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Your most expensive mistake in astronomy

westmarch

By westmarch
in The Astro Lounge

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Vega

Vega

Posted
Posted

1....reading up on TeleVue Radian Eyepieces :icon_biggrin:

2. This doesn't really count but I thought it should get an honourary mention... I had a close shave when my Eq6 Synscan Pro + Ed80 + Guide scope were left out over night in 60mph winds. Woke up in the morning to be greeted with 3 tripod legs sticking out positioned horizontally. Magically, the scope rings took the brunt of the impact and the guide scope tube had some little dents in it. That was all that really broke. Mount up and tracking the very next night.

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JOC

JOC

Posted
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I haven't been doing this long enough to make a really big financial error (I may live to regret cheap eyepieces, but its only in the tens and not hundreds of pounds), and reading SGL it seems many go through that stage.  So far my most potentially expensive error is not to realise that the finderscope mount and telescope mount must be made different metals that don't contract at the same rate when they cool (at least that's my excuse).  Thus the finderscope mounted and adjusted in the day just fell off the frozen telescope at night and went rocketing planet side before I had a chance to catch it.  I think it would have crashed and burned had it not struck my leather encased foot on the way down which saved the finderscope in its mount (if not my foot - those things weigh a lot when gravity grabs them!)

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westmarch

westmarch

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13 minutes ago, JOC said:

I haven't been doing this long enough to make a really big financial error (I may live to regret cheap eyepieces, but its only in the tens and not hundreds of pounds), and reading SGL it seems many go through that stage.  So far my most potentially expensive error is not to realise that the finderscope mount and telescope mount must be made different metals that don't contract at the same rate when they cool (at least that's my excuse).  Thus the finderscope mounted and adjusted in the day just fell off the frozen telescope at night and went rocketing planet side before I had a chance to catch it.  I think it would have crashed and burned had it not struck my leather encased food on the way down which saved the finderscope in its mount (if not my foot - those things weigh a lot when gravity grabs them!)

Leather encased food? Your baking is a work in progress then? :icon_biggrin:

John

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Stub Mandrel

Stub Mandrel

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Not a big amount of cash, but buying a Canon 10D because it was only £30.

Of course as well as various fittings I needed more batteries, compact flash, CF reader, interval timer etc. all of which took time and probably made it cost almost as much as the 450D which replaced it.

Actually I've still got it but I can't think of anything to do with it?

 

Hubble wasn't a complete write off as it was the catalyst for decent deconvolution techniques we now benefit from!

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JOC

JOC

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westmarch, wretched typo, that will teach me to be careless!  Internet forums catch every little error and the worst ones are those that are actually real words and therefore the spell checkers don't flag them up.  Leather encased 'foot' of course!!!

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billyharris72

billyharris72

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I'd say buying "cheap" (AZ3, second hand EQ5, Skywatcher observing chair) rather than buying right (AZ4, HEQ5, Mey observing chair). And I never seem to learn. Then again, I've tended to buy cheap at a point in time when I wasn't ready to commit to the bigger expense, so maybe the choice was buy cheap (as a gateway to buying right) or don't buy at all.

That and the time I pushed my 150mm Skymax / AZ4 combo over in the dark. Took a right big divot out of the lawn that did. 

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Paul73

Paul73

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13 hours ago, niallk said:

Looking through a 100° ep.

They keep me on the straight and narrow. Every time I want a new scope, I sell a 100° eyepiece or two which will finance the new toy. They eventually creep back into the case. The rule is; 'If there aren't any 100° in the case. Then I can't afford a new scope.'

Paul

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DirkSteele

DirkSteele

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I completely forgot I owned a 10mm Tele Vue Radian (a great EP) which might have already indicated I owned too many eyepieces so went and bought a 10mm Delos.  Completely fell in love with it and that then saw me purchase the 4.5mm and 14mm Delos as well!  So a pretty expensive mistake driven by forgetfulness.  I do still use the Radian when I travel to distant lands as it is smaller and lighter, but closer to home, Delos all the way.

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Alkaid

Alkaid

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I think my error over the past eight years or so since starting out have been constantly thinking about 'grass being greener' with other telescopes, always thinking about the next possible upgrade - instead of being 100% happy with my existing kit and just USING it.   Granted, I have not spent a fortune on kit, but I have started to believe that the UK is a hostile place for telescopes with the seemingly constant cloud cover.  To this effect, I have now sold off three of my scopes and am now down to just two.   One for Lunar, one for widefield.  And I now intend to use the hell out of them (weather permitting!).  No more having scopes sat there gathering dust (that's the expensive mistake, not using them).   No more 'which shall I use'.   From now, if the Moon's out I use the refractor, if I want to go to a dark site I take the Newtonian.  

:happy11:

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Moonshane

Moonshane

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As long as I can afford what I buy, I don't generally worry about spending money as I buy good quality used gear in the main. This to my eyes is money in the bank and the 'interest' is the enjoyment I get while using it. If I need to sell or fancy a change then I sell for about what I paid and then buy the new stuff.

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nightfisher

nightfisher

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Reflecting on this topic, i feel i have had a long journey going from one scope to the next, although generally enjoying each scope on its own merits, in the grand scheme of things i probably have not spent or lost a massive amount of money, like Shane most of my gear has been good pre owned stuff, but i do feel the ED120 is a final scope, the few times i have used it i have been very impressed with it, yes its a bit heavy, so its a little demanding of a decent mount, but in time that will be sorted, i think if i sell the 120 it will be due to giving up rather than a change and i dont plan to give up any time soon

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Saganite

Saganite

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Developing the desire to constantly check out eyepieces. I have bought and sold, at a small loss on most occasions, goodness knows how many, the cumulative cost of which  I would not care to estimate.Fortunately the vast majority were bought, in mint condition ,on the "used" market, and were sold on in the same condition. I have to say though that I enjoy doing it, it is a hobby, the pursuit of pleasure, and of course now and again, I find a real gem to set in stone. :happy11:

 

 

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LukeSkywatcher

LukeSkywatcher

Posted
Posted

Fliters: Neodymium, UHC, Moon (inc. polarising), Red Longpass, Baader Solar & Solar Continuum.

Skywatcher Startravel 120 OTA - short-tube, fast frac on AZ4-2.  My Grab 'n' Go 'scope.

Doug, the only thing missing from your list of astro gear is a Hershel Wedge for solar observing. One of those would certainly not be a mistake. I dont know if you do any solar observing. You have the scope for it and the filters. A Hershel wedge is perhaps my best investment ever (apart from my 8se).

Just a suggestion.

 

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cloudsweeper

cloudsweeper

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9 minutes ago, LukeSkywatcher said:

Fliters: Neodymium, UHC, Moon (inc. polarising), Red Longpass, Baader Solar & Solar Continuum.

Skywatcher Startravel 120 OTA - short-tube, fast frac on AZ4-2.  My Grab 'n' Go 'scope.

Doug, the only thing missing from your list of astro gear is a Hershel Wedge for solar observing. One of those would certainly not be a mistake. I dont know if you do any solar observing. You have the scope for it and the filters. A Hershel wedge is perhaps my best investment ever (apart from my 8se).

Just a suggestion.

 

Nice one Paul - I have enjoyed a bit of solar and am considering taking it further.  After a better focuser, after a Dob, and so on....

And I'm going to an astro shop this weekend.  Heaven knows what I'll come away with!

Doug.

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