Just How Much Have YOU Spent?

[bobro]

One year ago I purchased my scope with RA motor for the grand sum of £150, with the intention of developing an interest and having fun with astrophotography - but with an economy DIY approach.

Now, one year later, it's been a great learning journey, with still much fun to have and I can't wait for darker skies once again towards the end of the year.

For interest I decided to add up roughly how much I have spent on equipment over the year - it came to about £800. More than I expected, but no complaints as I have tried a bit of visual, a little video of the Moon and Jupiter, but mainly been occupied with guided DSO imaging using a DSLR.

This brought me to a question - just how much have others spent on this absorbing hobby? (If the figure is embarrassing we won't tell, honest!)

[AKB]

Perhaps this is best done as a survey so that we can't actually put names to numbers? 

I started along the 'economy' route (in fact, in the best way – a present) but it has spiraled since.  Not so different, I suspect, from quite a few others.

[cloudsweeper]

A heck of a lot in just over two years - see signature.  And to think when I started I thought you only needed a cheapish 'scope and nothing else!  It all worked for me because I flogged off a load of stuff from the previous hobby.  Well worthwhile - I love astro!

Doug.

[xtreemchaos]

how long is a piece of string, been at it over 40 years never kept a record, but some years maybe spend 2k and some years nothing at all, but its real value for money when I think of the use of the kit because not many days go by when I don't use it "weather permiting" , and its not very often I sell anything because I'm a telescope hoarder and I get atatched to my kit, my loft is full of stuff as me wife keeps telling me .  charl.

[Saganite]

A lot ! 

[ronin]

At a quick addition about £2000 on scopes and mounts (6 scopes) - not as bad as I would have thought - BUT that does not include the eyepieces. Which are likely between £1000 and £1200, that being about the best estimate. Technically that is since sometime around 2000, so 17 years. More realistically since about 10 years ago. Had a small Meade that I kept but did not really use a great deal then sort of got started again around 2007.

So the above, £3K, in 10 years, £300 a year.

Managed in a way to avoid imaging but as 2 of the scopes are good, an ED and an APO, I sort of already have those, an the EQ5 and HEQ5 would do for a reasonable bit of tracking, have DSLR so in a way could dabble in that, in simple terms, without great additional outlay.

[Alien 13]

I went the basic short fl unguided route and still spent an initial 1.2K with a DSLR included since then have spent even more on other cameras and lenses but is only a fraction of my previous hobby (audio) spend where a set of interconnects and speaker cables could easily be 5K.

Alan

[Moonshane]

Probably about £5k but as I buy second hand in the main I could sell quickly for more or less what I paid so technically about £500 assuming a 10% loss.

[DaveS]

Not easy to say, but if you think "small car" you won't be far out.

But you don't have to spend that much, a lot of my kit is well above the base-line of what you need to get started.

[nightfisher]

maybe about 3k over the last 8 years, but same as Shane most has been used, and stuff has been sold to help buy the next bit of kit

[davehawkins]

Always wanted my own telescope since I was a kid and thought that was all you needed. Then off course you find out the stock eye pieces need replacing and the buying starts. Bought an 8 to 24 zoom eyepiece online 5 minutes ago don't tell the Mrs. Spend to date about £1600!

[Craney]

At the moment it is rivalling the mortgauge in terms of outgoings  !!!!.......   there is always one more scope needed  ........  narghhh!!!!!.....

[Alien 13]

One thing that creeps up on you is the cost of extras, a couple of extra batteries for the camera some LP filters, remote intervalometers and the man hours I put in modifying my mount etc.

Alan

P.S. if imaging you soon find out one PC is not enough too.

[Marki]

Quite a few thousand spent on mounts and scopes over the last 5 years or so, although some was recouped and recycled into other scopes. When you add in cameras, leads, eps, filters and so on it soon adds up!

 

[carastro]

Quote

Not easy to say, but if you think "small car" you won't be far out.

I'm in this category including the observatory, 2 mounts 2 CCD cameras, DSLR EFW and Filters etc etc.  I totted it all up once and had a bit of a shock.

Carole 

[Racey]

As far as I'm concerned, the smiles per pound spent is still in the right ratio...

Just as well that I'm grinning like the Cheshire Cat ?

All in the signature plus a hatful of eyepieces, tripod, Herschel Wedges and binoculars since November last year...

Ah well. Can't take it with you... ?

[Saganite]

45 minutes ago, ronin said:

At a quick addition about £2000 on scopes and mounts (6 scopes) - not as bad as I would have thought - BUT that does not include the eyepieces. Which are likely between £1000 and £1200, that being about the best estimate. Technically that is since sometime around 2000, so 17 years. More realistically since about 10 years ago. Had a small Meade that I kept but did not really use a great deal then sort of got started again around 2007.

So the above, £3K, in 10 years, £300 a year.

Managed in a way to avoid imaging but as 2 of the scopes are good, an ED and an APO, I sort of already have those, an the EQ5 and HEQ5 would do for a reasonable bit of tracking, have DSLR so in a way could dabble in that, in simple terms, without great additional outlay.

In truth I have probably spent a similar amount within that time scale, and £300 per year is about half what some folk spend sweating in a gym, so money well spent !!

[wookie1965]

Second hand mount £500 eyepieces topping £600 other bits and bobs probably £100 and books another £100 or so. Second hand Frac £120 second hand blow up tent £400 all in all think I have got off lightly, I have no green and black fellas there is a saving.

[laser_jock99]

Including my dark sky observing site......quite a lot!!

[swag72]

11 hours ago, DaveS said:

Not easy to say, but if you think "small car" you won't be far out....

I always said a 'small car', but a family friend asked me the other day how such it would cost to replace everything I had and rather embarrassingly that easily came out at a figure nearer a rather nice Mercedes.

Starting out I spent £2000, but it can easily be done with less  

[Stub Mandrel]

Perhaps we should work out pence per photon...

I am increasingly of the view that hobbies are essential to happiness. They are what we invest in ourselves and give us an opportunity to pursue a subject and develop skills in order to please no-one but themselves.

In any hobby acquisition can expand to fill the budget available, like Bob my ambition is largely to achieve the most with what I have, and measure my improvement against what others with similar equipment achieve, with admiration, rather than envy, of what can be done with more expensive kit.

[Moonshane]

As long as I can afford it, and it's within my guilt free budget, I never think of what anything costs me, rather what it gives me. My wife spends a lot more in a year than me and I never begrudge that. This difference is I buy things that have value after a few years and hers go to recycling at best! 

I certainly never buy out of envy, simply strive to optimise the kit and experience I have. 

[Erla]

The total this year - 1500. Now I want/need dslr. Or mono cooled with filter wheel, couple more eyepieces, autofocuser, guidecam.. List goes on ?. I already sneaked in EQDIR cable under the radar to avoid ending up in the doghouse. My plan is save sneakily, buy used, lie about cost and get wife expensive handbag for her birthday so she turns a blind eye and believes that I spent only "couple of hundered or so" on it all.

[carastro]

I actually sat down and made a file of all my equipment with photos and prices, printed it and put it with my will (this is how I know the amount I have spent).  If I died no-one would have a clue how much money all this lot is worth, but if they see the list and how much they could sell it for my children and husband will make an effort to sell it for good money.  By making the list they can identify and describe the items ready for re-sale.  Hate waste.

Oh and this doesn't include the campervan I bought for going to Astro camps. 

Carole 

 

[Vox45]

I can tell you exactly what I spent so far. I had the good idea to keep a spreadsheet of all my expenses related to astronomy: DIY parts, non astro stuff (red light torch, laptop tent, etc) and all other astro related gear, scope, filter, etc.

In that spreadsheet I also enter what I've sold so I can say with absolute certitude that my net cost since 2014 is:  3304,28€