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Astro_Baby

By Astro_Baby
in The Astro Lounge

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digitaldave

digitaldave

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I'll echo what Phil said earlier - a good pair of binoculars could be just what you need. No setup time, and minimal weight to carry up and down stairs to your flat. They won't give the same view of faint fuzzies that your scope will, but you can still see a huge number of objects with them. Plus they can be had relatively cheap. I'd recommend a pair regardless of if you sell the rest of your gear or not.

Hope that helps :undecided: .

Regards,

Dave.

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Milliways

Milliways

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I felt the same mate.

I spend over 900 quid on my new scope and bits and bobs but i have only been able to use them a total of 3 times since i have had them plus my misses doesn't wanna know lol she said "its a waist of blumming money" but dont give up hope mate!.. the winter is on its way and then i am sure we will have some awsome nights.. get a cheap pair of bins, I have a pair of Bresser 10x50s and they are great, you can pick them up DIRT CHEAP too.

Plus if you have a big telescope and find it hard to lug around, it might pay you to downsize.. I chose my Meade ETX 125 over a skywatcher 300p Flexi-tube for just that reason (even though it cost more and has 6" apature less) but i havn't regretted it! its light, the optics are second to none and the Goto is awsome "now i figured out how to use it hehe"

Just some food for thought. :undecided:

Dave

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madjohn

madjohn

Posted
Posted

I echo Daves last comments, the best of the observing season is almost upon us, the weather seems to be settling into a routine at last, at least its not continuously cloudy all of the time( I know the blumming mist seems to rise up to spoil another otherwise clear evening when its not cloudy!)

I feel for your frustration but if you take the point that every time you go out to observe, the chances of it clouding up again after 4 mths of trying are going to be less and less, probabilities and all that!

I told myself that after two years of arranging to go to motorcycle rallies in 2000/2001, rained everytime I put my leathers on! and I couldn't not go!Weekend after weekend of mud and wet. :undecided:

Just grit your teeth and tell yourself your luck Must change!

Hopefully clear skies...!

John

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Astro_Baby

Astro_Baby

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Thanks all for comments - Bernie yes I'll still be about to do stuff for Adur AS I just wont be bothering to do any actual astronomy any more.

My partner begged me last night to rethink it but I think I am well past that. Strangely yesterday I got £500 arrive that I didn't know I was owed. A few weeks ago I would have been straight on the phone to buy some more gear and I did have a passing moment of madness to spend it on a small mak/sct on a GoTo and then thought - nah - can buy a serious handbag for that so a another Cochinelle handbag it is :undecided:

Its ok - I have a book to write anyway that I keep putting off. I've written three and not got a deal but this time I just might have the real book in me and who knows - if I got a deal and had a bestseller I might move to Arizona and buy another telescope :)

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Doc

Doc

Posted
Posted

Writing books is hard. My wife's on her third as well and hasn't had one published yet.

Well good luck with it, hope to go into WH Smiths soon and see a book by Astrobaby on the shelfs.

Btw you can't see the stars through a Cochinelle handbag :undecided:

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Reggie

Reggie

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Posted

Is it a story about a dissolusioned Astronomer with a taste for expensive handbags who after writing a bestseller didn't find it fulfilling enough to satisfy her hunger and ends up setting up an astro community in arizona for her old forum buddies who saw her through the dark times?

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Tim

Tim

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Posted

Hi.

I have a friend who lives in a flat, and for him too the effort is a PITA.

But why not keep the stuff for when there IS a night that you can make it? We all have the same skies, there is no getting around that, but take a look in the imaging sections and it is plain to see that folk are getting out there, even given the hellish cloudy year we've had.

I love my hobbies too, but I never "give them up", I just do them less. yes ok, there is a workshop full of woodworking tools, a safe full of air rifles, another safe full of shotguns and another safe full of sporting rifles, a shed full of telescope kit, a locker full of artists equipment, I have a back catalogue of computer game scripted items, full set of golf clubs (inc shoes) and several other selections of hobby related stuff. Would it not be worth keeping your stuff just for star parties? Or what about a nearby friend with a garden and shed where you could store your stuff?

The main thing with the weather is learning how to best read the forecasts and satellite pics, I find you can reasonably accurately guage how many hours you will have free to observe.

All this being said, I think if I was in your position, a purely visual observer, then the rewards for dragging all your kit about would likely not be worth it. For me, having a picture at the end of the session makes it worth while, and makes me more determined to stick it out. Not sure if I'd stay out just for visual, unless I was working through a list or something of targets.

If you do flog it all, at least use some of the dosh for a decent pair of binoculars. At least you'll still get something, and there are great bino targets to be had all year.

Hope you dont pack up, I have enjoyed reading your posts and have found your enthusiasm infectious. Thanks for that.

Tim

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barkis

barkis

Posted
Posted

You will come back to Astronomy AB, as sure as the stars are eternal, you will pick up thy telescope again. There is nothing wrong with taking a break, and especially to write a book.

I wish you well, and I hope you can emulate Aravind Adiga, and win the big prize one day.

Ron. :thumbright:

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beamer3.6m

beamer3.6m

Posted
Posted

I agree with Astrobaby, if the kit is not being used then it is not worth the house room or cost.

I was tempted to sell my kites (powerkiting other hobby) as I have not used them in a while and the only reason I dont is because they take up little space and I know I would not get much for them, but astro equipment is usually the opposite.

Don't want to be a party pooper or anything but if you have other things tobe getting on with and have to travel every time you want to see anything then this hobby would be a reall pain in the bum. It is bad enough when you have to set up each night in the garden only to find it is cloudy, really really cold, your needed indoors or the many other reasons not to stay outside.

I feel your pain... happy to buy your kit though.

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Astro_Baby

Astro_Baby

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Well after a lot of soul searching, nagging from people etc I have decided to stick around and not sell the kit just yet. Just when I had my eye on some new shoes too :crybaby: It was a tough call but......

I have had my sister on the phone telling me she wont ever speak to me again if I chuck it in ( she just bought a 2nd hand SW 150 and wants help ), my ex also called up to say they didn't spend a fortune on astro bits for my birthday for me to sell them off cheap etc etc. Partner didn't go ape about me wasting money on 'bagatelles' but I felt her upset after all she did to put up with me manic enthusiasm only to have me chuck it all up.

I think though there were two real deciding factors - one was an email from someone telling me they valued the guides I had written and I suppose I am vain enough to like to be appreciated ( pathetic I know but there you are ). The second was a call to Steve at FLO who had to put up with me whining muchly about astro and my lame excuses and dumb ideas to get me moving again. :shock:

Anyway after a bit of thinking, mulling it over. considering the alternatives etc etc - I bought a Celestron Nexstar 4SE as a grab and go from FLO. Thanks Steve for the advice and also the encouragement - astro supplying beyond the call of duty there to deal with me on a downer. :)

I'm hoping the 4 SE will give me a bit of hope as a grab and go as I'll be able to get mobile much faster and set up fast. I know its hardly going to give me the vast skyscapes that the 8" will provide but it will be better than nothing which is what I am currently getting.

Anyway looks like your stuck with me for a bit longer so nyeh ! :D

The book will have to wait a bit longer I suppose.

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Tiny

Tiny

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Posted

I read about a chap who lived in a flat in the US. He had his scope on the balcony. He had a go to and far from complaining about the noise it raised enough interest from his neighbours for some of them to get scopes. His only comment was the noise of all the go tos noise kept him awake.

Following a different line one chap who had no balcony went over to observing the sun - which seems to be out more at sociable hours. Wherever it was he just opened the window on that side of his flat and setup the scope - which only took a minute or so to carry from storage to any place in the flat.

As it says in the song - 'Don't give up on us baby!' :)

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Astronut

Astronut

Posted
Posted

So glad you've decided to hang on. I was also on the verge of giving up and when you put into words what I was feeling re. awful weather and limited opportunities it only made me think maybe packing it in would be a good move. It's very frustrating having all this gear and not being able to use it but I really don't want to sell up after investing all this time and money on mods and stuff. It'll get used one day - maybe when I retire :D I've got 8 days off work next week so maybe I'll get a chance then.

The most frustrating aspect for me is that I see clear nights during the week when I'm out and about but there's no way I can take my 'scope and bits with me. I'm now thinking of getting a pair of big binos.

When I first got back into this a couple of years back I was all set to jump straight into astrophotography with a C9.25, an EQ6 and a CCD but in hindsight I would have been even more frustrated.

Knowing what I know now, if I could go back in time a couple of years I would get myself a pair of big binos, a decent tripod and mount, an astrotrac and a DSLR instead of the dob. Maybe now I'll hang on to what I've got and get the rest :)

Hang in there AB and see you at the next SP. :thumbright:

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