Astro-Fesshole: Succumbing to the Splurge Urge...

[SuburbanMak]

@Captain Scarlet that sounds like an incredible instrument & I look forward to reading about your adventures with it.  
I absolutely understand your point on the nausea, but my experience has been that it fades quickly to be replaced with the conviction that you’ve made a wise long term decision.  
Eventually the best kit, for whatever activity, pays for itself over and over. 
 

[JeremyS]

10 hours ago, SuburbanMak said:

Define need... 

I sense that this thread could become useful therapy for us all  

For a little while a few years ago, I was a classic car owner, it was appalling - every time this thing went to the garage for something routine there was a huge bill that was critical to keeping it on the road. 

For another comparison, I'm all for a game of Texas scramble once or twice a year but I have friends who pay a whole Tak per year for golf club membership then have to pay green fees to play, not to mention new bats, trousers etc (whatever they call them) -  I think a sense of proportion is important for assuaging our guilt. 

I didn’t know you could get Takahashi trousers 🤔👍🏻

[PeterC65]

I feel I've reached a plateau in my astro spending. I start looking at alternative kit (a TS-Optics UFL 35mm to replace my BHA 36mm most recently) but decide I'm getting into diminishing returns and back off. I think I now have what I need for visual and EEVA and anything better would involve a big step in spending.

So far I've had a self imposed limit of <£500 for any one piece of kit. The next step for me would be an AZ-EQ6 mount, or possibly a Skyliner 300P FlexTube GOTO, both considerably more than £500.

Mrs C isn't keen on the Dob (she calls them the MFI mount), but she does keep encouraging me to get the AZ-EQ6. The only snag about doing that is it would remove the 5kg weight limit that I currently have on scopes, and then the door would be open to all sorts of £500+ goodies!

[Franklin]

6 hours ago, JeremyS said:

I didn’t know you could get Takahashi trousers

I'm wearing Vixen underpants right now!

[Franklin]

9 hours ago, Captain Scarlet said:

I felt slightly sick. More than slightly, nausea is the word.

I'm sure the nausea will pass when you look through it!

Anyway, regardless of whether you've got a high-end, ridiculously expensive, triplet APO or have a more humble offering, such as a budget dobsonian, the views of this amazing Universe are priceless. Take the "Green" Comet C/2022 E3 for instance, it may just be another small fuzzy blob of light, but knowing that its not been seen for 50,000 years and will not be seen again for another 50,000 years is just mind blowing... Priceless!

[Mandy D]

1 hour ago, PeterC65 said:

I feel I've reached a plateau in my astro spending. I start looking at alternative kit (a TS-Optics UFL 35mm to replace my BHA 36mm most recently) but decide I'm getting into diminishing returns and back off. I think I now have what I need for visual and EEVA and anything better would involve a big step in spending.

So far I've had a self imposed limit of <£500 for any one piece of kit. The next step for me would be an AZ-EQ6 mount, or possibly a Skyliner 300P FlexTube GOTO, both considerably more than £500.

Mrs C isn't keen on the Dob (she calls them the MFI mount), but she does keep encouraging me to get the AZ-EQ6. The only snag about doing that is it would remove the 5kg weight limit that I currently have on scopes, and then the door would be open to all sorts of £500+ goodies!

I'm not sure the younger members would recognise what an MFI mount is! I had to think for a moment. Maybe we should call it an Ikea mount, now. 😃

[SuburbanMak]

9 hours ago, JeremyS said:

I didn’t know you could get Takahashi trousers 🤔👍🏻

  There’s probably a market for them on here. I did see a Televue baseball cap once…

[SuburbanMak]

3 hours ago, Franklin said:

I'm wearing Vixen underpants right now!

This really is turning into a confessional! 

[SuburbanMak]

3 hours ago, PeterC65 said:

Mrs C isn't keen on the Dob (she calls them the MFI mount),

The Dob not overly popular here either - it’s referred to by the family as the “FLT”  (the “F” is for Fairly I’m assuming). 

[Chaz2b]

This is all proportional to actual wages earnt! Tiz the items you buy with it is what really matters.
Being single has some perks, no nagging…”dear, how much did that “toy” cost?” or compromising.

My TAK and Televue 101np is both kidneys gone, no guilty feelings though, just telling myself to cut down on those damn expensive dinkin donuts!

chaz

[LukeSkywatcher]

Astro-fellhole.

Try saying that 10 times fast.

[Captain Scarlet]

1 hour ago, SuburbanMak said:

  There’s probably a market for them on here. I did see a Televue baseball cap once…

Haha guilty as charged!

 

I bought it off @mikeDnight IIRC 😄

[mikeDnight]

2 minutes ago, Captain Scarlet said:

Haha guilty as charged!

 

I bought it off @mikeDnight IIRC 😄

Looks good on you. Honest! 😁

[R26 oldtimer]

For me, the most agonizing and guilt generating astro purchase was the second one.

Six months after buying my first scope (a Celestron powerseeker 80/900 with eq1 mount) for about £150, it was time for a better eyepiece. An AliExpress Celestron 8-24 zoom eyepiece cost me £50, which was 1/3 the value of my existing astro gear.

I 've never bought anything priced one third of my existing equipment since, although I have paid a lot - lot more than £50 for a single item....

[JeremyS]

7 hours ago, Franklin said:

I'm wearing Vixen underpants right now!

Phew! Thank goodness for that 👍🏻🤣

[SuburbanMak]

4 hours ago, Chaz2b said:

This is all proportional to actual wages earnt! Tiz the items you buy with it is what really matters.
Being single has some perks, no nagging…”dear, how much did that “toy” cost?” or compromising.

My TAK and Televue 101np is both kidneys gone, no guilty feelings though, just telling myself to cut down on those damn expensive dinkin donuts!

chaz

Ooh - Tak + TV 101, stop it at once! 

[SuburbanMak]

17 hours ago, iapa said:

Are we, generally, in the 50-60+yo bracket here.

I think that’s the main demographic yes, and upward. I am saving AP as a retirement project as I know it’s a wormhole down which I could happily disappear  

[PeterW]

16 hours ago, SuburbanMak said:

I think that’s the main demographic yes, and upward. I am saving AP as a retirement project as I know it’s a wormhole down which I could happily disappear  

Not yet thank you!

 @Captain Scarlet got the hat from Uncle Al as he’s such a good customer….;-) !

Is filling ones collection with secondhand kit allowed on this thread or is it for full-price acquisitions only…

Peter

[SuburbanMak]

4 hours ago, PeterW said:

Not yet thank you!

 @Captain Scarlet got the hat from Uncle Al as he’s such a good customer….;-) !

Is filling ones collection with secondhand kit allowed on this thread or is it for full-price acquisitions only…

Peter

I think any and all purchases, second hand always has some moral superiority- you can tell yourself and others how much you have “saved” over new  

[SuburbanMak]

Well the stuff has arrived and I am feeling MUCH better now  

To my great relief the ‘bins in particular live up to expectation.  
 

[jjohnson3803]

I've been in the buy it / try it / sell it cycle for the last couple of years.  My most recent acquisition is a 72mm ED refractor that has surprisingly sated my appetite, at least for now.  But most of my astro kit has been purchased with gift money from birthdays and such or proceeds from selling off other gear.

As my wife and I approach (semi-) retirement, I'm moving into the "Well, what do I *really* need?" mindset.  Doesn't mean I won't throw disposable income at my other hobbies though.  😁

[SuburbanMak]

49 minutes ago, jjohnson3803 said:

 buy it / try it / sell it

I have done very well on the first two, very poorly in the “sell it” phase. Should try that sometIme…

[Ratlet]

I've had a fair few agonising purchases, none massively expensive in the grand scheeme, but risky:

2nd hand GEM28 mount bought for £630 on fleabay.  Was waiting for the Star Adventurer GTI to come out.  Prices weren't even anounced at this point.  Ended up the SA-GTI was more than I thought and thus only spent £30 extra for a lot more mount.

Altair Astro Hypercam 533 for £799.  Margarine Thatcher had just crashed the £ and I thought to myself "If I don't buy an astro camera soon I'll never be able to afford it".  Bought one and the next day the price had gone up to £899.  Delighted with it, though I do far less imaging than I actually thought I would.

SVBony SV215 3-8mm Zoom for £129:  @Louis D had just received his and from his initial comments I thought I would give it a try.  Up until this point I had not really enjoyed planetary with my 130PDS.  This eyepiece changed that completely.  I'd claim this is a risk but honestly companies should just ship their eyepieces tohim to review.  Very thorough and at a level that is useful to newbies like me and more advanced users.

Currently also awaiting a bonus.  My current agonising choice is an observing chair.  Your Charon or Nadira?  Which to get....

[SuburbanMak]

10 minutes ago, Ratlet said:

My current agonising choice is an observing chair.  Your Charon or Nadira?  Which to get....

One word, padding.

For me the choice was clear (+ it matches my tripod, sad I know but these things make me happy). 

It does btw seem to be a fantastic piece of kit, yet to test in the field but does have that feel and simplicity of something utterly fit for purpose. 

Edited January 29, 2023 by SuburbanMak

[Peter Drew]

For balance, I have no guilt at all.  For what I use my kit benefits so many that the cost is immaterial.       🙂