't get me wrong i love looking at them but its not enough to keep me going out night after night in the freezing cold.luckily i got these feelings before i had spent a small fortune and decided not to do it. i feel really dissapointed and a little upset that this hasn't gripped me in the way it has a lot of people on this forum because i love to see the sights that hubble sees, but i know i will never be able to see them for my self. i will keep my scope and i will still use it from time to time. unfortunately not all hobbies suit everyone but i'm so pleased i gave it a go. good luck on your next hobby and i hope i will find something that suits me better too.

[johnboy999]

Hi, what about the educational side , maybe you could do a module from a degree course or the GCSE from star learner.

I really like reading books and watching shows like wonders,of the solar system and am interested into getting more into the physics side of the hobby later on.

[tony4563]

crbazza

Nonsense! You NEED a 12" Dob.

Oh wait! I have one for sale!

... And I'm in Bradford!

[Thirdway]

Did I read about a video camera that gives a live image which is already effectively stacked so that you get a strong image?

[Stargazer_00]

personally I think you know if something is for you or it isn't. Everyone should experience it in my mind and if you are satisfied with what you've seen then sell up and let someone get a good buy and good usage from that scope

Personally I still love seeing what is going on in the sky everytime I get my scope out. I have often suffered from the dreaded 5 minute wonder and after getting my first scope a few months ago now I really had to hold back pouring cash into the new hobby in case it wasnt for me. As it turns out I find myself watching the sky constantly. whenever I can get the scope out I do. I watch jupiter every day just to see how the moons are positioned, if I'm going to get a transit today, if the spot is out etc. always pay a cursory glance at venus, mars then start looking around the stars. I find great fun in navigating the stars, finding the patterns and hopping to find my prize.... I mean andromeda is literally a barely existant white glow to me due to light pollution but to be honest I always go right to it if I can and my brain and imagination does the rest for me.. it makes me feel part of something far bigger and more beautiful than just half price sales, mortgage payments, traffic jams and monday mornings.

clearly i'm hooked so have just invested in a few new bst explorers and filters to get the most out of my scope they should be here tomorrow!!

I promised myself when I got it (its only a 6 inch skywatcher 150p) that if I stuck it for a year id save up 1500 quid or so and get myself a good Mak so I may start saving soon

I think its for me....

[Russe]

Get out while you can and spend your money on jewellery for your wife!

[philhas]

Well, you could give Video Astronomy a go? A fair investment in the camera, but many people have a spare "screen" these days and you (may) only need a coax lead. The standard 12V battery of course. But it can be an antidote to those, uninspired by an endless procession of "grey blobs".

Fully agree with Macavity, Video astronomy is the way forward, when you see a colour image in real time even in a light polluted sky it soon sparks the interest again.

[Grunthos]

.........Getting a decent pair of high power binoculars is something that I was thinking of ......

A good idea.

You may be pleasantly surprised at how much astronomy one can enjoy with a decent binocular.

Maybe you want to consider a good 10x50 or 15x70 rather than just throwing money away.

There's many an astronomer started off with a binocular. Some of us remain addicted to them.

Good recommendations for an astro binocular found here (the author even posts on the SGL forums).

Oh and just my 2p worth - DSO's and the like are not mandatory. Nothing wrong with sticking to planets and good old Luna....

[patomlin76]

I'd advise keeping the scope in case you get the interest back in the future.

I tend to overdo new things too much and the novelty wears off very quickly. With astronomy I've forced myself to be different... Patience waiting for the best evenings and only concentrating on a few objects means that there's always something new to look at, and often conditions dictate that objects look better on some nights compared to others.

Also even though all I can see are fuzzy blobs, I like to cross ref what they are with a book or the Internet. It's not always what the object looks like, it's what your actually seeing millions of light years away...

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[swamp thing]

It's like all hobbies:

It either floats ya boat or it don't.

That's pretty much the long the short and the tall of it.

Nobody can give you enthusiasm to observe or image, or convince you it's great! That's up to you.

We all try hobbies that aren't for us. It's part of life. Sometimes the reality of a hobby doesn't live up to expectations. Sometimes it does. Such is life.

I wish you the very best.

I hope your next hobby is THE one for you.

Regards Steve

[Catanonia]

You sound like me, a quick learner and get bored of hobbies.

Me, flying, fishing, remote controlled helicopters and planes, superbike racing (yes I did 2 years amatuer superbike racing

But

Astrophotography is a BUG. It is hard, so much to learn and of course spend.

Try it, give it a go, you sound like the type of person that would love the chance to sit at the computer and mess around with hours of data and produce something your are proud of and show to people.

That is what has kept me going. Life outside work, is me at my puter messing around with data, computers, scopes trying to become the next Hubble. Wanting to get better. That is me, Mr Want to Be the BEST !!!

[Qualia]

The wonder that I think must have touched upon almost everyone here, for all those who remain and for all those who have moved on, is to have found at a given time in their life new material to work upon in the phenomena of self and nature and to have been ready to form new combinations of them both.

And for that everyone here needs a salute.

I think everyone has tried to step away from the ceaseless struggle of 9 to 5, from the heartaches, and pangs and stress of everyday life and to encounter moments of precious relaxation and the invigoration of mind. And that in itself is something, is everything.

So long as we try to pursue this path, then, this path of mental nourishment and deep thought and breath, steering clear of common cynicism and to nudge ourselves from time to time so as not to forget the wonder 'of it all', then I feel we are always doing the right thing.

It doesn't really matter which way our sails surge and bilow, for in the end, whatever the decision we make, all of us are inevitably led back to the same old place - our selves.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

[Catanonia]

The wonder that I think must have touched upon almost everyone here, for all those who remain and for all those who have moved on, is to have found at a given time in their life new material to work upon in the phenomena of self and nature and to have been ready to form new combinations of them both.

And for that everyone here needs a salute.

I think everyone has tried to step away from the ceaseless struggle of 9 to 5, from the heartaches, and pangs and stress of everyday life and to encounter moments of precious relaxation and the invigoration of mind. And that in itself is something, is everything.

So long as we try to pursue this path, then, this path of mental nourishment and deep thought and breath, steering clear of common cynicism and to nudge ourselves from time to time so as not to forget the wonder 'of it all', then I feel we are always doing the right thing.

It doesn't really matter which way our sails surge and bilow, for in the end, whatever the decision we make, all of us are inevitably led back to the same old place - our selves.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Do you knock on my door every Saturday trying to preach to me ?

Sorry mate, but that was scary, I think I know what you where getting at, but sounded like a religious door knocker.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Astronomy isn't a hobby, its a lifestyle. It suits some people and not others. You wont catch me flyfishing any day soon (no pun intended).

[Moonshane]

Do you knock on my door every Saturday trying to preach to me ?

Sorry mate, but that was scary, I think I know what you where getting at, but sounded like a religious door knocker.

I am sure this was intended as gentle winding up but do please keep it friendly, we all have different views and ways of putting things.

[Demonperformer]

Did I read about a video camera that gives a live image which is already effectively stacked so that you get a strong image?

Don't know if you read about it, but it definitely exists (I have one): Astro video cameras - Watec 120n - Mintron @ Modern Astronomy

On a more general note:

Have you seen either of the bright supernovae around atm?

One of the most 'exciting' things I have done is giving the local cubs an astro-night - a video camera would be perfect for that. Their enthusiasm and excitement was infectious.