lost my mojo

[Andy ES]

On 08/04/2024 at 17:24, powerlord said:

Any other suggestions ? Sonething to really energise me into the hobby again ?

What about getting an “Apprentice”?

I found that training people and passing on knowledge was very rewarding when I was working, maybe there is someone you could teach your skills to.

This might be like when you don’t really want to go to the gym but you know someone is coming round you then usually go and enjoy it.

Personally I’ve had more enjoyable nights observing when I have shown someone something through the eyepiece.

 

 

[kirkster501]

On 11/04/2024 at 10:33, PeterCPC said:

I have given up on this year due to weather and health issues. I will see what happens next year. If it's the same the gear goes.

I am of the same opinion regarding the weather.  Another year of this god-awful appalling astro weather and I will move to a DSLR and lenses for wide-field only imaging and upgrade my Dob for visual.  Since last May it has been utterly hopeless in the UK.

[Elp]

Usually I've found reliably the opportunities are between November to January. Up to end of May/June it's usually rain/wind/cloud constantly changing. During the one week of "summer" you may be lucky and get 3 nights in one go, then it returns to cloud/rain again until it's freezing in Nov, then you get a few nights maybe one per week/fortnight where it's crystal clear. Been doing it more seriously since 2021 and this weather pattern is fairly consistent.

It's not so much of an issue when doing visual you can take advantage of a few minutes here and there, imaging you need to plan and prepare for it and need the long hours of clear sky if you don't have the luxury of a fixed obsy setup.

Edited April 12 by Elp

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

You're not alone. Since an amazing Kielder camp early November I've been out three times for short garden binocular sessions. Dismal weather, increased light pollution along with work and illness have put me off.

I'm downsizing but not giving up at all and have used the down time to read more astro books, watch lectures on YouTube and plan how to block the neighbours' lights when the weather improves, muahahahaha! 🤔🧐😄

Chin up. Weather will change in your favour at least a bit... comets arrive, planets reach opposition etc The universe isn't going anywhere...

[Jeff-Colorado]

I had several disappointing sessions in a row a couple years ago and went on hiatus.

I'm back at it, enjoying myself, and doing just visual and some quick cell phone images.

My advice is take a break and come back fresh in 6 months. 

 

[Chaz2b]

There’s a lot of folks on here who may miss you if you go, this place is like home to me, we don’t all actually physically interact with each other ( gulp! Incoming! )

but the reading keeps me going. I also like tinkering with my kit, cleaning it, caressing it….oops! Too much?

Then in 2019 I sold it all and I mean all! Televue, Borg, Paramount plus all the eyepieces and peripherals, six months later I started kicking myself….hard!

Now, I’ve reinvested in astronomy, cleared out my other hobbies that was just as frustrating in trying to enjoy. I’ve got more or less what I like, within reason, and I now look at my kit like a car enthusiast would with a garage full of gorgeous cars and admires them as much as drives them.

Take a look at what you’ve mustered over the years and give it a rethink. 
look at them also with the thought of the craftsmanship that went into their production!

Thats how I now look at my kit, looking for the craftsman attributes that give each part distinction and makes me smile.

Then go eat some chocolate!

chaz

 

Edited Saturday at 15:16 by Chaz2b

[bingevader]

Not lost, just temporarily misplaced, a bit like my marbles!  

[pipnina]

I think anyone who suspects they suffer from SAD during the winter in the UK needs to look at vitamin D tablets if they don't already.

We need sun exposure to get the vitamin normally, so almost everyone needs it in supplement form and it can affect your mood when you become deficient! It wasn't a life changing difference or immediate for me but I could swear I suffered far less this winter than previously. It's supposed to be good to take for health even if you don't have SAD anyway, and 180 (half a year of) pills are pretty cheap.

As for astro... I know exactly what it's like to become disillusioned. For me it's the blasted weather. Months on end without the ability to get the kit out. A big struggle to get it all set up when the chance arises and, invariably, there will be technical issues! And because of the extremely limited time we get here to observe I feel all my images are left half cooked. I feel many of my images need 4, maybe even 8 nights worth of observations to let me truly get the image as clean as I'd like. But in this wet puddle of a country that is a year's fill of observations!

I have been working to sell my beloved triplet, simply for being both too big and too slow. f5.1 just won't cut it in this place. But telescopes are seldom made faster and the RASA is also very heavy. I am trying out a very nicely sized and fast Canon 300mm f2.8L lens, the 1989 version. I haven't had the chance to test it yet but I have my fingers crossed. In theory once I upgrade to a full frame sensor (either 2400MC or 6200MM - binned x2) it will be *faster* than an APS-C sensor on a RASA8.

I am pulling my hair out trying to juggle my kit and finances during this transition and experimentation but i have my fingers crossed that once I'm done I will have downsized my kit to the point where I can pick it up, plop it down and hit go, and even if I only get 1h of images it (should) have the SNR that my triplet+571 cam would achieve in 6 or even 12 hours!

[Elp]

I repurposed my "dslr" cheese plate rig to a form whereby it'll pretty much remain as is (rather than rejigging it each time I want to use different lenses/cameras) by fitting a few clamps and shoes so items can be quickly changed toolless. It was actually a breath of fresh air being able to hold the whole imaging rig in the palm of one hand, so I'm more likely to use it. Carrying out the other "big gun" stuff requires mental preparation.

Edited Saturday at 16:11 by Elp

[tomato]

I do understand why this might go against the grain but one suggestion I would make if you decide to scale down your imaging rig in response to the lack of clear nights is to re-invest the cash generated by building a little dual rig. It really does make a difference to your imaging project completion rate if you can double the data you collect from each session.

[kirkster501]

I agree.  Permanently wired and you can just bung it on your mount and off you go.  Thing is, it has been so bad that we can't even do that either.  Ive beeb working on a project covering the whole of Orion and I am two years into it with little to show for it.  Every winter is the same, endless nights of wind, grey and rain and you may be assured that the rare clear night we do get will see the Moon full.

[pipnina]

I've read about Dubai using silver salts to force precipitation and cloud formation. Maybe we can work out how to do the reverse so our island can see the sun & night sky a few times more a year