Your Best Astro Purchase?

[Robmozzy]

So we all hear about the dramas with gear and software and the things we should get. But what have you acquired in this hobby that you absolutely love and can't do without and why? It may help other people onto the right path...

[raymo]

Hi Rob, As I am not into computer control of my gear, my $20 ebay
intervalometer is without doubt the one thing that keeps me imaging, especially in Winter. Set up, and leave it to do its thing.
raymo

[AstralTraveller]

My adjustable observing chair. It allows me to see, not suffer.

[RobNevyn]

These observing chairs appear to be as rare as rocking horse droppings in Oz, it appears that I have to make one or get one from the states at approx $400 AUD.

[Robmozzy]

Thats a good one raymo. I'd be lost without mine too.

[Robmozzy]

I have never had the adjustable chair David... comfy chair, blanket and a glass of Port stops me from suffering.


Your new project Rob... get it done and post the result. I am a hobby woodworker too. Maybe I should make and sell them.

[mynameiscd]

My hand spun, hand made bennie my wife made me!!!!
There is no way I could be outside this winter without it.
Ive also got a brilliant woolen jacket and combined with the bennie its going to be ok in my first full vic winter.

Also my Heq5. Best investment i ever made
For years I put up with s clunky old mount thst was shimed and moded but still was just not quite right.
Cheers
Andy

[Atmos]

Upgrading from an EQ6 to an ASA DDM60, hands down my best astro purchase.
Doesn’t matter what telescope or camera you have, an under performing mount will not allow high quality images.

[Peter Ward]

Sirius observatory. Mine is well over 20 years old, still going strong.
A permanent place for you gear, seriously refined polar alignment and tihe ability to be imaging or observing within minutes. The scope is protected from wind buffetting and stray lights. Multi-night imaging is also a doddle.

Sure the telescopes and cameras have changed over the years, but being able to be up and running, even on nights where the weather seemed doubtful, makes a dome soooo worthwhile.

[glend]

Not a purchase really, but a build. My observatory is the best investment I have made. It makes everything astro so easy.

[Wavytone]

I think this has more to do with the manufacturers selling online. Why would the local stores stock a low-volume specialty, when you can just as easily have one delivered from the manufacturer ?

for example: https://www.berlebach.de/?bereich=produkte&kategorie=93&ansicht=liste&sprache=english

I have the Charon, works a treat :)

[RobNevyn]

Hmm, looks the goods, how do you find feet placement at the higher positions?

Sorry Rob, didn't mean to hijack your post.

[Stonius]

Getting my eyes lasiked (lasered). Quick, painless and perfect result.

I had astigmatism that made it hard to read without glasses. Now I can enjoy the night sky without having to worry about glasses fogging up, smearing, getting in the way, etc.

It all starts with the eyes. Everything else is secondary.

Markus

[Lognic04]

Either SGP or Pixinsight! Bloody awesome software!

[Robmozzy]

Hijack away Rob, that what this post is for.

[Wavytone]

Where all of these chairs really help is when you need to crouch down low which is very uncomfortable for more than a few minutes. Up high I tend to stand rather than sit.

On sloping or uneven ground all of these chairs can be a bit precarious if you insist on sitting up high rather than standing. One aspect of the wooden ones is that with most of them you can easily add a bar across the bottom to provide a wider base.

If you weigh more than 150kg though you will need something more solid.

[xelasnave]

A hot water bottle with a little fury bag, a fury cap with flaps over my ears and a red head lite.
I can stay warm and see what I am doing.
Alex

[cometcatcher]

Another observatory vote from me. Best astro thing I ever did.

[Imme]

At what age if you don’t mind me asking?
I had it in my 20’s and was wondering if I can get it done again now....20 odd years later

[Stonius]

I think I was about 30. They did say there would be age related effects that would happen regardless and they could not prevent that.

It's a subtractive process, so I assume the cornea gets thinner the more they take away? There must be a certain point at which they can't take away any more?

You could always ask. Often those places do the consult for free/cheap because the actual surgery is $$$ like they're installing night vision in your cornea or something.

There's a reason Lasik surgeons do not drive corollas.:lol:

[glend]

I am reminded of the laser surgery scene in the old Sci-fi classic "Logan's Run". Watch out for robotic laser surgery.

[Startrek]

This wasn’t a purchase but acquiring my wife’s Canon 600D was the best thing and got me started in astrophotography. She hadn’t used it for years and years just sitting in a drawer at home so I thought maybe I could use it in my telescope.
It’s definitely kick started me into the next phase of astronomy and loving it !!

Cheers from my holiday in Banff Canada
Martin

[wavelandscott]

Like others, I am a fan of the adjustable height chair...would not go out to view without it.

[barx1963]

Polemaster!!!
And my first dew heater and controller, and my first dob, and Argo Navis, and......

(I could go on!!)

Malcolm

[AndyG]

Whilst not a single product, I'd say the most helpful thing in my new Astro hobby has been the availablity, and quality of 2nd hand parts. The Classifieds on IIS has been the source of 90% of my stuff. My finances don't allow otherwise. The nature of this hobby, and it's people, results in 2nd hand gear of excellent quality, with little risk. Compare this to buying a pre-loved VR Commodore on Ebay, for example - you just know it's been thrashed... You just wouldn't bother.

Without going into details (they know who they are), people have been very generous in recent sales to me, and it's delivered unexpected value. So short version is, I couldn't be in this without IIS Classifieds and it's people.

[GodsPetMonkey]

Dew heater/straps. Can't believe I waited so long and so much nicer than a hair dryer!

[sil]

PixInsight but creds to ZWO too for bringing affordable, quality reliable imaging cams to the masses and saving us from exhoribitant prices of second hand Toucams.

[Wavytone]

Had to think long and hard about this.

#1 is my wife :hi:
#2 is my Santel MK91.

FWIW appears Intes have ceased production as their head optician has retired, so if you have one of their larger maks HANG ONTO IT as you won't be able to replace it, apart from possibly a TEC, AP or Matthias Wirth.

[skysurfer]

Good answer !
For me as well as she accompanies me on my trips to nice astronomical locations.


Second best: ED110 travel scope.

[brian nordstrom]

$630 iStar objective , 2nd my CI700 mount from the classifids here , together a match made in ( for viewing ) heaven .
3rd ,

C9.25 ...


4th , Vixen GP ....


5th , 22mm TelVue ..... Panoptic


6th , after many years my the 3 Craftright cases holding 35 odd TelVue eyepieces ..


Brian.

[JeniSkunk]

Whilst I am still very new to astronomy, having only owned my Sky-Watcher Heritage 130P Dobsonian for all of 3 weeks, my first eyepiece kit purchase contained what has become my immediate goto for a night's observing.
The Kellner 15mm in the basic Sky-Watcher Eyepiece and Filter Kit. I find it strikes a better balance between field of view and resolution capability than the stock 25mm supplied with the 130P.
When I want to examine anything more carefully, then I'll reach for the stock 10mm and/or the Barlow 2x from the kit, but neither of those are my goto at the start of an evening.

[Premordial]

For visual... #1 is a comfy seat, and the Telrad being a close 2nd.