There's no need for the itch, so why do i want to scratch it!

[Fozzie]

Is it me, am I alone in this...?!

I have no desperate need for anything astro related at all, I've got my scopes, I've got a more than reasonable selection of EP's, filters and Finders.... but in the week leading up to pay day the insatiable urge to buy for the sake of buying, something anything, and I don't even know what that something is, is distracting me no end..

I've been damned sensible for a few months now with the baby on the way...... but I NEED TO BUY SOMETHING!!!

Just thought id rant, and distract myself a bit more!

Ta

Fozzie

[RichM63]

Go down to the hole in the wall machine, take out a wad of cash, look at it, feel it, smell it, count it, imagine parting with it,

Now go inside and put it back.

Works like a charm.

[Mike73]

So the bank gets to enjoy my money but I don't?? Wheres the fun in that???

[kerrylewis]

It's 'Equipment Fever'  - see http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/199557-equipment-fever/?hl=+equipment%20+fever

There is no cure!

[PhotoGav]

I'm very sorry to have to inform you Mr. Fozzie, but you have a chronic case of GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome). You are displaying all the classic symptoms. Unfortunately this is an incurable condition. It is also common amongst musicians. The good news is, it isn't terminal, though your wallet will lose much weight while you have the condition. The best course of action is to give in to it, take that large wad of cash out of the bank as @RichM63 suggests, but then go to your favourite retailer and spend spend spend! Just think all those lovely boxes, full of shiny things... Don't forget, Astro gear holds it's value incredibly well and you will easily be able to sell it at almost full price when you no longer need it!!!

[Fozzie]

I've got bad GAS to go with this equipment fever.. it's just so senseless I don't need anything... I can't say I need or want this or that's the thing I should buy...  I've no aspirations other than visual observing and dark skys... there is no logic behind the affliction at all!

Although

Don't forget, Astro gear holds it's value incredibly well and you will easily be able to sell it at almost full price when you no longer need it!!!

Raises an interesting point that it's almost like a savers account if you reaaaaaaalllly want to stretch the imagination!

[Thewitty]

I've got bad GAS to go with this equipment fever.. it's just so senseless I don't need anything... I can't say I need or want this or that's the thing I should buy...  I've no aspirations other than visual observing and dark skys... there is no logic behind the affliction at all!

Although

Raises an interesting point that it's almost like a savers account if you reaaaaaaalllly want to stretch the imagination!

Love it!

[avtaram]

Get yourself a 12" Dob and some Delos and Nagler eyepieces, that should cure your itch, it did the trick for me.

Avtar

[Fozzie]

Get yourself a 12" Dob and some Delos and Nagler eyepieces, that should cure your itch, it did the trick for me.

Avtar

funny you say this, I had considered cashing in the 200P OTA and dabbling in a dobble... a few questions though... you say get the 12" Dob and some a nagler/delos combination...

firstly, how does the 12" dob hold up against the "what if I got a 14" dob instead" or worse "what if I had of bought the 14" instead of the 12"..

secondly, are the delos and Nagler a sufficient ointment to cure the ethos itch?

And finally... why only some delos and nagler as opposed to all of them...

 

Gets you thinking doesn't it! 

I can feel the fever sweats coming on again!

[ghostdance]

Kissing our wallets goodbye...

It's the 'what if?...'  or  'if only...' itch...

Dammit, now I'm feeling scratchy.

[ronin]

I've been damned sensible for a few months now with the baby on the way...... but I NEED TO BUY SOMETHING!!!

A huge box of disposable nappies and a something to keep you awake during the day.

[LukeSkywatcher]

When i find myself with a bad case of GAS, i usually end up buying a sheet of Baader Solar Film and attempting to construct a holder for it for the 3/4/5th time using an empty box of weetabix. You can use any cardboard box you want. I choose Weetabix because other then Mueslie or Bran................its about the healthiest start to your day.

[Fozzie]

Gloriously my parents have offered to by all the nappies we will need.... that money has already been put to one side...

Although the poor child has already spent his first semester college money on a push chair and car seat...

[m.tweedy]

Join AA (Astronomy Addicts) Oh you have by being a member here.

[John]

The used market is strong in astro equipment and can allow you to "have your cake and eat it", more or less.

Buy something nice on the used market. Try it. Then sell it, either getting your original £'s back or at least 95% of it. That way you can have a constant flow of "new" things to try for just a few quid spent on postage.

Occasionally you might come across something thats better than your current one so you sell your current one confident that you have now seen an improvement with your own eyes, rather than relying on 2nd hand reports.

The money basically re-circulates either existing in the form of stuff you are trying out or back in your bank.

I guess this is the reason that I've owned 30+ scopes and more eyepieces etc than I can remember over the past years 

If you are not interested in trying equipment then disregard this but then you would not be getting the "itch" in the first place.

[scarp15]

Quite agree with John's account. The used market can open doors to buy items that might otherwise be a little out of reach in personal cash / budget terms. Also with the analysis that as you evolve and so accumulate stuff, it is possible to reach a point by which evaluating your current equipment needs may involve selling off some items to replace with others, resulting in little or even no extra cost.

This is something I have employed quite recently, selling off and streamlining some items that had for various reasons, begun to receive less use, to be able to focus on specific items that will extend and enhance my current observing circumstances.  For the first time in several years, I was able to achieve this comfortably at zero extra cost, though sacrifices and some tough decisions in terms of letting go of valued items had to be made I guess.

[estwing]

well I finally gave in today after a year of not buying any astro stuff I thought I'd get a lumicon OIII filter...but no one's got any in stock!!!...saved!

[scarp15]

well I finally gave in today after a year of not buying any astro stuff I thought I'd get a lumicon OIII filter...but no one's got any in stock!!!...saved!

Not entirely true, try agenaastro ebay shop they have the 2" Lumicon OIII, I purchased my paracorr through them no problem 

[Fozzie]

I totally agree on the second hand market.. All bar two items I own are purchased this way, it's a great market if your patient and willing to wait! I'm quiet frugal hence why my frac is a 3rd hand omni 102, not the tal or lyra that I actually really wanted, am I experienced enough to really know what I'm missing or even tell the difference, not sure I am, would still love a lyra though!

I'm still building the kit, before I recycle anything through the second hand market, even though, like I said... At the moment I don't really need anything, in my view, to compliment what I have thus far!

[swamp thing]

Cal

Wait for Dobfest II before commiting. There's gonna be plenty there to choose from. I have the Lumicon and for our apertures I really look forward to trying the baader.

[Kropster]

30 scopes in two years?!!

That's about two observing nights per scope round here!!

[John]

30 scopes in two years?!!

That's about two observing nights per scope round here!!

It's not quite as bad as that. I've been in the hobby 30+ years but when I discovered SGL and UK Astro Buy & Sell about 9 years ago my equipment "throughput" increased dramatically.

I've owned my current 4 scopes for well over a year now so they are reasonably stable. Quite a few eyepieces still come and go though, mostly out of curiosity.

[Lowjiber]

I have GAS and Equipment Fever to the maximum.  I never met a scope that I didn't want to keep.

I love to tinker with equipment... anything.  Just last week, I picked up a Venture 76mm Newt with a broken tripod; no center dot; and one broken secondary adjustment screw... $2 at a yard sale.  I took my "treasure" home and installed a spare (we've all got 'em) stainless tripod under the "Eq-looking" cheapo mount.  The dust (outside) was so bad that I had to use my air compressor to even begin.  I installed the center dot; repaired the broken screw; and added three radio knobs to the slow-motion controls.  After some serious collimation, I turned the latitude to ninety degrees to make the mount an az/alt affair and "lit" it on Saturn where it returned a tiny, but pretty clear image.

I'll just give it to someone, along with 25mm & 10mm eyepieces, at the next club star party.  (BTW: the eyepieces will come from my famous "sock drawer" the is full of the typical "stuff" that one accumulates after years of having GAS.)

Clear Skies

[Pete Presland]

there is always something to spend on, just upgraded for solar imaging from the DMK21au04 to DMK21au618

[arran01]

A huge box of disposable nappies and a something to keep you awake during the day.

ronin has something here. I turned my kids' changing/nappy box into an eyepiece holder that I'm still using 18 years on!