Not just astronomers

[Nigella Bryant]

We amateur astronomers, don't just have to know about astronomy, we also have to be, electrical engineers, computer boffs, engineers, builder's, fiberglass repairers and much much. How many life skills have each of us had to master or at least learnt something about while pursuing our hobby? lol. It would be interesting to see and all besides learning about astronomical objects and specialist area's of interest (for me, our own star, the Sun).

I'll start us off, builder, electrician and electrical engineer, computer and software literate, engineer, fiberglass repair expert (well not expert), optical and telescope engineer. 

[steppenwolf]

Project management, documenter, surveyor, foundation contractor, plumber, electrical engineer, network engineer, software engineer, electronics engineer, mechanical engineer, optician, mathematician, diagnostics engineer, air conditioning engineer and thinking outside the square engineer!😁

[Pete Presland]

Ground-worker, carpenter, joiner, roofer, electrician, computer progammer, weightlifter, contortionist and eternal optomist! 😉

Edited January 9, 2021 by Pete Presland

[HutchStar]

Diplomat when explaining to the wife why I need to spend more money.

[Tomatobro]

And the ability to hold two opposing views and still function. i.e. its cloudy now so I will set up as it will be clear later on but I know it won't 

[John]

I tend to avoid electrics and tech associated with astro equipment. My DIY skills and tools are limited as well. My gear is off the peg and manually operated. I am very curious about the sky though so enjoy hunting for targets using star charts, finder scopes and low power eyepieces.

I have learned to collimate a scope reasonably well I think and I know when I see a good star test. I have learned how to star hop and have a reasonable repertoir of objects that I can find from memory now.

Not much of a list really

 

[Roy Challen]

Dual purpose map reading - for finding dark sites, and for knowing your way round the sky.

And weather-watcher!

Edited January 9, 2021 by Roy Challen

[scarp15]

Yes as above, orienteering skills; for star hopping. 

Organisational skills; don't forget the coffee if venturing on a dark sky trip.

Endurance, not so much a skill but a mind set; be prepared for standing around in the cold weather, long periods between cloud banks requiring much patience (and coffee).

 

[Nigella Bryant]

1 hour ago, Pete Presland said:

Ground-worker, carpenter, joiner, roofer, electrician, computer progammer, weightlifter, contortionist and eternal optomist! 😉

Second those Pete. 

[Ronclarke]

Dental technician, own boss, model railway engineer, gardener, woodworker and occasional astronomer!

[Moonshed]

Determination, patience, endurance, optimism, disappointment, recovery, hope, belief in the impossible, a sense of wonder.

[wimvb]

Cloud watcher

On a more serious note, since I have a background in electronics and done some construction, it was the astronomy stuff that was new. 

Edited January 9, 2021 by wimvb

[callisto]

As the days, weeks, months go by.....Weather Forecaster 

[Oldfort]

Threads and fasteners, and a dabbling in metallurgy.

[Paul M]

I didn't see "meteorologist" any anyone's skills list.

It's only me then?

Annoyingly I have all the skills and the tools to design and build an observatory. I just aint got the space!

[wimvb]

As of today: snow shoveler.

I just cleared my obsy roof from 3 inches of snow.

[wimvb]

19 hours ago, Paul M said:

I didn't see "meteorologist" any anyone's skills list.

It's only me then?

That's hardly a skill where I live. If I "predict" it will be cloudy, I'm right 90 - 95% of the time. That's better than most professional weather sites. 😉

[Paul M]

7 minutes ago, wimvb said:

That's hardly a skill where I live. If I "predict" it will be cloudy, I'm right 90 - 95% of the time. That's better than most professional weather sites. 😉

So you think I should stop watching videos like this then?  🤣

 

[wimvb]

1 hour ago, Paul M said:

So you think I should stop watching videos like this then?  🤣

 

If you live in my general area of Sweden, you can watch them 90 - 95% of the time, without missing any clear spells.

[Paul M]

2 minutes ago, wimvb said:

If you live in my general area of Sweden, you can watch them 90 - 95% of the time, without missing any clear spells.

There is a reason I watch so much YouTube!

[wimvb]

29 minutes ago, Paul M said:

There is a reason I watch so much YouTube!

Me 2. Just not about buying property in Sweden. Been there, done that (a few times). Including a cottage near a lake.

[Paul M]

2 minutes ago, wimvb said:

Me 2. Just not about buying property in Sweden. Been there, done that (a few times). Including a cottage near a lake.

I like solitude, at least I think I do. It's been a while...

I'm thinking of starting a YouTube channel on building a dark sky home from volcanic cinder in Las Canadas caldera, Mt. Teide. But there might be laws against that sort of thing. 

[gorann]

3 hours ago, Paul M said:

So you think I should stop watching videos like this then?  🤣

 

Don't listen to @wimvb as he lives in eastern Sweden. In western Sweden near the Norwegian border (so sheltered weather wise by the Norwegian mountain chain) I did what the lady in the video did about 10 years ago and have now three obsies on my 14 hectare property, like hers found on hemnet.se. SQM 21.6 on good nights and this is what CO looks like right now.

[wimvb]

21 minutes ago, gorann said:

In western Sweden near the Norwegian border (so sheltered weather wise by the Norwegian mountain chain

That's why he can buy astro gear unpunished. Norwegians, and Swedes living in the East of the country get the clouds. Btw Göran, you have to update your signature. 😉

EdgeHD 8", Celestron RASA 8", SW MN190

Cameras: ASI 6200MM, ASI 2600MC, ASI 071MC,

[tomato]

Anybody put Salesperson on the list? For when you have to persuade the Financial Director why you need yet another telescope, camera etc.