Astronomy can cost you, BE-AWARE!!!

[rob7]

I am reasonably new to astronomy, but I love it like no other hobby I've had or have. When you get the bug like I now have, you can soon mount up a fair few quid spent on the original purchase of the telescope, the 'better' diagonal than the one which came with the scope, more eyepieces which are 'better' than the ones which came with the scope, barlows, zooms, filters, dew shields and controllers, powerbacks, collimators, the list can go on and on. You can keep on spending by branching out into areas like astrophotography and such. Then there comes a time when you 'need' or 'want' to upgrade again. Some of us do and if a bit more 'steady she goes' at least want to add to our collection of astronomy toys, wether to cover different aspects of astronomy, to get the better version of what we've already got, the latest version of the latest astro' product and again so on and so on. When some of us start out, [especially me], we can have a very simplistic view of astronomy, afterall, all you need is a telescope, an eyepiece and a gap in the clouds and away you go..But, as many keen fledgling astronomers soon find out, [myself as a prime example], your hand is always in your wallet or your reading off your switch/credit card numbers to some chap over the phone at an internet located shop, [no reference to Steve at FLO intended, but come to think of it, possibly appropiate]. I started with a small supermarket telescope on a alt-az mount, then a larger tasco scope on a simple eq mount . Then I couldn't resist a 8" Revelation dob, but of course this wouldn't keep me going, so I added a Skywatcher ST120 refractor, [for a 'travel scope' of course]. From there I purhased a Celestron C6 sgt which needless to say has go-to, [i need to be able to find things and quickly, don't I]. You'd think Id be content, but no I recently purchased a bigger 12" version of the dob I already had, [better/upgrade]. But having or having had all these nice scopes I needed/wanted to make them work better. So, I 'had' to have more/better accessories. I merrily continued to donate my 'hard-earned' to the happy folk at the astonomy tills for the premium 2" diagonal, apo barlow, series 500 2" 2x telextender, 8-24mm zoom, 12 piece eyepiece and filter set ,series 5000 2" 32/40mm ep's, due shields and controller's, camera mounting platforms, foam inserted aluminium ep cases, to name but a few! I'm even in the process of converting a new shed I built at 'some cost' for other reasons into a observatory. Without doubt ,I know I'm only at the tip of the iceberg. Now and looking into the future, theres so much more I 'need and want'.

So, to sum things up, if anybody ever says to me astronomy is a simplistic hobby because you only need 'a telescope, an eyepiece, a gap in the clouds and away you go'...........I'll let my poor wife and bank manager explain...

Regards, Scrooge.[Rob].

BAR HUMBUG TO EVERYONE AT SGL..

[MikeP]

Sounds like you are single-handedly keeping the economy going.

Well done.

Mike

PS I try not to think about what I have spent.

[Black Shuck]

Rob,

When I first joined SGL my username raised a few comments along those same lines!!

Cheers

Bill£

[Sam]

Thanks Rob, You've given me some great ideas on what to buy next!

Sam

[iancandler]

Your right it does mount up, and quickly!!

I'm currently rationlising my gear, so have reduced myself to the two scopes I can easily manage that between them will cover widefield and lunar/planetary for both visual and photographic use.

The same with eyepieces.. when Im finished there will just be 5 in total covering 40mm-6mm, a 2" ed barlow and possibly a 1.25" apo barlow.

I have to admit I was tempted by the new megrez 72, but so far have resisted, the same with bino viewers as with my scope I will need to use an OCA, meaning they will only be any use for lunar /planetary..

The only downside to this has been that in replacing items and sorting the eyepieces out I decided to try and get better quality ones and since picking up the 19mm panoptic have realised all replacements need to be of similar quality.. thus expensive.. all I can say is thank god for the Burgess optical/TMB planetary's..not far of radians quality wise, but a lot cheaper..

Its really odd how our perception of expensive changes so quickly.. a year or so ago I would have cringed in horror at paying over £100 for an eyepiece, over £200 and I would have been thinking "I could get a little scope for that".

The irony is that if I cant pick up a 24mm panoptic secondhand then Im likely to end up buying a new one that will cost me more than the ZS66 SD it will be used with cost me secondhand..

Eeeep!! I just did some quick sums and even my modest set up (yes it is modest, really) comes out in excess of £2000 and thats excluding my DSLR...I can honestly say if I hadnt had my old guitars etc to sell I would still be using my brothers old tasco reflector..

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

I think that you can spend what you can afford and get by in this hobby. Between Warthog (who hasn't let on he's bought anything major recently) and MartinB who has a serious habit, most of us manage with what we can afford. It doesn't have to be expensive, but it can be if you want. Some of the more experienced members get by without even goto, never mind CCD stuff and laptops, makes me wonder how they do it.

Kaptain Klevtsov

[cygnusx1]

theres so much more I 'need and want'.

You've hit it on the head chap. There is a remarkable difference in what we NEED vs what we WANT.

For me that's the essence of making a decision in buying some new piece of astro-kit.

Is it just a 'nice to have', impulsive buy onb a whim or a well thought out decision about what i want to achieve and how i go about doing it effectively at a minimal financial outlay.

Problem is, when we begin this exploratory hobby, few of us know what we can achieve or want to.

We just go out and buy, buy, buy because so and so said so.

Think first, buy later - it'll save you a tidy sum in the long run and a lot less heartache.

[Stardust]

I'm sure I don't really need all that I want and that's the main reason I buy secondhand. If I decide to sell it on again the depreciation is far less than buying new, plus it makes my hard earned go further.

must stop buying things

Dave

[John]

I'm sometimes tempted to sell all my kit and go back to basics - probably a 6 inch dobsonian and a small selection of cheapish eyepieces. I'd probably still be able to see more or less as much as I can now and have a few hundred quid in the bank to spend on other hobbies

Buying and selling kit is addictive - and it's been made so easy by the internet with sites like Astro Buy & Sell - with a few mouse clicks you have sold £100 quids worth of stuff and bought another load for £200

Have to think about a new year's resolution relating to this I think.

John

[supernova]

OH dear, I was thinking about buying a 13mm ethos.

[SteelRat]

I think that you can spend what you can afford and get by in this hobby

Yup, I doubt if any of my scopes actually owe me more than a few pounds. My imaging gear (lunar and planetary only of course) is included in my monthly mobile phone bill. I THINK that my last three eyepieces (UO orthos) now owe me around £25. If I can get that much for the 32mm SPL I don't need any more...

Many a new member here have as an early post;- 'my maximum budget is £100'. Then later (normally around two months after the initial £180 purchase) they post about what they have been looking at in their 8 inch goto telescope

Spend what you like. I would if I had it

[barkis]

You do a damned fine job with what you do have Matt.

Ron.

[SteelRat]

Aaaaawwwwwww - thanks Ron

Sure do enjoy lookin up there though. Glad I got m'bins 8)

Be nice if we all got a good spell o clear sky though eh?

That's the one thing I'm sure we'd ALL spend cack loads on eh mate?

[markcol]

Good topic and probably a good time to take stock...

Just been tidying up and found a sheaf of delivery notes/invoices from this year!

Anyone want some bubblewrap/jiffybags?...

Cheers

Mark

[barkis]

The skies on the whole this year, have been pretty naff. I think if it was possible to buy a couple of hours of good seeing for a tenner, most of us would pay it. The guys who have spent bucket loads of dough on equipment, just for to lie idle coz. the weather is carpo most of the time

Mut really be grinding the teeth away in frustration, while the wife mutters under the breath. ("Why don't you sell it all, and buy fishing gear") And they love saying it too you know. Well, some of em.

Ron.

[centroid]

So, to sum things up, if anybody ever says to me astronomy is a simplistic hobby because you only need 'a telescope, an eyepiece, a gap in the clouds and away you go'...........I'll let my poor wife and bank manager explain...

I wish you had forewarned me a few years ago Rob, could have saved me a small fortune.

Dave

[CELESCOPE]

To think ,i could have bought 5 or 6 houses with what i have spent on equipment , i,m talking back in the 70s now ehehehheh , but i tell ya what ,through all the carp weather , it has given me great enjoyment, and been worth every penny over the last 10 years,

Rog

[jgs001]

Rob,

Thanks for this thread. It's given me pause for thought. My wife is acting as monetary consiense and I've resisted the temptation to dive headlong into the well that is the WO APO scopes, especially when you have no kit to match them with (But oh boy do they look good!!!).

[LaVey]

From there I purhased a Celestron C6 sgt which needless to say has go-to,

I just bought one of these, and was shocked to see you said 'needless to say it has to go'... then re-read and saw you actually said 'needless to say has go-to'.. !

lol :shock:

[leehawkins]

People spend thousands on holidays, just for the memory, nothing really tangible, they cant actually touch it and often it was not that good really because they have gone back to where they did last year, but they did have a ''nice time'' and that's all they got for their few thousand £s, a nice time.

[Sam]

It's a great way to spend that hard earned cash. But it's not as expensive an some other hobbies and passtimes that people have. I have tipped 1000's into my wife's and kid's horse riding hobby so I have no problems (except for the cash fow) spending on astronomy.

[beamer3.6m]

I think it is ok to spend your hard earned on our hobbies so long as other things in our lives do not suffer.

I think as long as the wife/children/family life/house/bills etc etc etc are also catered for then spending what is left on your hobby is fine, it is only when the hobby comes first that problems can arrise.

[MartinB]

I've been climbing the gear mountain that is astroimaging for the past couple of years and sometimes I have a clear insight into how ridiculous it all is. The money can never be justified and at times I wish I had stuck with a super polaris, an ED80 and an Atik 2HS web cam. The desire to "progress" is so strong it overcomes common sense.

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

OH dear, I was thinking about buying a 13mm ethos.

Let us know if its as good as the reviews say it is Bernie, it should be perfect in your cannon.

Kaptain Klevtsov

[Stardust]

At least we have something to show for our spending. I know 4 people who spent £150 each to see Kylie, now put thier night out together and I could spend it on something to really show them the stars. But each to thier own, they think I'm daft standing out in the frost. The weather is a little frustrating, OK very frustrating, but you don't half appreciate a clear night.

DAve