The outro...

[Astro_Baby]

I am seriously considering packing up astro. Tonite was the umpteenth time I have lugged the scope out to a dark(er) sky area and the also the umpteenth time I have carried it back without seeing a thing. Tonite it was cloud, yesterday it was fog, the night before it was fog and cloud. Before that its been 3 months of cloud.

This week we have had a total of two clear nights - both of them on nights when I couldnt get out. at 4am the Orion Neb was perfectly visible and the sky was clear - with my own garden I could set up and do some observing. But I live in flats which makes going out at 4am unrealistic - especially with work the following day.

I have owned this piece of tin for 4 months now and thats about how many hours its actually been used for as well and they were all at the Salisbury Star Party. At this rate the scope will be worn from transporting it long before it ever gets used.

Tonite - I honestly feel was the final straw and unless I feel VERY different tomnorrow I will be putting it all up for sale tomorrow night. I suspected from the off that astro wasn't a viable hobby when you live in a flat and ever since I owned the scope that view has become more and more reinforced. Endless cloud and on the odd occasion the skies clear I have other commitments or am simply too tired to do much about it.

If you have a garden, no matter how light polluted. you can be outside and observing in a few minutes. For me it means packing the scope up, lugging it down six flights of stairs and driving for 30 minutes. At the moment all that effort results in me standing around in a wet field hoping against hope that maybe - just maybe - the sky will be clear enough to see something. To date all I have seen ( apart from Salisbury ) is cloud and fog or on great nights whooo I can maybe see the moon.

Most nights I come here and read the posts and see other people getting views of everything - I am lucky if I can even see the moon. Tonite the moon was bright and I set off with high hopes of being able to at least look at that. I drove off to a dark sky site I am scouting out and found when we got there - guess what - yup it clouded over just as we started unpcaking the scope.

For me its been the last straw - almost 4 months without a single chance to view anything. Thats going to add up to something like using the scope maybe twice a year and I cant be bothered to give housepace to something with that low a level of use. If I ever want to have a look I could just as easily pop along to an observatory. At this rate with the kids, other commitments and wather I bet I will be lucky to have two nights viewing.

So if anyone fancies a bargain then tomorrow night its most likely all being put up for sale and I will go back to clay pigeon shooting where I only need vsisbility out to a few hundred yards and I can still get some use out of the cold weather gear I bought for astronomy.

I'm going to sleep on it but I really doubt I'll feel different tomorrow - this week I had a free weekend and resolved, given the clear skies earlier in the week, to get going and use the scope. Its been a complete waste of time. If I thought it was going to be better I might change my mind but I seriously doubt it ever will be.

Time to sell it off - buy the shotgun and get my partner the brass antiquey looking telescope she wanted in the first place as a piece of decor.

[argonaut]

Please don't do that.

We have all had a bad year this year. It's been shocking. Trying to test new gear with this horrible weather.

If you can't set up the scope then just save it for the few good nights and buy a decent pair of binoculars. You would be amazed at what you can see.

Please have a re-think on this.

We all go through a bad patch.

Argonaut.

[PhillyDee]

You are not alone here. Im a beginner too, and you experiences almost mirror mine. Im in a first floor flat, and Im the same. Grin and bear it imo. Have 2 hobbies . . . . I have several.

[thing]

I don't know what to say really, I can feel your frustration. It's bad enough getting the kit out in your garden and then it clouds over. It has been an exceptionally horrible year though.

[ringz]

I feel your pain Mel,

I have way more gear and you and it's depressing the number of times I've used it since I've had it.

Whatever you decide to do, I hope it's the right thing for you.

Martyn.

[Astronut]

I know exactly where you're coming from. With me, it's the fact I can only observe at weekends because of my job and it's usually been cloudy every weekend for as long as I've had the 'scope (a year and half now) and probably before I had it but I didn't notice it then. I remember when I did this before when I was a lot younger there seemed to be far more clear nights and observing sessions.

I'm reluctant to give up though because I've invested quite a bit of time and money in accessories and mods.

If you do decide to pack in, you may regret it later but I'm sure that thought's crossed your mind.

[Greg]

Have a break from it for a while, that's what I do when I get frustrated..I took a couple of months off a while ago and came back refreshed..

Take up clay pigeon shooting as well, give yourself something else to focus on for a while..I'm handy with a shotgun, it's a great sport...

Please don't get too disheartened all of us on here feel the same way..I've had two nights just as you described...

I set up last night...The full monty, camera's and all. just as I finished balancing the scope the fog rolled in ... My language was a bit choice..

I cleared away and an hour later it cleared! Too late...A bottle of Merlot had been opened..

I do appreciate where your coming from but don't sell your stuff just yet..

HTH

Greg

[Psychobilly]

Hi Mel,

I think I know how your feeling... luckily I have had a few full wekends over the last few months but not as many as i would have liked...

All the best whatever you decide to do.

Billy...

[philsail1]

Here's another frustrated amateur astronomer - Me!

I'm sure everyone - yes everyone can identify with your frustration "Astrobaby."

The weather this year has been just........

And when one thinks of the money we spend on the hobby, it just makes things that much hard to bear.

As others have said, try and take a break from it - even pack your scope away for a bit.

You may feel better when the weather gets better.

However, if you do want to sell up - perhaps it might be an idea to buy a decent pair of binocualrs and pop out with those when the weather is suitable.

I have certainly used my second hand "Opticron" 8x42's much, much more than the scopes this year. I've just gone outside and sat on an old plastic bucket chair in the garden and scanned the stars with immense ennjoyment, gradually learning the names of the different stars, constellations, etc. It has been a joy.

Don't lose hope - we are all with you in spirit (mostly of the bottle kind with this weather!).

Best wishes,

philsail1

[dogfish]

Hi Mel

I understand your frustration and echo the comments made by others. It has been a terrible summer and autumn has only been a bit better, but there's winter to come, and that's usually the best time of year for observing. Although I have a house with a back garden (and moderate levels of light pollution), I choose to do most of my observing, because I get the biggest kick out of DSO's, from dark sites which are at least half an hour away. Consequently, I don't get out very often, either.

However, I've chosen to take the longer term view. The sky ain't going anywhere fast, there'll be major astronomical events that I'll make sure I don't miss (comet Holmes was a good example of the kind of thing I'm talking about, but there'll be Mars and Saturn being well-placed for observing in a couple of years time, as well). And one of these days, I'll have a place in the country with a roll-off roof shed, but in the meantime I'll try and chill out and make the most of what I can do.

If you're really sick of the Newt taking up house space, then sell it and buy a 4" Apo (the Skywatcher ED 102, being a reasonably priced example) on a decent Alt-Az mount; much more portable and still decent enough to see lots with.

Hope you see sense this morning.

Cheers, Martin

[Stephen Green]

Hi Mel I think this has happened to all of us I have to go down the road to a freinds place where I have my LX 200 I leave on a clear sky open up then the fog comes along or it clouds over this is the worse year yet I have spent alot of money on equipment and have not be able to use it ,so I am taking afew days of

Stephen

[Doc]

It's been a very bad year, we all know that and we all feel exactly the same as you.

Stick with it. It will get better the colder it gets.

If you do sell you will regret in time. And then if you want to get back into this hobby it will be expensive again.

So chin up Mel.

[rawhead]

What about an 8’’ FlexTube dob? (Or even a 10’’???)

You would still have the aperture with very little setup / packing away aggro. That’s always the bit that gets me when the clouds roll in.

Good luck on whatever you decide…..

Cheers

Jon

[Astro_Baby]

Doc - my average time between hobbies is about 15 years. I am 50 now and almost no one in my family ever makes it past 65 sooooooo if I sell it all up by the time I come back to it I'll be observing with wings on my back.

I have decided to sell all the gear - I take the point about not having it ff theres a major astronomical event but in recent years major events have been washouts wherever I lived.

Halleys Comet - cloudy all the time - never even saw it

Shoemaker Levy - Rains and cloud - never saw it

Great Conjunction - guess what - yup - clouds - never saw it

Mars on closest approach - hahahaha - clouds of course.

Skylab falling back to earth - clouds

Mir falling back to earth - clouds

Most recent lunar eclipse - dont make me laugh - cloudy

Most recent Perseid shower - hahaha - cloudy, drove 50 miles - still cloudy, came home again - saw maybe 3 come in. Hardly impressive for a whole nights watching and lets face it I dont need a telescope to watch a meteor shower with.

No solar eclipses due anywhere near me for at least another 20 years.

About the only 'astronomical event' likely to happen that wont be messed up by weather will be a deep impact, extinction level event - I dont think I'll need a telescope to see that with.

Once I get back from hols I'll start selling the gear off. I did think this morning of perhaps getting a smaller APO or maybe an SCT with GoTo but to be honest no matter what I buy I'll be at the mercy of clouds and I really dont want to waste any more money on white elephants.

ps - forecast for the week - cloudy

[wingman]

I'm really sorry to hear this Mel. I got my 130PM just about the time you sold yours and I know you've had a lot of trouble with your new set up and done a lot of work on it. Like you, the actual time I've had observing so far has been very limited (and I've got a smaller setup and a garden) so I know how frustrating it has been.

Please don't make any hasty decisions, have a think while you are on hols and see how you feel when you come back. You've been a big help to us novices with your clear guides to mounts, polar aligning and collimation and you'd be missed if you packed it up.

[Astro_Baby]

Nah - I thought about it plenty over the last few weeks. Its not an instant decision by any means. To some extent the guides and me working on the scope were a kind of way to keep my interest levels up.

I cant do any more work on the scope - I have all the gear for flocking and I'll probably carry that out prior to sale - but the scopes been as modded as it can be really. I kind of did that stuff to keep me interested but now its finsihed without a sky to look at its pointless.

The guides - well thats just me taking what I learn and regurgitating it in a packaged form. There are loads of other far more talented astronomers than me - I am after all only really a newbie myself.

As I say I have been considering this for at least 4 weeks and I keep saying to myself 'hang on a bit and the weather will improve' but it hasn't and I dont think it ever will in any real sense. We'll get some clear nights but if I factor in clear nights and then overlay it with my spare time it starts to look like a vanishingly small number.

I'll keep my hand in kind of - my youngest has a developing interest so I'll probably buy him a small scope for christmas if he still has the interest but I cant see any reason to keep the stuff I have at all.

[steppenwolf]

I understand just how you feel, Mel, I don't have the added frustration of a lack of garden but I too am at the mercy of the weather like all of us on here and I just happen to live in a village with its own 'micro-climate' which essentially means that the South Downs roll fog and cloud over my village even when it is clear North and South of me!

Most of us on SGL have had a pretty poor year and I am sure that a good number of us have considered packing it in - I know I have and the most recent occasion for me was last night!

I decided last night to give it a rest for a while and I've already started to dismantle my gear as I can't take the frustration right now on top of everything else that's happening in my life but I'm not going to give in completely and sell off the gear as I know that there will be opportunities in the future, just as there will be for you too.

Your input here with your excellent Polar Alignment and other tutorials will have been appreciated by many and I have no doubt you have more to offer and more to enjoy yourself so why not mothball the gear for a month or two and then have another bash later in the year when the nights will be darker giving a greater chance of a 'lucky break'?

Mel, don't make a hasty decision that you regret later ......

[Sam]

Don't give up AB... please!! It has been very frustrating with the weather and the fact you have to travel around to find a suitable viewing sight makes it even more difficult. But with Winter approaching and, hopefully, some clear long nights, you should get the opportunity to use your scope.

Sam

[supernova]

Hi AB dont give up just yet because winter is coming and the best nights are on there way, I think you should leave it till about November then things will be ok and if not then blame Darren

I have had no clear nights to lug the Cannon out for sometime but I can wait.

Put it away for a couple of weeks then see what happens when it gets colder----- OK.

Bernie.

[ngc2403]

hello astrobaby,

i think that the general thing here is the way that so many night that you have chosen have been bad, however you are by no means the worse off with set up time.

i am in the middle of Glasgow and if it is clear i get on the subway ~20miens, then a train ~40mins, get a lift from the station home ~15mins then i can start to set up my stuff. i have to make the choice of is it going to be clear about 2hours before i leave Glasgow to go home to my parents house in the country.

the weather can change alot in that time! these nights are very rare for me but with good planning i.e. watch the weather forcast alot, i am able to get out once a month, sounds bad but i have only been out four times since last november!

it's been a bad year for us all but we await winter cause i know that one good night with a scope and mount setup that i like, will make me forget about all the other disappointments

ally

[supernova]

Hi Mel.

Try puting your details on this site.

And try it it works for me.

Bernie.

http://astroforecast.org:8080/index.html

[Reggie]

Hi Astro_Baby, it sounds like you've got the hump about astronomy quite badly, it can be incredibly frustrating I know and i'm sure all the cliches and platitudes in the world won't make you change your mind if you've made it up. I realise that I don't know you personally, just from astro forums but It just doesn't sound like you when you say you want to give it up, you always gave me the impression on both SGL and SAN of being someone who's both driven and knowledgable and unlikely to fail at whatever you tried your hand at.

One thing I will say, you're about to give up just as the better seasons are about to start, it sounds like me, that you started your hobby at the wrong time of year?

I started in feb-march and I've not had a full year astronoming yet, got a few really good nights at the start and then its been very scrappy since then the summer being atrocious, but I did stand out in the cold a lot in the winter the last couple of years (not allowed to smoke indoors) and there were many, many, many clear and wonderful nights, I only wish I'd had a telescope or bins at the time to fully appreciate them.

I think looking at the forums is slightly counter productive, as the people that are getting out to see decent views are either dead lucky for the time of year, or they are persevering, or got an obs. 3 nights last week we had really clear skies where I am which were all ruined by mist/fog the 4th night wasn't supposed to be good at all but I still setup, you know, just in case, and despite the hint of mist building up on the fields at the bottom of our garden it was clear for quite a few hours, I even managed to get some imaging done (shots ruined by my ineptitude but thats another story). Give it a month or 2 and we will be on for some above average opportunities to see what we want to see

You're thoughts about getting a small apo or a grab and go SCT are sensible to be honest, I was astounded at the quality of the image in my WO 66 SD apo and its so light in its little flightcase, the beauty is it doesn't need a heq5 or 6 mount to get it tracking nicely and it's dead easy to use. If you're really pushed for time it can go on a normal photography tripod. The same can be said for a small mak or sct.

[steviejasp]

Hi Mel,

If your not desperate for the money, you are welcome to leave it all in my garage for a while incase you want to set it all back up again. Im a member of Adur too so you could bring it down next time.

atb, steve

[mik]

Shame to hear your frustration AB i am not to far down the road from you so i share your sky's.

Now one thing i remember when i got back into the hobby a few years ago i asked all the normal questions and i can't remember what forum but the best advise i was given was to get a small quality refractor and a good alt-az mount, at the time i went with the

WO zs66 and velbon tripod with a geared head ok it was more costly than the basic starter scopes on offer today but it gets me out viewing at short notice.

I quite like reading the what new scope shall i get posts and await the 130/150 reflector dob or eq big bang for the buck you know what i mean and it is good advise if you have time to set up or have a garden but i don't think they are the best ways to go i was told

(the best scope for you is the one you will use more often) and then there is the reflector collimination issues,can't focus my dslr issues and i wont even get into goto.

None of the above are bad but you do need time to explore all the pitfalls and this can lead to frustration and lack of observing.

I know if i didn't have my 66 on a simple alt-az i would not observe half as much so what i am trying to say AB why dont you downsize maybe a Megrez 72 and alt-az and get out and enjoy but try to stay with us.

Mick

[Psychobilly]

Sorry you made your mind up AB

:crybaby: :crybaby: :crybaby:

Billy...