Quality of life gear

[Robindonne]

While searching for some reviews of binoviewers, i also realized a good chair might come in handy.  One that has goto and tracking in it for example.

 

 

Edited August 17, 2020 by Robindonne

[Nigella Bryant]

4 minutes ago, Robindonne said:

While searching for some reviews of binoviewers, i also realized a good chair might come in handy.  One that has goto and tracking in it for example.

 

 

And this as well.

[Stu1smartcookie]

What could i not do without ?... Patience ... as this hobby certainly tests you without it !!

[Stardaze]

I've been kitting out my shed as a little solace from the cold this winter. I have a petrol stove for a brew and an old fishing table is handy, along with an adjustable stool (dob user). I'm not great in the cold and do need a new jacket this year so I'll make a note of any that come recommended. I know from fishing in the cold, if you're not wrapped up properly, it's no fun. The plan is to wheel the dob in at the end of the session for the night and not need to head into the kitchen and disturb everyone on later evenings. 

[Rob_UK_SE]

When travelling to a darker location I try to adopt a ‘less is more’ approach and only take kit I know that I will use. In a funny sort of way, I feel that this actually improves my quality of life as I don’t have to deal with too many cases and more frequent trips back to the car. However, an observing chair is always a must -for me- as I like to spend quite a long time on each target, attempting to tease out detail. I also find a chair much more relaxing when observing at smaller exit pupils. 

Having previously had back problems, a riser base for my Telrad certainly improved things quite a lot - particularly when observing around the zenith. 

A flask of hot blackcurrant juice (Ribena) is very welcome, too, when things get a little colder.

 

[Stu]

I find a pair of AstroGloves very handy, to avoid having to take them off when needing your fingers available.

http://www.astrogloves.net

Observing chair as has been mentioned, I use a Catsperch one but many others available.

https://www.catseyecollimation.com/cperch1.html
 

I’ve recently discovered Artic Muck Boots which keep my feet nice and toastie.

For me, my mobile with SkySafari 6 Pro on it is a major contributor to my enjoyment of astronomy. I love paper atlases, but find the flexibility and detail available from this app to be much more beneficial for starhopping and identifying likely targets.

[Pryce]

On 22/08/2020 at 00:14, Stu said:

I find a pair of AstroGloves very handy

Interesting to see thats there's dedicated gloves for that!  So far I've just been using my combat gloves with the tip of the thumb, index and middle finger cut! 😅

[Kn4fty]

On 15/08/2020 at 17:58, Pryce said:

No worries! Only good intentions, so I completely understand!😁 

Besides, when I did bootcamp, the cityboys had to be taught how to dress properly for winter😂 So we have those non-viking types as well 😅

 

I consideree bringing music myself, but I fear the screen will disturb my vision too much!

I like to listen to various astronomy podcast. I usually pick a podcast discussion that matches my targets for the night.

Rob

[Pryce]

1 hour ago, Kn4fty said:

I like to listen to various astronomy podcast. I usually pick a podcast discussion that matches my targets for the night.

Rob

Oh! Thats super interesting!  Mind dropping some links? 

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Observing chair and big 14x70 RACI finder (both home made). Straight-through finders are literally a pain in the neck, and an observing chair means you can sit at the right height, wherever the scope happens to be pointing.

[Kn4fty]

On 26/08/2020 at 23:39, Pryce said:

Oh! Thats super interesting!  Mind dropping some links? 

Sure! One of my favorites is Astronomy Cast,

http://www.astronomycast.com/

They have a huge archive of past shows.

Another favorite is Richard Pogge from Ohio State University. I dont have a link for his podcast lectures, but they've been on every podcast app I've used. These are his actual college lectures that he records for his students.

Rob

[procky1845]

For podcasts, my favourite is Awesome Astronomy.

I've also just started listening to the Actual Astronomy podcast which is the only one I've found so far which is about actual visual observation.

[Pixies]

1 minute ago, procky1845 said:

For podcasts, my favourite is Awesome Astronomy.

I've also just started listening to the Actual Astronomy podcast which is the only one I've found so far which is about actual visual observation.

Yes - Awesome Astronomy gets a vote from me.

I'll check out Actual Astronomy too. Cheers.

[BlueStinger]

My entire kit only contains a camera, lenses, a tracker and a tripod so not much in the way of exciting gear to mention, except my magnifying glass that has made focusing with live view a doddle. My grandad gave it to me when I was a young lad about 35-40 years ago so it's quite old. It's made by Tasco but does say Japan on the sticker so not sure really. It's always in my camera bag and probably always will be now.

[Pixies]

On 29/08/2020 at 17:01, Pixies said:

Yes - Awesome Astronomy gets a vote from me.

I'll check out Actual Astronomy too. Cheers.

Have just spent a few days listening to the Actual Astronomy podcast. It's great - just what I was looking for.

2 blokes talking about visual astronomy, discussing all the stuff that's usually discussed here. Equipment, observations, targets, anecdotes, auctions, collecting, etc. etc.

[Stardaze]

6 hours ago, Pixies said:

Have just spent a few days listening to the Actual Astronomy podcast. It's great - just what I was looking for.

2 blokes talking about visual astronomy, discussing all the stuff that's usually discussed here. Equipment, observations, targets, anecdotes, auctions, collecting, etc. etc.

Thanks for the tip, just managed the first one and I'll start the second when the kids are in bed 😀