Do i really need...........

[nightfisher]

All these scope, mounts and all the gear that goes with it?

I have a really small house, that seems to be filling up with astro gear, i am supposed to be selling the house early next year to move in with my fiancee, then we sell her house to get a place of our own, she will have kittens if i try to bring all this stuff with me!

My main interest is Lunar/ planetary and double stars, seems a decent 4" f10-f11 frac, an AZ4 mount and my A-focal lunar set up is all i really need, plus my ep`s

Maybe its time for a rethink and a pruning of the gear

[ItIsOnlyMe]

Probably not, but then many people are very happy without a girlfriend any many more without a fiancé/wife

[The Sailor]

Have you asked her how many wardrobes she will be using , I would do a wait and see.

Jim

[ronin]

Sounds like a Tal would be the scope you need to keep or get.

If you wanted to spend more then maybe one of the Peak 2 Valley scopes that are built on the Istar lens.

Myself I would think of the Astro Profession 110 f/7 scopes from TS.

[bomberbaz]

Have you asked her how many wardrobes she will be using , I would do a wait and see.

haha, either you are a bachelor Jim or you have been married a longgggg time, the latter I think

[nightfisher]

Sounds like a Tal would be the scope you need to keep or get.

If you wanted to spend more then maybe one of the Peak 2 Valley scopes that are built on the Istar lens.

Myself I would think of the Astro Profession 110 f/7 scopes from TS.

I have the Tal

[AndyH]

Dude, you MUST get a house with a batcave loft.

Hides lots of 'stuff'.

[nightfisher]

Dude, you MUST get a house with a batcave loft.

Hides lots of 'stuff'.

You wanna see Karins loft, its full of her stuff

[The Sailor]

haha, either you are a bachelor Jim or you have been married a longgggg time, the latter I think

I sailed into port 12 year ago with all my worldly possession on my yacht, today, SHMBO has a full length bedroom wardrobe, me, my clothes are in the spare bedroom and still in the waterproof cases I came ashore with, read what you want into that .

Jim

[foundaplanet]

Dude, you MUST get a house with a batcave loft.

Hides lots of 'stuff'.

Yeah, give it some time, give it some proper thought. This is a big decision, it could be life changing.

[nightfisher]

To be honest this has been on my mind a good while, but i wont rush into a decision

[Qualia]

I think there is a lot to be said with owning less of stuff in general. Within reason, owning fewer things means there is less to maintain, less to clean, less to spend money on, less to worry about.

Purposely deciding to own less is always a nice way of getting one's financial situation in order but it goes further. It's an age old adage that every new possession is another fetter in one's chains and that another bit of stuff contains the promise of wearing us out. As the expense for that thing increases, so too the worry about it and the need to further one's care and concern about it. Many purchases these days end up surpasing the convenience and ease they offered, by crippling life with new forms of anxiety and disquietness.

So, with that said, I'd chat it through with your girlfriend, Jules. Maybe you have room for a study room of sorts where you can store all your gear and there's no need to sell, or you have a garage. You have chosen a fascinating and enriching hobby and it would be a great shame to limit its potential for the sake of a few metres squared of home space. Astronomy is part of what makes you you, and I'm sure your girlfriend would hate to see that change.

However, life is full of compromises. I had to rent a storage room here simply because the flat is too small. I keep most of my books, records, notes, boxes of stuff, bike etc all in that store room and if I need it, I have to make a twenty minute walk to hunt it out. Maybe, if it came down to it, you might have to do something similar, the famous British shed really is something to write home about.

Anyway, on a personal note, I figure a nice frac for planets and moon work and a bigger aperture newt (8" to 10") for DSOs would be suffice for a lifetime's entertainment. That is an idea I'm working towards.

[nightfisher]

Some very wise words Rob, except i have no need for a newt, i dont really get on with them, and if im brutally honest, i have but a passing interest in deep sky objects, my studies of the night sky are limited to Lunar, planets and double stars, with just an occasional glance at some brighter nebula and galaxies, and a few clusters

[rowan46]

It's always a tough call what baggage to let go of from the old life when you start the next phase of a new one my bit of useless advice is make sure there is room in the new place for a lair or den how much you want to clutter it is then up to you. All of the happiest marriages I came across the man had a lair, den, study, shed, obsy call it what you will but it usually involves a personal and private space men seem to need them.

[nightfisher]

Yes, a lair or den would be most useful, but not available at Karins house, but when we buy a new home, it will be a priority!

[Delboy_Hog]

I agree with what's been said - don't rush into selling - perhaps storage in the short term, as you don't wan to get rid of anything you might then desperately want back when you have your place together. I'd say hang onto it (unless you just don't use it / get on with it) at least until you've got your new place, then you can consider the batcave / shed / loft / sell it options?

Mrs_Hog gets a bit fed up of me having bits of kit around the house, but she knows i enjoy it, and if it means she gets a quiet evening in front of the telly while i'm outside, she soon sees the positive side to it all!

[Beulah]

Ah - well it's a case of love me, love my scope...

I'm serious!

At the very worst, a compromise should be reached where you downgrade your gear a little and she downgrades her clutter a little.

[jezhughes]

My mum is so annoyed about how much of her kitchen is currently being taken up by my *stuff*

[The Sailor]

Ah - well it's a case of love me, love my scope...

I had something similar with regards my yacht, during the maintenance season I had to put the sails and all the boating paraphernalia somewhere and this caused a flutter, so I suggested I could use her as the figurehead to save space in the house. Boat has gone and we are still together .

Jim

[Dunkster]

My view is that it's all about setting expectations. Your fiancé already knows you lead this double life at night and this requires equipment which requires space...any hobby or pastime does. If you sell some stuff and don't really want to, that can only lead to resentment. But if you go into it with her knowing you need X amount of space, then you can work towards those goals together. Also, if you move house with very little kit and buy some more, it's more obviously noticeable

[nightfisher]

My view is that it's all about setting expectations. Your fiancé already knows you lead this double life at night and this requires equipment which requires space...any hobby or pastime does. If you sell some stuff and don't really want to, that can only lead to resentment. But if you go into it with her knowing you need X amount of space, then you can work towards those goals together. Also, if you move house with very little kit and buy some more, it's more obviously noticeable

All well and good setting expectations but if there is no room at the inn, it becomes a hard call, this one is going to take some pondering

[Moonshane]

a 10" f6.3 or 8" f8 OOUK dob would take up no room in the corner

seriously though I'd keep one mount and the big mak plus perhaps the Tal, this would have most if not all your bases covered. big mak when you have lots of time for cooldown and tal for quickie sessions.

[nightfisher]

Shane, your a wind up merchant, i cannot post what i would like to put regards an OO dob

but whatever happens i will keep a 4" f10 or get the f11, I was reflecting (ha ha) over the last year and i reckon i have used the 180 4 times at most, 2 times at star party`s.

[Moonshane]

I wonder if an SCT might cool a bit quicker? perhaps a 200mm would be a good bet if you sold your other bits. to be fair given your preferences for observing I reckon that you may be OK with just a 100mm ED. this would be a very nice scope and I suspect just that bit better than the TAL? you'd easily raise enough I think with your other bits gone and have some money left over?

[The Sailor]

2 times at star party`s.

I suppose you have mentioned the star parties, weekends away with the boys, and she has given her blessing?

Jim