130 v 200 - Help me sway the wife

[Hightower]

Ok, so I've had my 130 for about a year, but I would like to do more DSO observing so have my eyes on a 200 dob.

Has anybody got any photo evidence of the difference viewing wise between a 130 and 200? I'm not expecting to see much in the way of planets, but it should improve it quite substantially when viewing DSO's right?

Would love to go to her and say "this is a photo of X on a 130, and this is a 200. Look at the difference"

[jabberwocky]

Is your 130 the dob or on an eg mount?

if its on the eq mount the 200 dob takes up far less space when not in use, she is more likely to appreciate this than what you can see though it.

[Hightower]

Hi, it's AZ mount - it doesn't take up too much room, and I plan on keeping it as well (so not an upgrade, more like a new purchase).

The 200 dob is out of stock until next month, so gives me more time to persuade her - with a star camp coming up I'm sure I'll be able too. In the meantime, it's observing with the 130 (which isn't so bad really).

[tonedeaf]

does she understand maths? (my gf doesn´t -> good to know that she´s an accountant )

so you can tell her that a 200 has a 2,37 times greater area -> more light, better etc...

other things would be:

"i will make breakfast for you...a lifetime"

"my TV time will go down"

"i will make the household during daytime"

"i have no idea, i need this...i NEEED it!!!"

[Hightower]

does she understand maths? (my gf doesn´t -> good to know that she´s an accountant )

so you can tell her that a 200 has a 2,37 times greater area -> more light, better etc...

other things would be:

"i will make breakfast for you...a lifetime"

"my TV time will go down"

"i will make the household during daytime"

"i have no idea, i need this...i NEEED it!!!"

I don't think she understands all the terms haha. I'm hoping at star camp she will notice that people spend tens of thousands on equipment, and all I want (for the moment) is a £300 dob.

There's only really one thing I could use to bribe her with, and I'll be damned if I'm giving up motorbikes haha.

[swamp thing]

I plan on keeping it as well (so not an upgrade, more like a new purchase).

Hmmm! Keeping it eh?? You NEED a 10" or a 12" then

[JamesF]

I don't think she understands all the terms haha. I'm hoping at star camp she will notice that people spend tens of thousands on equipment, and all I want (for the moment) is a £300 dob.

There is of course the danger that seeing people who have spent tens of thousands on kit will make her believe that £300 on a dob is just the thin end of the wedge

James

[Naemeth]

I don't think she understands all the terms haha. I'm hoping at star camp she will notice that people spend tens of thousands on equipment, and all I want (for the moment) is a £300 dob.

There's only really one thing I could use to bribe her with, and I'll be damned if I'm giving up motorbikes haha.

There's a dangerous game to play. You could well end up wanting to spend that amount, and when she knows what it costs... it's better to keep the OH's informed about cost.. I do and somehow get away with it (I'm not sure if she's keeping track.. My astro gear is worth about 5 times what my scope cost second hand ).

Astronomy gets very expensive if you start thinking "I need this, I need that", believe me, that's how my signature got the way it is .

[TonyD]

Yes it is the blurred distinction between the words "want" and "need".

Also, don't forget that argument "well in reality it doesn't cost that much because I can always sell it again, and, if I look after it, we are looking at certainly no more than half the money lost.

I'm in an even better situation in Norway. Second hand here = new in UK. So second hand in UK = profit in Norway.

That's the game I'm playing when swinging it with my OH, at any rate :evil:

[Luke]

You could try saying it's the UK's most popular dobsonian telescope and is the one that gets recommened the most on SGL. It gives better views of many objects because it lets in a lot more light to help you see objects that would be too faint to see in the 130. Hope it helps! I'm lucky that my missus is into the hobby, I can't imagine what some of the other halves think of the astro spending at times! Mind you, my missus knows too much about CCDs for me to buy one and pretend it cost £40. :-o

[fondofchips]

There is of course the danger that seeing people who have spent tens of thousands on kit will make her believe that £300 on a dob is just the thin end of the wedge

James

Nice one James, didn't see that one coming! However being clued up on the other half's questions/arguments is part of the battle!

[Hightower]

Hmmmmm, food for thought. She's not bad with me spending money on hobbies. I mean, she's quite happy to let me get a new bike in the summer. Just she wants stuff doing to the house and that is taking priority at the moment.....