Lost my motivation

[Garethr]

Not sure why but I seem to have lost my mojo at the moment for the whole star gazing thing.

Last year I loved spending time in my obsy even just "tweeking things" but this year hmmmmmmmmmmmm,   personally I think I may have hit a wall with the whole imaging thing.

I appreciate that I am using kit right on the limits of what it's able to achieve and living just to the West of London was always going to be a challenge but lately I have found myself glad when it clouds over and this can't be right.

Spent time tonight re-alingning the scope and re mapping sky using eqmod and CDC, checking polar alignment and focus.  Set focus,double checked, then set  to run a short set of images on M81 only to discover the scope is probably out of collomination as I'm getting dodgy shaped stars despite PHD showing the best graph to date.

ARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGH.

Astrophotography as a hobby you don't make life easy.

Just me having a moan but has any one else gone through this phase and if so how did you get though it.

 

Gareth 

[Knighty2112]

Maybe you should switch from imaging to observing for a while and see how it goes. Nothing better than a quick session of looking at various objects in an hour or so, from the planets to the moon, globular clusters, open clusters, galaxies and a few other DSO's through an eyepiece to get that buzz again perhaps.

[Gina]

I'm not feeling very enthusiastic either but I am doing little bits to get my imaging rig working.  Not sure what's going to happen when it's time to go out in the cold and set it up on the mount though

[Garethr]

Just called it a night as it's work tomorrow and alarm goes off at 5:15.

knighty funny you should suggest going back to observing as that was my thoughts as well.  So set up the MAK on the patio and looked at jupiter and it's moons for 5 mins then thought right you so and so let's sort out the Obsy.  Gave me a boost I must admit.

 

Gareth

[Thalestris24]

Hi

The Glasgow weather grinds me down. Apart from that I still have some enthusiasm even though my images are rarely up to much. I have found that a short refractor makes imaging life a lot easier  I also just bought a new F6.3 500mm mirror lens which was only £114 on Amazon. First impressions are that it's not too bad at all though, it shows a slight misalignment in the red sometimes. I'm picking up my 550d from the sorting office tomorrow. It's been mono-modded and fitted with a TEC by Luis Campos. I think my AVX might need some attention as guiding has been very poor recently. So, even if the weather is depressing I have plenty to tinker with . Keeps me sane...

Louise

[Alien 13]

I have gone backwards its camera lenses on a fixed tripod for most of the time or my baby Mak for some Lunar. most of my efforts are with the very small these days (microscopy) no more cold  cloudy nights stopping my fun.

Alan

[Thalestris24]

Just now, Alien 13 said:

I have gone backwards its camera lenses on a fixed tripod for most of the time or my baby Mak for some Lunar. most of my efforts are with the very small these days (microscopy) no more cold  cloudy nights stopping my fun.

Alan

I might dig my microscope out in the summer - I bought a set of prepared slides last year and not even looked at them yet! If only there were more hours in the day!

Louise

[StuartJPP]

I have said this before...I took up astrophotography because it felt like it was clear every night and by dawn it would cloud over so I couldn't do any birding...now I find that it is just cloudy all the time (except on the 3 nights around full moon).

AP is a very testing hobby with much more disappointment than satisfaction but if you can get dual use out of your kit then it makes it a bit more palatable.

Things can't get any worse...but I suppose they could remain bad forever...

[Chris Murray]

dito.. i would like to cheer you guys up but its true, four years ago i got my xt10, i am thinking of selling it, there is more and more light polution, everyone wants to iluminate the garden with solar lights even though they are inside with the curtains closed, never mind bad weather, its hard but when you find that little window and get that result, (rare) its worth the wait, well mabey, keeps me going though,

chrisbut i think its getting more difficult  

[triton1]

I have not yet been "deduced by the dark side"but I have been delivered a Neq6 and I have a broken wrist totally gutted,managed to pick it up and a bit sore to say the least,try visual with a simple setup in and out quick,the Stars etc will still be there have faith.Ouch

[RT65CB-SWL]

For me it's this damn British weather...

Clear sky when I leave home for work on an early shift. Daylight when I arrive home. Daylight when I leave home for work. Cloudy when I finish work and arrive home to even more cloud on a late shift.  ...and/or cloud/fog/rain/sleet/snow,  (depending on the month/season), on my rest days.

...at least SGL cheers me up. 

[laser_jock99]

Know how you feel chap......it's increasingly easy for me to find other things to do- even when it's clear.

[ronin]

Get an inexpensive refractor, nothing big for overly high spec. Have a look at what is around the used market and put it on a mount and just go out looking.

I say refractor as they have a wide field and so make hunting things down a bit easier, and it sounds that you want easy.

Make a few observing lists up if you want, say 5 galaxies, or 5 Open Clusters that sort of thing. "Steal" a couple of the easy observing lists from the Astro League set of programs. Easy as in the binocular list then use a 4" achro . Believe me it makes things easy, even if it could be considered cheating but I am not telling them.

Any clubs around you? If OK for you then join and just go for simple observing, if they have kids there get a bit involved with them. They tend to enjoy looking through a scope and it is a bit infectous. Maybe show any the basics of imaging - nothing fancy, stick to webcam, video amd about 5 minutes processing.

Imaging is nice but it has requirements that are at odds with "life", mainly clear weather and time, and the UK and work are kind of at odds with that.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I always find imaging more stressful than observing. The weather also allows and observer to grab short clear spells much more easily. A short frac is indeed a nice tool for the job. A good pair of binoculars is even faster to set up, and easier as a hunting tool. Bins are ideal to keep your hand in when the weather is awful, with just a few rare breaks in the clouds.

[cloudsweeper]

As others have said, why not just go for visual - pure satisfaction in finding/observing things?  Increase your fun-to-labour ratio!

Doug (the Heretic).

[RT65CB-SWL]

I forgot to mention in my earlier post that I am 'visual'. When I do astrophotography, then it is very basic... with a digital compact camera. 

[Dave Lloyd]

 

7 minutes ago, Philip R said:

I forgot to mention in my earlier post that I am 'visual'. When I do astrophotography, then it is very basic... with a digital compact camera. 

Still requires preparation. I do mine with a DSLR and even just attaching the t ring and spacer,  rebalancing the tube, setting up the intervalometer and so on is a pain when clouds are coming over every few minutes. So much easier to just stick an eyepiece in and get watching.

[DaveS]

Not just the weather either. I've had several clear nights with no moon lately, but I've also brewed a stinking cold which has put paid to going outside. The most I've done is poke my head out to have a look then come back in quick.

[LukeSkywatcher]

I too lost my mojo for astronomy just a few weeks ago. I was ready to sell all my gear.Thankfully i was talked out of this by the members here. I stepped back from using scopes and now on clear nights i just use my big bins. Its very refreshing.

[lulu57]

What you are experiencing is completely normal Garethr.

Would you care to join Astronut and I? We call ourselves the Rubbish Astronomers. Our expectations are extremely low (in fact, we look upon unusual enthusiasm as a kind of aberration) and therefore you can not possibly disappoint.

 

[lulu57]

I put "Carp" and it was changed to 'rubbish'...doesn't sound right...

 

[StuartJPP]

The thing is it isn't just the UK weather, though we do have it bad...lots of other areas, large swathes of Europe for instance, are also experiencing the worst times for a long time. There are of course better places but it isn't just "us" in the UK. 

I actually like playing around/tinkering with my astro kit, I have done more drilling/tapping/turning/machining over the past couple of years than I ever have done...so it is quite rewarding...just wish I could put it to good use once in a while.

You have to have other hobbies though...astro can only take up so much of your time.

Unlike others, viewing doesn't do much for me at all...just like my birding. I am not a bird watcher (unless it is unusual behaviour) but a bird photographer. Viewing a comet for instance keeps me occupied for about one minute...then my mind starts calculating exposure times

If you can swap between viewing and imaging then you have cracked it as there are many more opportunities to view versus to image.

[Moonshane]

I find the option of solar observing helps me keep motivated and get my astro fix on a regular basis. Surprisingly I seem to get more lunchtime observing sessions, sat in the warm(ish) sun, sketching things that I see than I do night time sessions. The main thing to remember is that once you have your kit, you can do it when you like, there's no deadlines or pressure. Just enjoy it.

[Linda]

I am also a bit down. But in my case from 1,5 week without seeing the night sky. And on the Dutch astroforum I keep reading reports about clear skies and excellent seeing. It's depressing...

I support the idea that you do something different from what you are used to, like visual observing or using binoculars. What about booking a trip to a dark and warm place for a week and take along a simple setup?

[MAN or ASTROMAN]

I've missed out on two clear nights in a row,partly because of unease about going out observing on my own,but tried to 'rationalise' it to myself as just down to being tired.

I envy you guys with your own Back gardens to observe from.