This is a grueling hobby!

[cshahar]

Today I was battling clouds, brisk winds, poor seeing, the neighbor's BBQ smoke, fumbling equipment due to me rushing, and a cell phone which seemed to ring at the most inopportune time. Ugh!

What I want to say is that I appreciate the high level of encouragement and support this forum provides. Sometimes just one nice comment can get a person through the hurdles. I find that important.

Thanks for that everyone!

-Charles

 

[Davey-T]

Hobbies are supposed to be relaxing Charles 

Dave

[GuLinux]

I wouldn't call it a hobby... I'd say it's something more, that's why we keep "battling" for it

[Pete Presland]

I find Solar imaging the most relaxing of all the imaging I do. No guiding issues, no light pollution,  and no sleepless night's.  

[laudropb]

Yes it can be a challenge at times, but when everything falls in to place and you have a good session it makes it all worthwhile. Then help and encouragement given on this site certainly gives everyone a boost.

 

[David Smith]

Not sure I would be imaging the Sun at all if not for this forum. Certainly wouldn't be producing the quality of images I am without the help and support provided here so I am with you on this one Charles.

[Steve Ward]

If it were merely a hobby you'd have shrugged your shoulders and got on with something else .

It's obvious that you've succumbed to the infatuation of the big white disc and now nothing will get in your way or distract you from the task in hand , welcome to the madhouse ...

[xtreemchaos]

i too find it relaxing with the odd spazam of madness usally when theres cloud about, i see it as challange, even when the suns trying to kill me, i dont see sol as a foe really just a sparing partner which i view with much respect , ive learnt 99.9% of every think i know about the sun from you guys on here,and i think SGL is the bizz. so thanks guys and i hope you all have clear skys.charl.

[cshahar]

I think you guys hit the nail on the head. It is more than a hobby. I just love the wonders of the universe and I wish to be a witness to them, and even record them and share the experience. I don't know if I would classify it as relaxing though. It takes me just about an hour to set up, there is always some glitch with the equipment, and the weather / seeing is a constant challenge. However, when it comes together the effort is worthwhile and is absolutely the reason I continue.

-Charles

[Iainp]

Ah I feel your pain Charles, and agree with all the comments here.  David, yes I have learned everything from this forum (which scope to buy, which camera, how to process, well...everything) and a significant percentage of the pleasure of a successful capture is the thought of sharing it here. Also seeing what's possible here provides the motivation and inspiration to improve.   Re set up Charles:  that seems a long time! I have the tripod ready in the shed, and I scratched marks on the patio to position the tripod legs, so I'm good to go in a few minutes.  

Iain 

[cshahar]

Hi Iain. It sounds like your method is quite efficient. My filter takes about 10-15 minutes to heat up. My auto-guider takes about 5 minutes to calibrate, and my mount is finicky regarding balancing because my optical train is long: UV filter, diagonal, 4X Powermate, T-ring, H-Alpha filter, tilt adapter, CCD. I think it is a different task flow when the filter is internal to the scope (i.e. lunt). I could set up in 40 minutes if I hurry. And even 30 minutes after three months of doing it consistently.

-Charles

[Ouroboros]

I think it's a kind of obsession. I don't like the cold. Staying up late, missing sleep and keeping irregular hours seriously upsets my feeling of wellbeing the next day.  Yet I still have to do it.  But once it's all set up and I've won the battles against cussed  technology, the sky turned out to be clear after all, the scope is guiding, tha camera is imaging away .... Then I can sit back with a cup of coffee, look up at the skies and feel a considerable sense of pleasure and wonder. 

[Iainp]

Ah that does sound quite a lot of work Charles. Ouroborous, I know exactly what you mean. Since giving up my job a year ago I've been "running wild" to quote my wife, and have been spending all night out with the big dob, observing galaxies, asteroids, planetary nebulae and double stars. It's been wonderful but also exhausting and has left me with depleted energy for other things in life (including my PhD, which, as my wife also reminds me, was the reason I gave up the job in the first place). I've also discovered that now I'm old (well, 53) a night without sleep,  or just a couple of hours sleep, gives me a headache for 2 days. "Luckily" we only get an average of 7 clear nights a month here in Cambridgeshire.  By comparison to the night-time pain, solar observing and imaging is an absolute relaxing joy.   

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

There is a fine line between "hobby" and "obsession". I think most of us know which side of the line we are on

[cshahar]

I totally agree with everything that is being said here. This post was born out of frustration at having to set up, then dodging clouds to take a couple of pictures in 2 hours. Then going out in the afternoon and doing the same thing again, and even dismantling and setting up again, as it turned out to be clear in the last hour. Yet none of the 50 images I took turned out well because of poor seeing.

I didn't intend to complain but I thought about it carefully afterwards. My energy was depleted and I realized that I needed to tweak this obsession. I will be much more reluctant to venture out if cloudy conditions threaten (I am getting better at predicting that from satellite images, rather than relying on conventional weather forecasts). I will also not go out if seeing is poor because it is a waste of time (I check an experimental seeing forecast on Clear Sky Chart which I find is fairly accurate).

I started solar imaging because nighttime imaging was just too much for me. The sleep deprivation was too damaging. Fifteen years ago i looked in the mirror after spending two sleepless nights, and I looked like a 75 year old man, and I realized I needed to stop! I was 43 at the time. I took a hiatus for several years. The point of solar imaging was that it be less stressful, less exposed to harsh elements, and does not involve lack of sleep (unless you count the excitement of anticipating a morning of solar imaging). So now I am tweaking my hobby / obsession to better conform to these contingencies.

Hopefully, I have gotten wiser with age!

Sorry for the rant...

-Charles