Astronomy kit supply shortages - are you part of the problem?

[Shimrod]

I've done my end of year financial review, and to my shame since the start of lockdown I have placed:

• 9 orders with FLO
• 11 (astro) related orders with Amazon
• 2 orders with Altair Astro

In my defence I was only started getting back into the hobby in 2019 after a gap of several years, so there was an element of upgrade and replacement. The Amazon orders were mostly smaller items (e.g. 2" to 1.25" adapters and cables) where it did not make sense to incur postage for a single item.

[John]

I've only purchased a few used items over the past 12 months so it's not me !

[Jiggy 67]

Guilty!!!.....I’ve saved a lot of money over the last year, working from home, pubs/restaurants closed, massive reduction in petrol and a lot of it has gone on Astro gear....Don’t tell the wife 😱

[callisto]

25 minutes ago, Jiggy 67 said:

Guilty!!!.....I’ve saved a lot of money over the last year, working from home, pubs/restaurants closed, massive reduction in petrol and a lot of it has gone on Astro gear....Don’t tell the wife 😱

That sounds familiar 🤫

[Mr Spock]

I've been panic buying 😜

[Roy Challen]

I've bought only one telescope, one mount, one tripod, and one eyepiece...in the last two months.

[Shimrod]

52 minutes ago, Mr Spock said:

I've been panic buying 😜

I can imagine stacks of telescopes next to the stacks of toilet rolls....

[callisto]

OMG...I've just logged into FLO's site and looked at my orders 😲

[Luke]

I think it's at least three years since I bought anything astro related! But now I am tempted to buy something Tele Vue...

... a £12 baseball cap!

My drought is partly because I didn't do much astro for a few years, and funds are tight now while I am out of work. I'd love to buy a new solar h-alpha filter/scope!

Edited March 31, 2021 by Luke

[Chris]

Hmm? I certainly could be part of the problem, I mean I've made two orders with FLO just today! I reckon I've ordered at least 10 items from FLO since lockdown began, including a mount, several telescopes, an eyepiece, 2 cameras, and other accessories. Maybe more like 12 orders then! 😮

[AstroNebulee]

Guilty as charged. I only seriously got into astronomy a year ago in April then as I had the budget for it, since then I've finally found my set up I should of got at the start, but was very green back then. I've had 5 scopes since then and still got 2 of them and sold the rest on to fund the others, so sort of offsetting the supply chain and helping others. Quite a few FLO and RVO orders, amazon, fleabay and here 😬. I'm not planning on any other astro purchases for a while now (really) as soon as my star adventurer on back order arrives from FLO when the ships dock. There maybe an odd cable to buy but nothing else until I can afford to astromod my new dslr in the future. Just happy to learn it more, now I'm where I want to be with my astro setup. Clear skies 

Edited March 31, 2021 by LeeHore7

[Marc1964]

Purchases:

1 new telescope, 1 new tripod with photo mount and a vixen rail adapter, 1 new dielectric star diagonal. 

Also: Turn left at Orion 

So a small part of the problem 😜

Plan to buy one, maybe two new eyepieces but not for a month or two.. 

[Clarkey]

37 minutes ago, callisto said:

OMG...I've just logged into FLO's site and looked at my orders 😲

Don't do it!!

My first purchase was January last year. Everything listed below is since then. Guilty as charged.

I do have a problem though. The house insurance has just come up for renewal and my better half wants to know how much cover to add for my astro gear. 😱😬

[Nicola Fletcher]

I may be part of the problem. I was happy with my 127 Mak for 8 years, then sold it a few months ago and bought two new mounts, 2 refractors, a powerpack, 3 eyepieces, 2 finderscopes and other small things. I should have done it ages ago - this is great fun!

[AMcD]

I think I am part of the problem.  I need to think ahead more.  I have an idea and I by a widget.  I then have a better idea and buy another widget.  I end up where I want to be, but with a lot of extra widgets that I don't need.  So, yes, I am part of the problem...

[Dinglem]

oooo I love a widget 👍

And I am also to blame for some shortages, in fact I've been expecting a delivery for the last 2 days of something shiny and red but DHL have let me down both days 🤬

[Shimrod]

42 minutes ago, Clarkey said:

Don't do it!!

My first purchase was January last year. Everything listed below is since then. Guilty as charged.

I do have a problem though. The house insurance has just come up for renewal and my better half wants to know how much cover to add for my astro gear. 😱😬

Maybe this should have been the astronomers anonymous thread.

[pete_l]

1 hour ago, Shimrod said:

I can imagine stacks of telescopes next to the stacks of toilet rolls....

Not so much panic buying, but it seems that over the past 20 (cough) years every telescope includes a 26mm plossl. I now have more of them than toilet rolls.

[Mr Spock]

2 hours ago, Shimrod said:

next to the stacks of toilet rolls....

Yes, I only have 94 left...

[Deadlake]

1 hour ago, Clarkey said:

Don't do it!!

My first purchase was January last year. Everything listed below is since then. Guilty as charged.

I do have a problem though. The house insurance has just come up for renewal and my better half wants to know how much cover to add for my astro gear. 😱😬

Unlimited contents insurance? 😀

[Jamgood]

I've bought all my Astro gear in the last 12 months but had to wait for a lot of it to be in stock. I did however grab some great 2nd hand bargains off members from here though which I'm eternally grateful for.

Which reminds me, I need to update my sig......

[nephilim]

Sooooo, since last March i've built up a brand new imaging rig consisting of....The ES EXOS2 Pmc8 mount, Samyang 135 f2 lens, ZWO ASI 533MC-PRO, ZWO ASIair, ZWO ASI 120mm-S Mono Camera, SW Evoguide 50ED guidescope, Celestron 13.2Ah LiFePO4 Powertank Pro, Lynx Astro 4 Port Dew Controller, Astro Essentials Samyang Lens to M48 Adapter, Lynx Astro Dew heater strap and a Samyang mounting system & Bahtinov mask from Wega Telescopes.

Ive also bought Both of Steve Richards books.  I've also had time to build a new full suspension mountain bike from the ground up & ive bought a new laptop. So I would also say that i 'may' be part of the problem 🙄

 

[Roy Challen]

9 hours ago, Luke said:

I think it's at least three years since I bought anything astro related! But now I am tempted to buy something Tele Vue...

... a £12 baseball cap!

My drought is partly because I didn't do much astro for a few years, and funds are tight now while I am out of work. I'd love to buy a new solar h-alpha filter/scope!

Same here, didn't buy anything for four years, see my post above - bought myself a Ha scope!

[Jamgood]

9 hours ago, Shimrod said:

I can imagine stacks of telescopes next to the stacks of toilet rolls....

.....and pasta. 

Edited April 1, 2021 by Jamgood

[iapa]

Mount, 8” RASA, ASI 294MC & MM both cooled, 8 filter wheel, filters obviously, a  Celestron focusers for both SCT & RASA, ASIAir Pro, EAF, PPB,  UPB V2 , focus cube. RedCat51, and 8” RC

Is that enough gear?

NONE of it has been used in anger yet