Lockdown purchases - how rational are we being?

[garryblueboy]

One or two  purchases for myself 😂

[iapa]

OK, lets refine the forum definition.

You have to say what you bought  particularly if it was not part of a long term plan.

 

[Dean Hale]

In no particular order. I only started this when the pubs shut so everything was unplanned. I may at the time have spent the odd pound or two in the pub so had a little spare cash.

Baader Classic Q 2.25x Barlow
Baader Morpheus eyepieces
Baader Ortho 10mm
Baader Ortho 18mm
Celestron Halloween 40mm plossl
BST StarGuider 25mm ED Eyepiece
BST StarGuider 15mm ED Eyepiece
Sky-Watcher Stainless Steel Tripod
Berlebach Report 312 Tripod
Rigel collimation cap
Sky-Watcher 130ps
Bresser 102/460
Berlbach U10 adapter
Scopetech Zero mount
Scopetech Zero mount adapter
Slow motion controls
Televue 25mm plossl
Televue 20mm plossl
Televue 15mm plossl
Televue 8mm plossl
Loads of Wera hex keys
Vixen SLVs
StellaLyra 20mm
StellaLyra Kitkaru 25mm
AZ-GTI
AZ-GTI counterbalance system
2KG counterweight
9x50 finderscope
9x30 finderscope
Red dot finder
Picatinny weaver rail
Talentcell power pack
A Bumbag
8x40 Binoculars
Colour filters
Baader Neodynium filter
Baader Natural Density Filter
Astonomik UHC filter
SVBony filters
Manfrotto tripod adapter
Astro Essentials moon filter
SVBony 8-24 Zoom
2 x ADM Clamps
1 x mini clamp
StellaMira 1.25 Diagonal
Takahashi 1.25 Diagonal
Explore Scientific 2" Diagonal
1:10 Gear set focuser
Baader 2" reducer
2" Aero ED eyepiece
Baader Semi APO Filter
StellaMira 80mm ED F/10
ZWO 120MC-S
AZ5 Mount
Variety of bolts
SVBony helical focuser
ASIAIR original
ASIAIR PRO
Lens spanner
Warm socks
Samsung tablet for ASIAIR
Micro SD cards
101mm Tube rings
Dovetal bar
Baader Quick Release Shoe
Red light torch
More Blue Pier
Pentax 8.5mm XF
Grease
Smartphone adapter mounts x2
Gloves
Nosecaps x2
Plug caps x2
Soft pastels
Sketch book
Pencils
Eye patch
Flip mirror
Foldable stool
USB cables
Zeiss Lens wipes
Wood storage boxes
Lots of books
Sky at Night magazine subscription
Geoptik Nadira chair (arriving on Friday)
Celestron Ultima Edge 10mm (arriving next week)

*above still less than a modest Takahashi telescope.

Edited April 28, 2021 by Dean Hale

[iapa]

7 minutes ago, Dean Hale said:

In no particular order. I only started this when the pubs shut so everything was unplanned. I may at the time spent the odd pound or two in the pub so had a little spare cash.

…

*Still less than a modest Takahashi telescope.

@Dean Hale now that’s the sort of thing I was thinking about.

[iapa]

So, following on from @Dean Hale

• RASA 8
• ZWO EAF
• ZWO 8 x 1.25 EFW
• ZWO guide scope
• ZWO helical focuser
• ZWO OAG II
• ASI284MM coooled
• ASI295MC cooled
• Pegasus Advance PB2
• Pegasus mini PM
• Pegasus Focus cube
• Baader HaLRGB
• ZWO SII, HA, OIII
• ASI174MM mini
• StellaLyra - awaiting delivery
• CGX-L
• RedCat 51 - awaiting delivery
• ASIAir
• ASIAir Pro
• Skywatcher Guidescope
• Esprit ED80
• Mazekeen
• Roxanne
• various spacers

Is what I can remember

 

 

 

[Astro Noodles]

When I decided to get a telescope in the middle of January, I had no plan. So here goes (in no particular order).

Sky-Watcher  Starquest 130p

Astro Essentials 2x barlow.

Astro essentials 1.25 moon filter

RA motor for Starquest EQ mount

1.25 OIII filter

1.25 UHC filter

1.25 colour filter set (x7)

Canon Eos 1100d (body)

battery for camera

Svbony T ring

AA and AAA batteries (24 packs)

Intervalometer (x2)

64 Gb SD card (x2)

SD card  zipped pouch

Skytech CLS clip in filter 

JumperTech Laptop computer

Tamron 200mm Adaptall 2 f3.5 camera lens

Adapter for Tamron lens

60mm guideerscope

ball head mount

90 deg star diagonal

Ioptron Skyguider Pro

Horizon 8115-2 tripod

Abut 5 books including 'Turn Left at Orion'

Camera lens dew heater

USB power brick

Backpack

Red flashlight (x2)

Stellarium upgrade package

Laser cut MDF Bahtinov masks (x2)

100mm vixen dovetail bar

Hotshoe red dot finder bracket (x2)

Edited April 28, 2021 by Astro Noodles

[Alien 13]

I have recently bought a load of camera gear, tripods/heads/cages etc even though I know I will never step out of the house for a very long time..

Alan

[Deadlake]

Given the endless cloudy nights over the winter how many people spent time plotting new gear when otherwise they would be looking up?

But yes, I've bought quite a lot due to forward planning then not going to use it. At the same time I have over spent my planned budget:

Initially went with a scope tech zero mount for light weight use, however now prefer the Vixen SXP2 GEM mount I have now for ease of use.
Original attempted to use a Vixen SLV 2.5 mm EP for looking at moon/planets, now have a full set of Vixen HR's and TOE 4mm.

I did think that a Vixen 103SD would suffice, now have a 130 mm LZOS on order.

There is a trend here...
 

[Neil27]

Following on from @Astro Noodles and @iapa

Mesu e200 mount

SW esprit 150

SW flattener for above 

QHY 268c

Altair Starwave 80 ED-R

Flattener / reducer for above

Guide scope

Several s/h eyepieces

Bespoke machined adaptor for e200 mount

And a bunch of flowers for the wife!

[Astro Noodles]

14 minutes ago, Neil27 said:

 

And a bunch of flowers for the wife!

😂

[Dantooine]

Oh dear 

I wouldn’t want to start or admit to my buying 🤣

[bish]

If there hadn"t been the long wait Nd price increase I would have got a new scope for sure. Bought some camera gear in the end. Now considering a solar scope, or bigger dob  or eps I don"t really need but would be nice..

[HollyHound]

Prior to lockdown, I was working away from home a lot, so had a pair of Nikon 8x56 binoculars which I used when away and before I really got back into astronomy.

I couldn’t even begin to list what has been purchased since lockdown. Just before lockdown I had an ST80, ST120, Mak102 on a Skywatcher Avant mount and Hyperion Zoom eyepiece.

The Mak and mount were given to a friend and the ST120 was sold, so everything else in my signature (plus countless finders, adaptors, widgets, books and accessories) has been purchased since lockdown began 😮

I haven’t added it all up, and some items have been bought then sold and likely a few more will be too, but pretty much everything has been (and will be) enjoyed over many years 👍

I think lockdown has allowed us more time to look up, and indeed look into more equipment, as we’ve all had a lot more time on our hands 🤣

Edited April 30, 2021 by HollyHound

[Paz]

I have bought less astro stuff during the lockdown, but mostly because I have got most of the things in my hit list at the moment. 

It has been interesting watching the impact on supply - I've noticed exactly the same issue in a number of other hobbies where I have been buying things and often it's either a long wait and/or a high price if you want to get something.

[kirkster501]

Happy with all my stuff but I have been on the lookout for a B1200/B1800 Ha solar scope 60mm and above.  Rarer than rocking horse poo........

[Dantooine]

On 30/04/2021 at 17:44, HollyHound said:

as we’ve all had a lot more time on our hands 🤣

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

not all of us ..

but I’ve still looked up a lot more though and spent an astronomical amount as you have 👍

[Dantooine]

On 28/04/2021 at 20:39, Astro Noodles said:

When I decided to get a telescope in the middle of January, I had no plan. So here goes (in no particular order).

Sky-Watcher  Starquest 130p

Astro Essentials 2x barlow.

Astro essentials 1.25 moon filter

RA motor for Starquest EQ mount

1.25 OIII filter

1.25 UHC filter

1.25 colour filter set (x7)

Canon Eos 1100d (body)

battery for camera

Svbony T ring

AA and AAA batteries (24 packs)

Intervalometer (x2)

64 Gb SD card (x2)

SD card  zipped pouch

Skytech CLS clip in filter 

JumperTech Laptop computer

Tamron 200mm Adaptall 2 f3.5 camera lens

Adapter for Tamron lens

60mm guideerscope

ball head mount

90 deg star diagonal

Ioptron Skyguider Pro

Horizon 8115-2 tripod

Abut 5 books including 'Turn Left at Orion'

Camera lens dew heater

USB power brick

Backpack

Red flashlight (x2)

Stellarium upgrade package

Laser cut MDF Bahtinov masks (x2)

100mm vixen dovetail bar

Hotshoe red dot finder bracket (x2)

Well that’s not a bad start. It’s a good job you’ve not got serious 

🤣

[Dantooine]

On 28/04/2021 at 19:44, iapa said:

OK, lets refine the forum definition.

You have to say what you bought  particularly if it was not part of a long term plan.

 

I would but I don’t want to remind myself 🤣

[Dantooine]

On 27/04/2021 at 21:31, JeremyS said:

No comment 

🤣

Same here 😉

[Astro Noodles]

1 minute ago, Dantooine said:

Well that’s not a bad start. It’s a good job you’ve not got serious 

🤣

It is all budget kit. And I have got an observation and an image set up for about £1000.  I now have to persuade my missus that the reason I'm not using it is because the sky isn't dark enough. 🤔

[HollyHound]

20 minutes ago, Dantooine said:

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

not all of us ..

but I’ve still looked up a lot more though and spent an astronomical amount as you have 👍

I know that you’ve been not only exceptionally busy, but doing the most awe inspiring work in the most trying of situations... so I’m very glad to hear that you’ve managed to have something to take you away from that and provide some measure of enjoyable down time 😃👍

Most of my extra time has come from no longer having to commute and spend weeks away from home on long projects, but actual work time is busy than ever now 😬

[HollyHound]

20 minutes ago, Dantooine said:

I would but I don’t want to remind myself 🤣

I would love to list everything but it would take most an evening to work it all out 😬🤣

[LukeSkywatcher]

On 30/04/2021 at 10:36, Astro Noodles said:

😂

Lorna buys herself flowers (for HER business) and I end up paying. Think I got the short end of the stick. I don't see any come back. 

[Nigella Bryant]

I've expanded my HA to include the three wavelengths with solar observation and imaging to include WL and Calcium II K. It meant buying a new scope too for the calcium II K plus mounting two scopes on the Neq6. Still planning more to triple mount for the HA, WL and Calcium II K scope's. Add another mono camera and baader K-line filter. 

I've not been on holiday since August 2019 and probably not again till 2022 so why not, lol. 

[MKHACHFE]

Nah, I may have 100 items in my wishlist, but the combination of absolutely no work in January, February and March as well as being happy to settle for imperfect images while I'm still learning has curbed my spending drastically.

I only bought a new red dot finder and a few hotshoe adapters. I have everything I need and although I wouldn't say no if someone offered me a nice lens or coma corrector, I really don't feel any need to spend on things like that, that will only marginally improve my images.

That being said, I did start out in AP because of the start of lockdown last April. As many have.

 

Cheers