Astronomy the real black hole is the cost

[Gadget]

Hi All

Not posted or had my scope out for quite a while now mainly because work etc   but things have changed again and I'm finding time for for this great hobby, got my CPC1100 out for the first time for ages and it worked like a charm GPS kicked in and within minutes i was rewarded with some wonderful views of the moon and a very nice but low Saturn

Now thing is only had the scope out twice and i have already racked up hundreds of pounds of stuff in my head eg  after couple of sessions i want  Binoviewers, eyepieces for said bino's, dedicated planetary cam, maybe a 4x imagemate for some nice F40  imaging when conditions allow and read the other day that the meade 4000 56mm is a great eyepiece for some nice low power views in C11 so want one of those too all that after 2 sessions is it some sort disease ?  Does there ever come a point where you say i have everything i need and don't need to spend anymore?   

[swamp thing]

Yeah, when you wallets empty 

[starnut]

Or when you get another hobby, I'm buying a recumbent trike

[JohnC]

Trikes....love them.

We have Redmount rollers. 10 years on they still put a smile on our faces.

Around 20,000 miles and still as good as new.

But then you need camping equipment etc etc.

No such thing as a cheap hobby.

www.redmountduo.co.uk

[RikM]

I don't think anyone just starting out realises that the 'Telescope' is the cheap bit

[LukeSkywatcher]

You have racked up hundreds in your mind?.

Keep them there.

[DaveS]

Just as Hawking Radiation will eventually cause a black hole to evaporate, so astronomy will cause your bank balance to do the same.

[Kropster]

Set a tight budget and spread the joy of buying rather than splashing out in one go..... more fun and you can appreciate each item more.

[John]

I suspect that Astronomy is no more expensive than other hobbies that need precision equipment. My brother is into cycling and has spend much more than all my equipment cost on 1 bike. Top brand golf clubs and fishing equipment isn't cheap either.

Prices today are a lot lower than they were a couple of decades ago, believe me. Example: 4" refractor on EQ mount in 1990 = £900-£1000. Today around £300 will buy more or less the same.

[jason.p]

I've made the decision not to spend any more until I've got the hang of what I already have, which could take some time!

(Of course, if anything interesting comes up at the right price..........!!)

[nameunknown]

There are "cheap" scopes offering a veiw, and stuff a bit more expensive. The expensive is better, but the price goes up. You need to find the balance between what you can aford, and satisfaction.

It's never easy. You can go on the web and get hi-def pics of this and that, or you can take a look and see the same, or less

I supose much is the journey, rather than the destination. The personal journey is so much better.

Enjoy the sky.

P

[LukeSkywatcher]

I was/am big into archery. I bought a second hand recurve bow, 2 sets of new arrows (with fletches/feathers of my choice),finger tab,wrist guard, shoulder guard,cross-hair sight, Carrier bag and just about all i needed for about 500 quid. 

My gear was old school with no fancy balance rods on the bow or quick release trigger.

Astronomy so far over about 8 yrs is about 11K.

[Dubhar]

The thing is, what do you spend your money on? some spend hundreds or thousands a year on holidays, some spend hundred or thousands a year on drink or drugs, some spend it on fishing, biking, or on their boat. Most of us here spend it on astronomy.

Its not expensive so much as it is a place you spend your money on because you enjoy it. 

[LukeSkywatcher]

The thing is, what do you spend your money on? some spend hundreds or thousands a year on holidays, some spend hundred or thousands a year on drink or drugs, some spend it on fishing, biking, or on their boat. Most of us here spend it on astronomy.

Its not expensive so much as it is a place you spend your money on because you enjoy it. 

Astronomy does work out as a very expensive hobby when you consider the cost of it against how many observing sessions we have per year.

[Paul73]

To my mind astronomy costs can be controlled relatively well if...... You forgo any part of it that involves electricity.

There are no real running costs - an observing session is basically free if you discard the Jaffa Cake costs.

Golf costs you £100 per month for the privilege of access to a course that you never get time to play on. And then every time you take a shot there is the very real possibility that you will never see your ball again (at £3 to £4 a pop, this hurts).

Paul

[laser_jock99]

There's a lot to said for just owning and using a just decent pair of binoculars.

I used to use my cheap pair of Bresser 10x50's a lot, just kept them hanging of the back door handle ready to grab & go. Sadly I dropped them last week while target shooting- now they've gone a bit 'Marty Feldman'.

[Moonshane]

you can always improve/extend your kit. why not if you can afford it. if you buy good quality and especially used you can always sell it. then start again or change.

[Dubhar]

Astronomy does work out as a very expensive hobby when you consider the cost of it against how many observing sessions we have per year.

But on the other hand, there are no fees really. A lot of other hobbies have fees, golf and fishing for example. At least in our case over time you do get the money out of your equipment. I got a new mount recently, its pretty expensive but i imagine itll last me a good long while, ive no doubt ill get my moneys worth. Other equipment ill keep indefinitely making the cost over time pretty low.

[oldnut]

I was/am big into archery. I bought a second hand recurve bow, 2 sets of new arrows (with fletches/feathers of my choice),finger tab,wrist guard, shoulder guard,cross-hair sight, Carrier bag and just about all i needed for about 500 quid. 

My gear was old school with no fancy balance rods on the bow or quick release trigger.

Astronomy so far over about 8 yrs is about 11K.

i am into/prefer  'stick' bow  luckily very limited on accessories   i prefer the simpler things, so no lecky bits on the scope.

[estwing]

this is a cheapish hobby...scuba diving on the other hand....gulp!

[RikM]

My kid's gymnastics / dance / music lessons cost more than I spend on astronomy each year. Come to think of it, we probably spend more on pet food than I spend on astronomy!