Giving it up :(

[dharma66]

I was quite active on this forum a couple of years ago, and ended up buying a scope.

of course, as soon as I did that, my work patterns changed dramatically. I've now owned it for exactly a year, and used it exactly twice. Once for just ten minutes.

It pains me because I've wanted a decent scope for 30 years, but it seems pointless keeping fabulous piece of kit just as an ornament.

thanks to everyone who helped me out when I used to hang out. It's a really great forum.

dont think I have enough posts to use the classifieds, and won't abuse by saying anything more about what I'm selling.

just a thanks for all the prior help.

[nightfisher]

I feel your pain, as i have work issue`s that really get in the way of my hobby, but i know soon it will be getting dark sooner in the evenings and i will be able to get some astro work done.....................hang in there

[bingevader]

NO, hang on a minute!

How permanent are your work pattern changes?

Everyone goes through lean patches.

I had a very lean patch when the girls arrived, too tired mostly.

If your intentions are still good then just make the most of the limited time you have.

If you've gone right off astronomy, then fair enough and I take it all back.

The weather has been totally pants the last few years, even with the will and the way, I've not been out much.

Don't go just yet, especially if you still enjoy it.

Cheers

[dharma66]

Appreciate the sentiment, but ice been right through a winter, and had zero chances to get the scope out, if anything, things will be worse this year.

Has to go I'm afraid

[Schorhr]

Smaller telescope that's portable and usable on the balcony... Only thing you can Do to overcome lazyness, little Free Time and rarely spreaded clear nights :-/

[dharma66]

Takes me 5 mins to get setup (I have a dob), but even then, I really have zero time. There were maybe a dozen nights in the last 12 months when I even considered it, and only one was clear. One had broken clouds and I got in 10 mins. The others were full cloud cover.

in the coming year or two, I don't see me having a dozen nights free...

[Qualia]

Sorry to hear this, dharma. As Nightfisher also says, I feel your pain. The last few months in Spain I've been crippled not so much by work matters but chronic weather (night storms day after day, week after week) and have only been able to get out of the city twice in the last month.

But have you thought about solar viewing? I don't consider it a supplement to nightly observation but an entire art and field of wonder in itself. I cannot imagine what observing the sun must be like with a proper H-Alpha scope, but even in white light it is a joy. A small frac with solar film and an EP giving 50x and you can be viewing any time of the day, from just about anywhere you fancy (office window, early morning from the garden, what have you). PSTs - I imagine - are even smaller, and I think would be even easier to set up and use than the frac.

I appreciate nights might be out of consideration, especially with work and family compromises, but a 10/15 minute slot in the day wouldn't be asking too much.

[bingevader]

Seriously, when I said "lean patch", I was talking years, not weeks!

As long as you store the 'scope adequately (obligatory shower cap!) it'll be fine.

There's at least 10 years in most 1^os before they need re-coating.

Cheers

[nightfisher]

Have to say the post from Qualia make a lot of sense, in this situation i would look at getting a small mak or a refractor, set up with white light solar filter, this is then usable for solar or a bit of planet/ lunar work if you get a clear night with no work issues

[John]

I had around 9 years without a scope following the birth of my children. No internet back then either so I stayed in touch with the hobby with astro magazines, the Sky at Night programme and a pair of binoculars.

The interest never seems to burn out though so even without a scope I'm sure you can remain connected to the hobby in some ways. I hope you do whatever you choose to do about your scope

[AlexB67]

I'd say consider all of the above all of the above. Personally I would add if you need to sell because you need the cash, or it is in the way, perhaps sell up, otherwise hang on to it, you never know when .... In a few years time you may regret it, but that's me personally as I said. There are some peripherals I own I could sell in other hobbies that I've not been using in recent years, but you never know, I can't bring myself to part with them all the same. perhaps I am too much of a sentimental type

[dick_dangerous]

My Tal-M has been languishing in its big wooden box behind my parent's sofa for the last 14 years, while the stand has been home to whole generations of spiders - seriously, I think some of them may have speciated in there... Then a couple of weeks ago I went to visit my parents, dusted down the stand, put it back together and, save for a broken tube ring, re-mounted the telescope. We had five minutes before my Mum started to huff and puff about it being late so I pointed it at Saturn and the optics worked brilliantly. Not bad for a 20 year old telescope. It was also the first time my Dad had seen the rings of Saturn (They were edge on back in '95 when I was observing it last). He's now keen to get back into it having wanted a telescope for 63 years!

My greatest regret since I gave up on Physics as a career is that I didn't keep up with the astronomy. I've even lived in a couple of share houses in London with gardens and wish I'd had even my little ST80 then. Times change and it'd be better to have an expensive ornament that's there when you've got time for it than not, even if you wait 14 years for that time.

DD

[dharma66]

Ah you see, you're all hardcore, and I'm not. It makes no sense to me at all to have something lying around with the expectation of occasional use. I'm into it, but nothing like that much...

also, I'm afraid I've never had any interest at all in the sun. I've had a look through a proper solar scope a few years back when visiting the states - the local astro club was out - and it did nothing for me at all. And anyway, I rarely see daylight, being I the office many, many hours a day. And there's no way I could setup a scope at the office. I work for a massive institution, and would need all kinds of health and safety assessments.

i really think the time has come

thanks for the words though.

im going to stop replying now, otherwise its going to look like I'm trying to get my post count up so I can advertise

thanks everyone

[faulksy]

all the best to you mate, and good luck

[ronin]

I can understand it and I am in a different position to you regarding keeping an unused scope around.

Possibly consider later on a small scope, literally something like a half reasonable 70mm achro on an simple mount. It would a;ways be something to drag outside and take a look and you may have occasion to use it if say friends were round and someone asked about the sky. Never know one of them may have an interest as well.

To me a lot still comes down to the biggest scope or the most used scope. My most used are 70mm and 90mm refractors.

Another thing is a club, SGL people tend to be individuals but a club means once a month you maintain a connection and you never know a weather god could just smile on you and it could be a clear night also.

[leader of the starry skys]

hi there , ive bought mine recently and only used once ,luckily I saw Saturn on my 2nd star, but waiting for autumn and winter , and don't forget theres the chance of seeing comet ison if it goes spectacular which was the the reason I finally bought my scope for after yrs of toying with the idea, also just got a pair of binoculars 2nd hand for £5 from second hand shop only 10x50 , if you still fancy looking up at the stars and moon why not sell your stuff and get yourself a real good pair of astronomy binoculars then you can literally pick up and look straight away no effort, no setting up even though you said it takes only 5 mins ive got a dobsonian 150p , at the moment I think god im gonna have to wait till 10.30 get my dob outside look around for hour then get it all back inside and yes it is an effort.... so why not go for binocs? that would stll keep your interest up

[bingevader]

I had around 9 years without a scope following the birth of my children. No internet back then either so I stayed in touch with the hobby with astro magazines, the Sky at Night programme and a pair of binoculars.

The interest never seems to burn out though so even without a scope I'm sure you can remain connected to the hobby in some ways. I hope you do whatever you choose to do about your scope

Exactly, but my break wasn't that long!

I wasn't and I'm still not "hardcore", I just wanted to try and say that others have been there too, but I'm happy to leave it at that if we can't persuade you.

All the best.

Cheers

[m37]

Feel your pain man, sorry to hear that. Maybe you will come back to it in a few years; even if you get rid of your scope you will still have the knowledge you have picked up. All the best.

[Charon]

It's a shame but it is your choice and no one knows the situation better than yourself, perhaps when things eventually settle down you will be able to return to this wonderful hobby. Good luck.

[LukeSkywatcher]

For some people,giving up is an easy choice. They may only be into astronomy for a while with not much luck (weather-wise). I can respect this. Obviously there are other factors like work,family etc to consider. For other (like myself), its not an easy thing to give up because i have been observing the night sky in one way or another for about 34yrs. Astronomy to me is not a hobby to be enjoyed whenever the weather permits. Its instilled in my very being. Its part of my life and part of who i am. If i didnt have it in my life for all these yrs,i'd still be me,but a different version of me.

I wish dharma all the best and hope one day that they get time just to stop and look up to the night sky with their eyes and be immersed in the wonder of it all.

[planet15]

To me too, for some strange reason, Astronomy seem more than just a hobby I feel.

Could it be, perhaps, because of the fact that human beings originated from outer space? Could it be our strong instinct - that some of us want to get close to the place where we all originated from? I wonder.

[LukeSkywatcher]

We are children of the stars. Every atom in our bodies came from space.

[DaveS]

"We are such stuff as stars are made of". Sorry Will...

To the OP, I gave things up for a good few years (Must be 20+) when the light pollution ad seeing became just too disheartening. Came back a few years ago (About the time I joined SGL).

Point being, because I hadn't maintained my old 'scope I ended up having to buy from new.

So even if you have to store your 'scope somewhere don't let it go, or go to ruin, because there's always the possibility of coming back.

And we'll still be here when you do

[barkis]

I suppose the first thing to consider when contemplatiing observational. and or Imaging astronomy in the United Kingdom, is the very small window of opportunity we have.

I'm talking our skies of course, and the slim chances of getting any prolonged spells of good clear night skies to enjoy need to be considered well before committing to buying Equipment.,

particularly very expensive mount and telescope. Having said that, I have been persuing this fantastic way of life for very many years, and have built and modified many times my own Observatories, from a Domed one, to two in tandem roll off roofed ones. Everything is comfortable in there, and I avail myself of the equipment therein, whenever the opportunities present themselves.

The box I'm carted off in, will certainly precede the ones that gear will when the time comes. I never think of quitting, I care too much for the stars, they to me are immortal, whilst I am not, so I will drink in their beauty till I no more I am able.

Now that is me, I'm not suggesting everyone should be the same, far from it. I take in their sights whenever I'm permitted, I have the patience to wait, When the skies clear, they will be waiting, they always are.

Might sound a load of mush, but I'm serious.

Ron.

[andrew63]

Well all the best - but remember too much work /overwork is no good for anybody. You don't need a telescope to enjoy the night sky...

andrew