How long have you had to wait?

[martinh40]

Seventh night now since I got my new scope and still no first light. I'm dying to get outside and see what it can do but the weather seems to have other ideas

So, how long have you waited before being able to get out?

[RWB]

If it is a new scope then the affliction may last up to two weeks 

 and then just drop down to normal (awful) seeing conditions

Hope that I am wrong

         Regards      Robin

[Ant]

If you factor in other commitments. I've waited months between imaging sessions. Actually right now I'm up to month 6

The last time that I was out was the Mercury transit, which I believe was in March.  In fairness to the weather - thats more my fault than the weather

 

Ant

[nightfisher]

I was lucky when my ED80 arrived i got first light a couple of days later, it was then i found the focuser has a bent shaft, but its being sorted out

[Sirius Starwatcher]

Can I recommend that any member with a new telescope who gets clear skies the day the scope arrives should not set the scope up for observing. You need to leg it to the nearest outlet that sells lottery tickets. !

my last outing was also the Mercury transit.

[brantuk]

Same here - mercury transit was the last real session - spent the best part of the day watching it in the solar scope. Since then - just a couple of demos for one: a new member in our local club who was considering buying his first scope and, two: chap who bought a mount from me - literally two sessions - and both less than two hours.

Very looking forward to Kelling though in just over a weeks time.

[Ben the Ignorant]

I often observe through a window even if it's heresy; when clouds clear I just move the scope a few meters. Field is too small, air is too wavy, but setup time is in seconds. When it's too cold heresy turns into blasphemy: I watch through the glass. Better than nothing for now, will deal with Armageddon in time.

[Joel Shepherd]

I think I would have given up by now if I hadn't been out since March! Must require great patience to maintain enthusiasm for so long. After a fairly nice April this year, we had two solid months of cloud and rain. That seemed like a very long time. Six months? <shudders>

[Davesellars]

Amazingly my new 12" dob received Thursday (sorry for the big storms in Oxfordshire BTW Thursday night!) received its first light the following night viewing the Moon.

[Mr Spock]

To be an astronomer with our weather you have to have extreme patience

[Ouroboros]

6 minutes ago, Davesellars said:

Amazingly my new 12" dob received Thursday (sorry for the big storms in Oxfordshire BTW Thursday night!) received its first light the following night viewing the Moon.

Oh, it was your fault was it?  I measured 41mm of rain (1.6").  You just missed the clear observing night on Wednesday!! 

On Friday I took delivery of an Amazon Basics tripod with pistol grip mount for my bins. Was it clear Friday night? Was it heck! Managed first light last night with some nice views of the Moon. I'm very pleased with it. 

[DHEB]

Last winter here I had to endure 7 weeks overcast skies in a row. Not a single clear night between November and January. Summer as usual was much much better, plenty of clear skies, but then of course the sky does not get dark during over two months.

We can't do anything in this hobby without patience and perseverance. Use those unsuitable times for learning and planning. We are here for the long haul 

[Roy Challen]

It was the same here (SE UK). Luckily (in a sense) I was waiting for my Skylight to be finished, that happened  1st week in January and I got to use it the very next night. I've used it twice since! Not always the weather's fault, but still...

Thank God for being able to travel and for binoculars

[DHEB]

29 minutes ago, Roy Challen said:

It was the same here (SE UK). Luckily (in a sense) I was waiting for my Skylight to be finished, that happened  1st week in January and I got to use it the very next night. I've used it twice since! Not always the weather's fault, but still...

Thank God for being able to travel and for binoculars

Ease of setup is definitely an advantage, so to be able to exploit any opportunity allowed by the clouds. Binoculars are great for this, mine are always ready next to the door (also for birding!).

[triton1]

Mine also was the mercury transit and then after buying a new neq6 I set it up once in the living room to get a feel for it waited a couple of weeks for the weather to clear as you do then decided to take a header off the pushbike and broke my arm so nothing since the transit,when was that I've forgotten.

[MarkVIIIMarc]

My weather was pretty decent when my Z10 arrived.

Mid summer sucked though.  The long muggy mosquito season wasn't much fun.

[SteveNickolls]

You know it's been too long when you catch yourself window shopping for new gear as a way of compensating for the conditions. And no seven days is not long at all. :-)

Keep in there.

Cheers,

Steve

 

[L8-Nite]

On ‎18‎/‎09‎/‎2016 at 04:55, Joel Shepherd said:

I think I would have given up by now if I hadn't been out since March! Must require great patience to maintain enthusiasm for so long. After a fairly nice April this year, we had two solid months of cloud and rain. That seemed like a very long time. Six months? <shudders>

I've got a ranch on the market in California I'll sell you. Unlike your neck of the woods, or here in the UK, its bone dry there, dark, and ohhhhh how I miss the clear nights.