Lost my motivation

[Stub Mandrel]

I share your pain.

I have been pushing my setup to the limit, managing 90-second subs with a 150PL on an EQ3 mount, but last night I couldn't get it to track at all. Each star was a streak or a group of dots. I suspect it was the cold so I will strip, regrease and generally fettle the mount. Does make me keener on a 130P-DS which will be better on the mount. Or saving up for an EQ5.

Making matters worse, I was really keen to re-do Orion using my 50mm lens - no tracking issues there. I stopped it down two stops to get rid of the coma that ruined my earlier shots. But I could only expose for 15 seconds, the same as before (when I was at a fairly dark site). That means that in my garden light pollution limits what I can do by two whole stops!

I tried to find various targets and failed completely - I have to make the effort to get my homebrew goto system working.

Eventually I gave up and went for Jupiter. I had forgotten about the dual transit and looked about ten minutes before the first moon entered the disk! I didn't get brilliant focus or seeing, but at least I got something that was worth doing for a night's effort.

[cloudsweeper]

4 minutes ago, MAN or ASTROMAN said:

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.

 

My garden's not bad - if I move about, I have decent views to the N, E, and S.  I manage OK in spite of street lights, permanent garden lights, and security lights.

Wouldn't fancy going somewhere quiet on my own though.  I sometimes get spooked even in my own yard!  Where do you have to go to, Astroman?

Doug.

[MAN or ASTROMAN]

I observe from my allotment sometimes,with the scopes -Unfortunately we sometimes get intruders there.

Otherwise,it tends to be from local sports fields,with the Bins only.

[LukeSkywatcher]

21 minutes ago, MAN or ASTROMAN said:

I observe from my allotment sometimes,with the scopes -Unfortunately we sometimes get intruders there.

Otherwise,it tends to be from local sports fields,with the Bins only.

Only with bins?. Is that so you can run away from the hedgehogs quicker............

LOL.

[MAN or ASTROMAN]

33 minutes ago, LukeSkywatcher said:

Only with bins?. Is that so you can run away from the hedgehogs quicker............

LOL.

Them,and the Owls.

And as for the Allotment RATS.......!!!!!

[Paul M]

There is no guilt in losing the motivation. In 40 years of stargazing I've swung like a pendulum. Life has never revolved around astronomy. Astronomy has just always been part of me. I feel privileged to have known the Universe so well for so long and I know it's going nowhere soon (I hope!). Observing it has only ever been part of the journey. Learning about it has been a much bigger aspect for me. Cloudy nights don't stop the enjoyment of reading and discovering great things.

Luckily I've never been a kit collector. I've held onto Ye Olde Fullerscope through a number of considerable absences from active observing. It's always been sat there patiently waiting for me to return. No point selling it, it isn't worth any amount worth the bother of shifting it (I'd have been more likely to donate it it a club or school) and I haven't needed the space.

Anyway, I know what we all need, another bright long lived comet apparition!

That always gets me itching to get the scope out.

In the absence of a decent comet we have Mars heading towards it's best opposition for a good while. Can't wait to get the big scope on that.

Good times are just around the corner!

 

[iPeace]

I've repeatedly found it easy to discover a new interest, get ridiculously over-kitted in a short time, study hard, learn a lot, enjoy it immensely...and then discover that there are limits not only to what I can do, but also what I want to do - and what I actually need to do just that (sell the rest). The actual "doing", being in the moment, is the point. Don't get me wrong - pottering around with a shed or attic/loft full of gear that doesn't get "properly" used can be a lot of fun - so if you like pottering, potter away and don't waste brain cycles pondering the sense of it all . Must agree with others here - make it easier for yourself to have fun. What if this was the very last time you could observe? Would you be that bothered about the "big picture", or the "sense of it all"?

[LukeSkywatcher]

I never feel guilty about missing a clear night. Like Paul M said, astronomy is part of who i am (a large part). Its not just a hobby. Ive been at one with the universe since i was 6 yrs old (using optical aides). I was looking up in wonderment long before i was 6 yrs old. I really only started collecting gear in 2008. A couple of mistakes along the way, but i now have all the gear i need/want and it all works for me. 

Its just frustrating when circumstances (health and/or weather) keep you away from something which you love and is in your veins. 

[RT65CB-SWL]

7 hours ago, Dave Lloyd said:

 

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.

Very true! High capacity Ni-Cd/Ni-MH 'AA' batteries (2700mAh) don't last long when it's cold either. Any recommendations?

[Garethr]

Thanks all for the positive replies and comments that so much mirror my own experiences.  I am a member of a local astromony club and couldn't be bothered to go to a talk about comets last night which I think triggered my post.

As for spending a few quid on a refractor   the problem is I would want something I could image with which SWMBO might object to as quite rightly the argument / discussion would run along the lines of "if your not enjoying your hobby with what you have spent so far how will spending more help". Tough to argue against common sense.   

Time for a mental head slap me thinks.  Rember the speeches about stiffining the sinews, St George and fighting them on the beaches ect,ect

Tackle the problems in a logical manner and make sure the basics are right, collomination has to be right visual or imaging.  Software is software don't beat yourself up when it doesn't work.

Again thanks for all the positive comments and support it has helped. Although might cost a few quid fot a decent imaging refractor to cure this terrible affliction. 

      

Gareth

[Gina]

Heavy rain is lashing against my window ATM and no doubt adding to the quagmire around house and observatory  

[Linda]

7 hours ago, Gina said:

Heavy rain is lashing against my window ATM and no doubt adding to the quagmire around house and observatory  

How about laying rough wooden boards from your house towards the obsy? We use that at our cabin from the parking place to the cabin, through a swampy area. Or just accept to use high rubber boots... 

[Gina]

Thank you for the suggestions Linda   Unfortunately, lumps of wood tend to disappear into the mud and can be slippery.  I have high rubber boots - need them here but the problem is slipping and falling over.  Also, very difficult trudging through it   I may see if I can lay a gravel path in the better weather - assuming we get some...

[PeterCPC]

I was really keen to get some imaging done on Monday as we had "clear" skies. Having seen the results, the sky wasn't clear at all but quite mucky and very difficult to process with the result that I am not at all happy with the results. I find this grinds me down more than lack of clear nights because you think that all is ok but it isn't. Rant over.

Peter

[Droogie 2001]

As others have said I feel your frustration too.

For me it’s the unpredictable British weather and the way it changes every hour or so!

As Peter mentions above, Monday was meant to be clear from 6pm, then my weather app said 8pm then 9pm. Finally by 10pm it was clear.
Other times I have just packed it all back up but having purchased a new CCD I was more stubborn than usual.
I try to mix it up a bit with observing. Then other night I had a good tour of the moon and then started to star hop to double stars. I even saw my first true triple star system. I spent about 15minutes looking at it and then going back and forth after reading the description in my Sky Safari app.
Anyway hope you stick with it and just remember you are not alone!

[Gina]

Though my main interest is imaging, I've been thinking that I might just do a bit of observing for a change - I do have a few eyepieces.  Maybe I shall be surprised at what I can see

[Stu]

Take the pressure off and just at do what makes you happy. In common with a couple of other posters, I don't view astronomy as a hobby, it's just something I love and do whenever the mood takes me. I try not to pressurize myself into thinking I have to do x sessions a month say.

I have however been feeling very frustrated with the run of horrid weather. I had been looking forward to a great season after the poor summer but it just didn't happen.

That said, in the last few weeks, the Jetstream has shifted and I have had some of the best views of Jupiter I've ever had, just stunning. To cap it all, on Monday night/Tuesday morning Jupiter was at opposition, the sky cleared for the whole night, the seeing was reasonable, excellent at times, there was a double moon and shadow transit, I had no commitments and I was  not too tired to observe ! It doesn't get much better than that, and I had a fantastic night, restoring my faith that it's all worth while.

[kendg]

I think the idea of observing rather than imaging has a lot of merit. Every once in awhile instead of running back into the house to check the imaging run, I stop, look up, go back to the scope, sit down on the chair and take in the magic of the stars. Yeah, I guess I look kinda silly in -20C looking up, but on a clear night, WOW.

I think that might be the biggest problem we imagers have. Forgetting to look up and enjoy the reason we got into this mad has a hatter hobby. 

 

 

[Gina]

I quite often look up at the sky from my scope room and sometimes grab my bins and have a better look   They're 10x50, 6.5° FOV and rather hard to hold still - guess I should make up a mount for them

Talking of Jupiter, I have been thinking of both observing and imaging Jupiter.  I have a MS Lifecam Cinema webcam and both 2x and 3x barlows, which I could use with my MN190.  I would like a longer FL scope for planetary but funds are virtually non-existent   It would make a change from DSOs

[saac]

I'm wondering if our expectations on imaging is the problem. You look at some of the work done here and elsewhere and it all looks really enticing and within easy reach.  The reality is of course that imaging,  good quality imaging, is really very difficult.  There are a number of streams you need to master - system integration (getting everything working properly together), good alignment and tracking,  and then of course processing.  Processing is a field on its own!  These are not easy skills to master particularly if you have little or no real background in software, networking etc.  My ultimate goal is to be able join the hallowed ranks of some the imagers here but I've resigned myself that getting there is going to take years.  I just can't afford to invest the time (nor money) to get me there any quicker.  So most of what I'm doing will be visual, dabbling now and then in some very basic imaging.  So in a way I think it's all about managing expectations.  I built my obsy about 18 months ago now and what a difference that makes to the enjoyment of astronomy.  Ok, so I may be looking at the Moon, M42 and Jupiter and Andromeda night after night but I do get a kick out of it. I make baby steps each time, do something better hopefully each time.   But I do like Ken's suggestion - just take the odd moment to sit back and stare up at the night sky, let your eyes roam over all those sparkly diamonds and reconnect with the wonder of it all.  All the fancy kit in the world can sometimes be a barrier to really appreciating the beauty of it. You have to feed your mojo, look after it, give it a treat now and again and it will serve you well.

 

Jim

 

Edited - just wanted to add that all those skills I mentioned above are of course for many of us hobbies/interest in their own right to be enjoyed equally with the astronomy.  And why not, if I'm honest I love the technical challenge of amateur astronomy as much as I do the star gazing.  I love looking at all the creativeness that goes on and the brilliant skills of so many of the members here. 

[orion25]

Just relax. Take the pressure off. Take a little break. When you hear the call, instead of rushing to set up gear, just enjoy the sky with your eyes. Get a lounge chair and face in your favorite direction. Have a cool drink (or warm, depending on the climate) and give thanks for the beautiful cosmos...

[Gina]

Yes, you're right - I need to relax too - tend to get too intense or "het up" about things.  Being a nice afternoon with occasional sunshine, I went out to the observatory and opened the roof.  Had a good look round, enjoyed the view across the valley from the raised platform for a while and noticed that there are several things to do before it will be ready for use.  A couple of minor repairs.  Looked at my MN190 set up on the EQ8 but still couldn't raise much (if any) enthusiasm.  Maybe when spring really arrives I might feel inclined to fix the funny looking green shed...

[DazC]

On 07/03/2016 at 23:25, Garethr said:

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 

I've been there a few times myself Gareth, for various reasons. I start making excuses up in my head for not wanting to get the scope out.  I last used my scope in January, the time before that was six months all but two days before then!

Since the last time I used my scope I have purchased some solar filter film and I'm going to make a filter so I can do some solar observing. 

I'm thinking that hopefully this will inspire me to start nighttime observing again (hopefully).

D.C

[Gina]

Cold, grey and misty this morning - makes you feel like going back to bed.  I've often thought hibernation would be nice!

[Astroscot2]

Ive gone through a spell similar to your own,  very little enthusiasm and an observatory full of great kit not being used, the weather is only partially to blame, with new kit come new issues to iron out and loads of frustration combined with little spare time. A number of weeks ago I felt like selling the lot and glad I didn't.   Monday night was a rare clear night with no moon. I felt I had to open the observatory, could have easily found something else to do but got the kit running, watched the guide corrections for a while then went indoors, a hour later had a look at the subs and felt disappointed closed up the observatory and headed in - sky was still stunning as well.   Had a look at he subs taken on Monday last night and they were not too bad, its given me encouragement go get out the next clear night.