How much is your equipment currently worth?!

[elusiver]

ok.. thought this might be a good idea for beginners thinking about getting into astronomy. Maybe to dispel some of the misconceptions that u need to spend big bucks to be able to make it worth while. As a n00b myself when i was initially getting into astronomy i was amazed at the varying in prices for scopes and stuff.. and it can put some people off.. if guess if i put a poll here.. beginners can see what 'proper' amateur astronomist spend.. without getting the poll dirtied with people that use cheapies for the primary scope. Initially the thought was to make it a 'how much have u spent on u'r hobby'.. but then realised that some of you have been doing it for decades so the figure would be high and you oldies ( :P ) would have a hard time remembering :P

el :)

[acropolite]

I haven't counted, but at a rough guess, $3700. That's a drop in the ocean compared to some....and $3700 less inheritance for my kids....:P

[asimov]

I'm not even gonna go there!:jawdrop: :thumbsup:

[Robby]

Cricky, you need to add a zero to each of those options I reckon!!

[Starkler]

I dare say you going to see 80% or more choosing the over 1k option.
Between my two scopes and the eyepiece case I'd have to be pushing 4k.

[atalas]

Well El, I really don't want to admit this but I will $ 13,000 worth sitting at home at the moment and more stuff on the way !

Louie :help2: :eek:

[asimov]

oh, WATHEHECK!! roughly 8-9K....And THAT is a very conservative estimate.

[h0ughy]

probably around $12000-$14000

[fringe_dweller]

I dont even want to think about it!
Kearn

[Jonathan]

Too much. I won't say, it'll end up scaring beginners away from the hobby. :eyepop:

[ballaratdragons]

I agree it could put newbies off!
My set up is basic and it is still over a grand.

[Astroman]

Well I bought my 8" F7 scope for $50, Recoat of optics $300, bought a telrad ($98)and EP's ($180) Thats it. Pretty lame compared to all you lot LOL.

Oh for those that can't add it comes to $628

Do Observatories come into the equation? Add $250 if it does :)

[ballaratdragons]

Andrew,

You left out the cost of your observatory!!! It is astronomical gear too.

So your total actually comes to $628.50 :D

EDIT: Not fair, you edited your post while I was typing this one. Spoil sport!!!

[[1ponders]]

How many here have wives looking over their shoulder :P

roughly $8000 - $10000

[Astroman]

Rofl!!!!!!

[ausastronomer]

I think you also needed a box for >2k, >5k and >10k. I am about to shell out $650 for a Feathertouch focuser and your upper limit is 1k ? 1k doesnt quite cover the cost of my filters. So in answer to your question which the survey is all about, yes you can get into astronomy quite cheaply and $1k will set you up very nicely for visual astronomy, but it costs a lot of money if you get serious about it.

CS-John B

[Striker]

OMG.....I havn't even got a calculater to work out mine.

Throw in the observatory plus equipment on its way and at a rough guess...

$15,000 - $18,000

Even after spending this much I still dont know what I am doing.

[acropolite]

and add in incidentals such as coffee machine....:P

[h0ughy]

yes mine is within seering eye shot! :rofl:

[beren]

Its interesting until the last couple of years i was pretty content with a set of trusty 7x50 binoculars a sonotubed newtonian and some plossls....along came the mars opposition of 03 , the rise of digital imagering and a stronger dollar and bang i havnt stopped spending...ahhh cringe

[ballaratdragons]

I shall Itemize as Andrew has.

GS 12" f5 Deluxe Dobbie w/ Crayford, fan, etc. incl 4 Plossl Ep's & Binocs - $998
Cheshire Combo - $29
GS 2" 30mm SuperView EP - $99
GS 2" 2x Barlow - $79
Batteries for fan - $4.99
Torch incl batteries - $2.99
3 Kmart EP's - $17.85
2 bolts for Dob base spring alteration - $2
Super-Sliders - $9.95
Bird Cage Shower Cap - $5.95
EP case (ex Video Camera Case) - Free
Quickfinder made of junk in shed - Free
IceInSpace Sticker (postage) $1

GRAND TOTAL - $1249.73 :thumbsup:

[Iddon]

Striker - that made me laugh!! :)
About $4k + what Striker said.

[RAJAH235]

Around $6500.00 here & that's conservative, for a 10" DOB with lots of bits etc etc. L.

[ballaratdragons]

Actually, the title of this thread is 'How much your stuff is CURRENTLY worth'

My Dob is CURRENTLY worth $5000 coz it's autographed by John Dobson!!! :thumbsup:

[cahullian]

I'm one of the few who are still under the $1,000 mark.
8" Dob ..............................$399. 00
Orion Shorty Plus Barlow x 2 $149.00
Seben 8-24mm Zoom Lens.....$61.00
Collimation Tool...................$40.00
32 mm SGO plossl ep's..........$71.00
Medium size ep case............$29.00
Small ep case.....................$29.00
Green lazer pointer..............$99.00
Push/pull handle..................$ 6.00
Home made due shield x 2.....$17.00
Books x 4...........................$75.00
12V Battery pack.................$20.00
Red light torch.....................$ 3.00
Total.............................. ...$998.00

But I'm working on getting it over the 1K mark : )

[ballaratdragons]

Quick Gazz,

Buy some batteries for your torch or laser pointer. That will get you over the 1k mark!
Did you count the cost of your astro mags? LOL

[iceman]

I understand why Alex posted, to show newbies that you can get into astronomy for under $1000. The problem is, a lot of the forum members here are experienced guys and have built up equipment over many years.

It's also true to say that everyone's budgets are different, everyone's priorities are different. Some of us just don't have the money to spend on astronomy, maybe married with mortgages and kids, maybe don't have a high paying job etc.

It's fair to say, and we have said this on other threads, you don't have to spend a lot to get into this hobby. A good pair of bino's, or a good 8" dob, is all you need.

But hanging around places like this, you learn a lot and the more you learn, generally the more stuff you want. :) But you don't have to.

And for newbies, we have to be careful not to scare them off :)

[davidpretorius]

i am new, yet to order the scope and i have not been scared off. The wife is very happy with this forum that i won't waste money by buying something that is not right. It may have taken 12 + hours of research, but a the end of the day , this little grown up adult will know exactly what he is buying. I know what i can buy for $500 and i know what i can buy for just over $1000.

In all industries, GOOD SOLID Information is what people need then price and then they make their own minds up!!

[mch62]

That can be a bit hard to put a price on if you DIY a lot.

All of my gears is made from a mixture of custom made commercial and DIY gear .

This includes the Scope , Observatory and mount and a bunch of Televues.(The TV's alone $3500)

To put a Commercial value on it to buy all of this especially the heavy duty EQ mount capable of holding a 16-20"Newt änd accessories $50000+ easy.
It's the mount that is the costly thing.
Before I built my mount I did a lot of searching for a mount worthy of a large Newtonian and the cheapest thing resonable was a Bisque Paramount (57kg payload) for $12500US.
The next one was closer and more like what I needed was $20000.US

The scope commercialy made most probably $4000-$5000 the observatory $8000-$10000.

But as a DIY cost 1/5 - 1/6 of this total would be a good guess.

That's the problem with EQ mounts once you go over a certain size ,things get expensive ,very very expensive to carry larger 12.5">Newtonians well.
Hence the large DIY Dob craze.
Once you go over a certain size the savings for DIY are enormous.

Mark

[ving]

gee.... i dont know. I bought my 8" dob before the price drop so it was about $500... then added a few ods and ends... maybe a bit over $800... I am guessing tho. you can get into this for well under one grand these days and be quite happy. especially if you dont mind a bit of DIY :)

[ballaratdragons]

I'm sure if people check out what is said in here and then talked to retailers (sounding like they know what they are talking about) they would probably not get ripped off.

If they can only afford a 60mm refractor at least we can help them with the lingo and model names and find a dealer that will sell them a good 60mm refractor at the right price.

There has been many instances in this forum where we have helped people on very tight budgets to get some reasonable starting gear.

Then again, we also try rip Tony off too!

[h0ughy]

That is a cruel statement Mr BendigoLizard!

We spend our hard earned money on frivilous and meaningless activities so that we can gloat to others on how much we have spent, whilest looking at images produced by someone who has a $1000 or less scope with an absolutely stunning lunar, planetary or galactic shot. :scared3: I am of course not saying that Tony has a cheap scope :D

[ballaratdragons]

Fritzy Hugomeister the Wallsend Murderer,

I'm not saying Tony's scope is a cheap, but I will agree Tony is cheap! :rofl:

(it's ok, he won't come into this thread and read it)

[Striker]

Sprung....not happy Jan.

Mike I want them all put on detention and made to write out 1000 lines.

[h0ughy]

Flattery will get you nowhere! BTW since you or I did not start this thread in the general area then we should not alter the theme of the thread with a difference of opinions and long sentences that lead nowhere. i'll start another one for that! :bashcomp:

[h0ughy]

oops while I was typing he posted!!!

[cahullian]

I'm over the $1,000 mark now as I just bought 2 AA rechargable batteries from the Post Office for $9,95 he he he There's no going back now

[Daring Dave]

Lets see...

8" Dob
Binos
Laptop
Astro Software
Useless EP's from Ebay
Charts/Wheel
Flocking Material
Collimation Tool

Around $1600 ish...

[GrampianStars]

All up including observatory - about the price of a new car :rover2:

[Starkler]

Just did an equipment audit . What I first guessed at around 4k is looking more like 5.5k now :eek:

[ausastronomer]

Are we talking a new Suziki Cino, A 7 series BMW or a new Aston Martin here :)

So your really telling us you have spent somewhere between $15k and $650k

CS-John B

[[1ponders]]

It adds up Geoff :D

[GrampianStars]

http://www.mathis-instruments.com/graphics/M500Fork.jpg
well when you order one of these MI's for the Meade 14" OT you soon add up the $$$

[Sausageman]

Let me see, my personal expenses come to......Ahhh $399 for the 4.5 Tasco.
The C14 was, well, half price.(let's do a deal).
It's the observatory that we are still counting the cost on. Optical and Radio.
As a community based and registered organisation, we can get grants for equipment, paid for by all those wonderful gambling people who frequent the Casino's. I thank them from the heart of my bottom....

When we are fully operational, we will be teaching schoolkids, college and Uni students, and be available to professional astronomers, mostly radio work though.

So, what is our gear worth?
2 X 14 metre dishes.(under :work: )
1 X 5 metre dish.(up and working)
4 X 2.5 metre dishes.(waiting for erection)
2 X 6 metre dishes (waiting for erection)
C14 and observatory (almost completed, but operational)
Starlight Cam
2 X solar power stations (1 finished, 1 under construction)
Land, buildings and accomodation.

I couldn't even guess at the value :eyepop: .

Y'all come visit soon, Y'hear.

But I have finished paying my car off, now I have an extra $500 a month to spend. The wife want's the house done up....guess what comes first... :rofl:

Mike

[p medcraft]

I was hesitant to repond to this in case my wife walked into the study, I would be in less trouble if she caught me looking at ****. If I add up the total cost over the years the figures are too scary to write down but as it stands at the moment. Timing is good to do this as I just sold my SBig and Canon 10D to pay for the CGE. I have left out the laptop, stool, cables you have to buy , adapters etc etc.

CGE1400 $13000.00
Edmund Astroscan $500.00
Stellacam EX $1200.00
Nagler eyepieces $4000.00
Filters Lumicon etc $1000.00
Call it $20000.00

[cahullian]

Now with mt Meade 18mm WA ep im over the grand mark for sure

[ving]

of course when all is sid and dont... the emotional value attached to my gear is alot higher that the monetary value.. :)

love my scope i do! :D

[Sausageman]

Heres a pic of our latest aquisition.
The batts for power station 2.
They cost $35,000
4V 1500 Amps.

[Kieken]

For the moment my equipment is worth a bit over 2000$. 2000$ for 2 telescopes (4.5" and 12" reflector), 3 EPs, a filterset, chesire EP and EP box. Why is everything so expensive here in Europa :(.

Anyway, I'm planning on buying for another 2000$ worth of stuff the next few months. A mount, filters and EPs :).

[Crash Nebula]

At the moment my equipment is worth about $350.
My binos, chair, torch, and tripod.

[wavelandscott]

Like many, I am on the north side of $5,000...and moving further quickly

I had not actually added it up until now...scary stuff...

[RB]

Someone once said watch the cents and the dollars will take care of themselves.

So true, so true.
I bought a stupid cheap astro magazine a long time ago and was hooked.
Now the dollars ARE taking care of themselves (in other peoples wallets).

:lol: :rofl: :lol:
:sad:

[Miaplacidus]

Dob, EQ newt, ETX Mak, Short tube refractor. Clearly, I have a problem. I also have eyepiece-itis: I own well over a dozen EPs, but I use mainly the same two or three over and over. (I think newbies often go eyepiece crazy, whereas you should be VERY selective about what you buy when you're first starting out. It's not necessarily the nagler that gets the biggest workout.)

Of course, there are four potential answers to the poll. There's what you paid for it, there's what you could realistically sell it for, there's what you'd tell your partner, and then there's what you'd tell the insurance claims inspector if any of it was stolen.

For a long time I was happy with just my dob and plossls, which would now cost about $550.

[cventer]

We need a few more categories.

1000 - 2000
2000 - 4000
4000 - 5000
5000 - 7000
7000 - 10000
10,000 plus .......

Regards
Chris

[Oldboy]

hey guys, I notice a lot of you are in the over $1000 category. I propose we need an under $100 - I'll start it off.

I paid the princley sum of $48 for my fist scope (or is that my first piece of aluminium junk?) - Oh well, it's fun to play with.

Oldboy

[Rodstar]

This thread should be renamed the "sealed section", and somehow locked away from access by our wives / husbands.....

I have only been "collecting" astronomy gear since Feb 3 2005, and I have spent, in 9.5 months, over $7,000.

I wonder what 2006 holds?

[h0ughy]

it only get better from here. i have spent about the same.
lets see next year a 20da :lol:

[RB]

There might be one coming earlier than that.

[rowena]

Im probably at the 7-8K mark... but if i included my camera's + gear (because its main purpose is for astro photography) then yeah.. 9-10K...

[Oldboy]

I though radio was a $$$ intensive hobby, may-be I'm wrong; and yes my wife has seen a couple of the recent posts - I'm now getting a quote to insulate the dog house for next winter because thats where I'm headed

:cold:

[RAJAH235]

It prob. won't be the last time you get sent there either! :P Better make it Reverse Cycle air conditioning. :2thumbs: :D L.

[h0ughy]

Do an extension and put a sirius dome on the roof, then fit it out with a 16" RC :wink2:

[RB]

And ofcourse use GuideDog for autoguiding the 16"

:lol:

[Moonman]

Do any of you guys have problems with insurance with all these big bucks tied up in your hobby/pastime?

Are there any tips or words of wisdom and experience in dealing with insurance companies in this regard?

[h0ughy]

When you get an insurance quote you will faint! It can literally add hundreds each year to your insurance bill.

[[1ponders]]

My house and contents insurance normally costs between $500 and $600. That included my astrogear. When I decided to get a quote to include insurance for when its away from the house the price jumped to nearly $1000 :eyepop:

[astroron]

With three scopes, Argo Navis,two bino's, quite a few eyepieces roll of roof observatory,lots of books and charts and ccd atlases, easly past the $10,000 mark. :scared:

[Rastis]

$40 second hand 60mm refractor. Beat that!!!

[janoskiss]

$19.99 GoLo binos?

[Robert_T]

I'm living in denial on this one, I just think of each pucrhase separately ;) and never add it up...

[rumples riot]

In regard to insurance, I ran my insurer the RAA and I stated what I had and how much it was worth and they said it was covered in my contents insurance. I have contents for 80K. However, to get insurance away from the home, it is very pricey.

[cventer]

I have about 25k worth of gear (scopes, mounts, cases, eypieces, cameras etc...) in my observatory and its covered by contents insurance according to my insurer. To be sure I also take photos of all my equipment in the observatory and have these burned to a CD in my safe as proof of ownership. Problem with buying a lot of gear 2nd hand or via astromart is you dont get reciepts for proof of purchase but they will accept photos....

[33South]

Me too, adding up has a very high :scared: factor.
My home contents insurance covers everthing at home, probably should increase it again. :scared:
Currently I have my camera,lenses and tripod covered as 'portable items' anywhere in Australia and NZ that costs me around $70 per annum for a nominated value of $3,000.


Chris

[33South]

Slightly OT but made me :lol:

Just the first section, who does the second item remind you of ?;)

http://www.scopereviews.com/page1c.html

[avandonk]

I just gave a whole lot of stuff to Ballaratdragons.So now it is a lot less than before!

Bert

[h0ughy]

Thats excellent for you to do that for Ken Bert, 3 cheers for you mate :drink: :drink: :drink: :)

[avandonk]

Thanks hOughy, if we do not help each other...


Bert

[RB]

Good on yah Bert,

Your a champ mate.

:drink:

[avandonk]

I just realised I have not said what the totalility of my folly is.But my attitude is anything that is not used is wasted,and use to it's full capabilities that which you have!

Bert

[33South]

Good onya, thats what its all about.:thumbsup: (http://misc.php?do=getsmilies&wysiwyg=1&forumid=10#)


Hey RocketAndrew after your birthday yours is more than before - better increase your insurance.;)
Belated Happy Birthday, I got confused (easily done) with the two threads.

[RB]

Cheers Chris, :)

Can you tell we live out in the sticks. :lol:

[33South]

Yep cant see the wood for the trees, oops wrong thread. :rofl: (http://misc.php?do=getsmilies&wysiwyg=1&forumid=10#)

[avandonk]

Reminds me of the recurrent Goon line.When money is mentioned Moriarty has a photograph of some face value pound note!

sorry

Bert

[davidpretorius]

now over $2000

[Roger Davis]

With over 30 years of doing this I worked out that I have been squeezed out of around $15-$20K. All my books, the makings for 29 scopes, the 4" Fluorite, the 8" SCT, the 2 Vixen mounts, the Losmandy mount, the electronics, the HX516, the Panoptics, the Naglers, the Wide Fields, the various finderscopes, the aluminsing costs, the lathe, the mill, building the mirror grinding machine, the observatory, etc. etc.

[danielsun]

Just did a quick add up and shocked myself !!!
well Including my planisphere comes to about 6 to 7K!!!! :scared:

[Mikezoom]

I have not even bought my 12"er yet and already have over $2000 worth of gear.

"Whats that dear?..... No... Whats IceinSpace......? Never heard of it..."

[matt]

Somewhere around the 8k mark and I've only just started to overhaul my eyepiece line-up:scared:

[Helmann]

Less than a month into this hobby and already at $1300.
Will go up by about $300 in a week or so.

[Ziggy Stardust]

my little collection, with all cameras, software, len's etc... is insured for $17,000 !!!!:cool: but my biggest fear is when I die, my wife will sell it all for the $$$ I told her I paid for them...:scared:

It's funny how it all add's up, it's like drug addiction, just one more, then another, then a better fix, then some fool lends you a better toy, then you find it on e-bay and bid twice as high as you wanted....lol..
you get the drift:whistle:


Tony

[Sonia]

Using my nifty little calculator...I tried to do the adding up but found an easier way.
Meade etx 90 GOTO £700
Celestron 675 powerseeker £199
10" Skywatcher Dobsonian £350

And probably more things i want..

But dont know what these are in $, would you mind translating yours in $, dont mean to be a pain peeps. Im not very good at this.

[RB]

:lol: :rofl:

That's the funniest thing I've read so far.
Maybe leave a price list in your will, Tony. :whistle:

[cjmarsh81]

Around $1100 at the moment and rising rapidly.

[ausastronomer]

Ummmmmmmmmmm Andrew its not that funny, I have exactly the same problem :)

I told her my Pentax XW's were $125 each. 2.5X TV Powermate $80. Set of Tectron Collimation Tools $50. Argo Navis $500, of course I forgot to tell her about the encoders etc etc. The list goes on.

CS-John B

[norm]

Thats it for me....I'm finding another hobby!:doh:

[Starkler]

Maybe we should have a poll,

"Do you tell your significant other the real prices of your purchased astro goodies "

:lol: :lol: :lol:

[anthony2302749]

I have stop count after passing the $16000 mark.

[h0ughy]

I have no idea what you mean at all. If I go I will have to let the NAS guys sell off the stuff I have, my wife would just chuck it in the bin for the dump:prey::help: Now the wife dollars would have to be converted in the will :scared2: , maybe a link to this post:drink: . I would be glad to be dead then, she would kill me anyway:scared:

[Ziggy Stardust]

and where do you hide the new toy till she is ready to be told and how long have you hidden it for...lol

Tony

[Striker]

I dont know how you you guys live with yourelf....where's the honesty gone amongst long life partners.....lol

[davidpretorius]

i agree stirker, as one of the leadership team (spam supervisor) i think you should show the way in inviting our wifes to sign up and get involved. open door policy and all, transparency with the spouse etc.

Based upon your success or sudden death, we can then follow suit or learn from "the ultimate mistake".

[Yuzza]

G'day guys, first post yay, :newbie:
My equipment includes celestron C8, AAM, lots of eyepieces and filters, In 3 :party: days i will get a 10" LX200 GPS, yay been waiting 3 years for it (only 17 years old and as soon as i got the money, boom spent on a telescope which went down well with my mum lol) and in a few weeks planing to get meades new dsi pro 2 prob not the place to ask but what do you think will be better the dsi or a DSLR, anyway thats my stuff worth a few $$, anyway HI everyone:hi:

[RB]

Welcome Yuzza,
Nice list of equipment in your collection.

You should post a new thread in Equipment Discussion Forum for advice on the dsi or DSLRs http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=6
Also you can do a search in the forum. There's plenty of info available here and you'll find the members very helpful.

Once again welcome to IIS.

[Dr Nick]

Hello everyone at cloudy nights. I dont think I'll name everything I've got but it all adds up to around $4000!!!

[astroron]

Cloudy nights:shrug:

[Ric]

I'm up around the 14K zone with an observatory to come, but thats a total over 30 years. Who knows what the next 30 will cost

[Geoff]

I thought over $600 was too much a few years ago when I was getting interested. Now, $5000 and some. And thinking of a 16 inch.
It is a kind of Astrodrug :screwy: (a new term) we fall into it if we can find the funds.
Sorry kids, but you can have my scopes when I have left the building.
Hooked.:)

[Omaroo]

Well I'm brand spanking new to the hobby - in real terms. I've always been interested but only this week (after a great weekend at Zane's Magellan observatory) have I actually taken the plunge and spent some cash. So, in addition to my other "expensive" hobbies (4WD'ing, camping, computers and travelling) I'm now able to stand under the starry sky and rip up $100 bills too! :lol:

So - I'm now up to 5 grand.... and there's a list of accessories I'm already looking at - like imaging cameras, etc. I consider my expenditure is an investment in my sanity.

Oh well.... I could have spent it on a plasma TV..... but that'd be nuts.;)

[xelasnave]

How long is a piece of string? I alredy have more than I ever imagined but I want more, more, more. It has to be the best hobby as there is no limit to where you can take the investment really so you will always have a new horizon to move towards... the secret is to be happy with your current equipment and work within its limits, even a wobbly 70mm has its uses that it can perform very well just stick to what your gear does well and do that as best you can... eg photos..there is always a better scope and camera not to mention a better mount but your current gear will do a job ..be happy with the results you can achieve before wanting more.
alex

[mick pinner]

there is probably 2 sides to the question, how much is your equipment worth and then again how much has astronomy cost you taking into account travel expenses for star parties etc.
as it sits the gear in my observatory is probably around $10,000 plus the cost of the observatory $4,000 to house it in, and then there is the RC sitting in my brothers living room, another $42,000 and hasn't been out of the box yet.
cannot afford a mount to put it on yet.

[xelasnave]

A mount suitable for the rc mmm $30,000 min. I guess... It would be interesting to calculate the cost of each hour the equipment is in use.
alex

[danny]

Not as much as I'd like, but the kids are feed and morgage is paid.

[elusiver]

i can't believe this thread is still going.. :D


el :)

[iceman]

Welcome back Lex, haven't seen you in ages!

[Adrian-H]

probly around 3-4k here, a 12" dob, heq-pro, ed80 eyepeices and acessories

not including my modded digital rebel xt dslr.

im quite satisfied at the moment with my equip, will add another scope and autoguiding capabilities if anything next.

i think that alot of people tend to think the more money you put in, the more you get.. sure it can be that way.. but i think effort gets you further then money.

in my mind, my idea of a awsome observational pack 8" dob 9mm 15mm 26mm - plossl, $600?

i think size is often overrated, being able to carry the scope with 1 hand makes things alot easyer and much more flexable, in my opinion. dobsonian is supost to be a hassle free design right?

[jase]

Does this thread actually prove that you get what you pay for i.e. more money equates to better quality? Perhaps more importantly, do you use your equipment to its full potential delivering value for money?

I'm not the boasting type, but to give you an indication… The Losmandy Titan (http://www.atscope.com.au/titan.html) mount cost $11,000 alone.

[Gas Giant]

I bought my Orion 10" Premium Deep Space Explorer ten years ago. It was $2200 with an NGF Crayford Focusser. I got one Plossl eyepiece with it. There was no finder; I bought a Telrad for $100.
I had to wait 4 months before I got it after putting in the order.
Today, one dealer has the GSO 12" Dob with a large finder and several eyepieces for $799. They're generally in stock on the showroom floor.
Things certainly are a lot better than they used to be!

[Grafted]

I bought my Scope thinking the wife was not going to find out.

Used my credit card to pay for it.

I was going to look in the mail box for the statement each day so my wife wouldn't find out how much I paid for the scope.

Well Bingel B&T emailed me to confirmed that they had received full payment with the amount paid. :(

Forgot about covering the email box :eyepop: "BUSTED"

I'll be in the dog house for a while, but at least I'll have my Telescope.;)

[sejanus]

i've spent a fair bit for someone who only just bought his first scope but I like doing stuff properly the first time around, this kit should last me a heck of a long time.

EQ6 - $2300
80ED - $700
CPC 11" SCT OTA - $3500
a few eyepieces and attachments and battery and so on - about $500-$600

total about 7k. All I want to get is a better finderscope mount and illuminated cross hair eyepiece, and a wheely thing to put under my eq6 so I can wheel it out rather than picking it up like I am now as it weighs a fair whack.

[ving]

...more $$$ than last time i posted to this thread.

[stephenmcnelley]

I really cant afford to know what its all worth, sorry cant help with great accuracy.
I have unorthodox methods of insurance though, and they mostly work and hurt nobody!

[erick]

Do you really think I'm going to say when there is the slightest possibility my wife might find this thread! ;)

[Alchemy]

been a while since this thread saw light. 1000 bucks does not buy much now.

[citivolus]

lol, $1000 doesn't even cover saddle plates and rings.

Somewhere >$12K if we ignore imaging, twice that all told. Fortunately the camera gear is "owned" by my wife, so she doesn't hold it against me.

From the beginner perspective, $120 for my first "real" scope and accessories, which was a department store refractor that my mum bought my dad one year for Christmas, but it was only really good for open clusters, doubles, planets, the sun, and the moon. I'm sure if I looked through it now I would cringe.

[Phil]

My gear is over 20K but hay it is only money and i have a great time with what i have. I love what i do so spending the money is not a problem for me. My kids will end up with all my gear when i am gone anyway.
Phil

[Tannehill]

Hmmmm....well, to put it all into perspective, what are kidneys going for these days?

Lots of people only have one kidney....

Scott

[bird]

too much.

Once upon a time, in 2005, I had it all insured for travel, came to $15k back then and it's probably well over $20k by now...

[joshman]

my scope and associated would come to a lovely $2.5k+ (including 350D) and my camera equipment (400D plus lens') would pull in at about the same.

[Glenhuon]

Trying hard not to think about it, might frighten meself (or the Mrs) :)

[Stephen65]

Me either, all I can say is that if the top bracket is only $1K plus then this must be a very very old thread.

[§AB]

almost $4,000

[rumples riot]

Hmmm currently hav about 40,000 dollars worth of gear. I have sold a lot of gear in the last couple of years and would have spent somewhere near 50K in the last 5 years on this hobby. Lot of money, could have bought a nice audi for that.

[rwong]

over $10K which is a lot considering that I do not take photos and my scopes are 8" and 4"

[rat156]

Didn't realise how old this thread was, but anyway I really don't want to think about it too much. Suffice to say that scope and camera are over 10k.

I really should 'cause I should include some of the newer stuff on my insurance, not that I think it'll get pinched, but fires do happen.

Off to go and total up the price of everything and ring the insurance company...

Cheers
Stuart

[Zuts]

I think my equipment is probably worth half what i paid for it :(.

But since I love it all and am not planning on selling, who cares :)

Paul

[TrevorW]

Guys looks at things it perspective you haven't spent anywhere near $10,000-$20,000 or more on a boat (money pit) or $50,000 on a car both of which quickly loose their appeal with age. Or as I know of some who spend a further $10,000-15,000 more on a shed to house it all. How many cars have you brought in your life that depreciate away to nothing. The kids may call you a nerd but you are a happy nerd and when you pass away all that lovely equipment can be inherited by the kids or donated to some school for future generations to enjoy.

No I won't validate or justify what I spend on my hobby it makes me happy and thats all that counts.

At least I'm not pouring a $100-200 a pop down the drain everytime I take that lovely boat out, "when was that, oh!!, how many times a year, really is that all !!!

:astron::camera:;)

[Ian Robinson]

Lots !!! please don't tell my wife , I have been quietly accumulating since the mid 1970s (when I started getting money)

Atlux about $7000 (new)

10" Newt home built with bought high qual optics and best hardware available $1500-$2000 maybe more

3 coma correctors (Lumicon (new) + Baader used photographically, Televue Visual (new) $1200

stack of Plossyl , and Kelner eyepieces mostly 1.25" and a 2" ... anyone's guess $??

autoguider $400 (new)

laptop $3000

3 x 4400mAh laptop batteries + 2 x 6600mAh (new) laptop battery $500 ??

Minolta XD5 + several zooms and telephotos (cost me near $2000 in early 1980s)

40D enthusiast kit + 8 GB memory card $1700 (new)

Hypering kit $600

ohd 35mm enlarger and safelight $500

binoculars (20x80s and 20x65s) $1000

several GEMs (Vixen Super Polaris - no drives, tasco no drives, EQ1 driven, CG5 dual axis driven) $1500 ??

Set of 1.25" Lumicon filters DS, Hbeta, UHC, OIII, + Celeston 1.25" LPF $700 ??

2x Compact Gelpak 12V 18Ah batteries x 2 + 12V Jump Starter Battery Pak + numerous AC/DC adapters $????

A stack of bits and pieces (tube clamps and tube rings , adapters , a couple of 1.25" Vega 1's R&P , and Lumicon 1.25" and 2" Ultralow Profile Helical focusors)

refractors (Tasco 60mm 1960s vintage (guidescope duty), 50mm Lumicon finderscope, had a Vixen 104mm Fluorite with the GPDX with dual axis drives until it walked away never to be seen again (last year)).

Stack of books on telescope making and optics , collection of S&T and Astronomy mags, full set of Antonin Becvar's bound large format colour charts (1950 epoch) , Guide V8 .... $3000 ??? maybe more.


Ordered Lumicon 2" Newt Esyguider $400

Soon to be ordered Canon EF 70-200 f2.8 L IS USM
+ EF 2X II teleconvertor
+ TC80N3
+ spare battery (or 2)
+ a 2" Lumicon DSF
+ drop-in LPF from Huteck
+ a set of front Hoya filters (77mm and 67mm diam UV, whitebalance, circ polarising to suit the two Canon lenses I have) $2500 there or abouts..

[Hagar]

Refuse to answer. My minister for finance might one day see it. When discussing a new purchase with her I usually relate it back to the cost of playing Golf but lately she is wondering which Golf club I have bought. I say a five iron she says Royal Melbourne. Can't win em all.

[Ian Robinson]

Wives can be terrifying .... :scared:

[TrevorW]

Isn't that why we marry so when we awake in the morning the shock of seeing them next to us and not a 22 yo VBB is shocking enough to motivate us to spend our time working and on our hobby, GBTLCS.

:whistle::whistle::whistle:

[Jen]

:lol::lol::lol:
:eyepop::eyepop: omg some of you have spent some big $$$$ woohooo well done i havnt really started yet but i can see it can easily be done i wanna buy lots more toys for my scope :D

i think my scope is worth more than the hubby if he drops it again :mad2: he will be sleeping out in the shed and the scope will be beside my bed :whistle:
oops did i say that out aloud HAHAHAHA ;)

[Ian Robinson]

Bit harsh ....

Maybe he's jealous of the telescope ??

[Jen]

:lol::lol::lol: i think he could be jealous of the scope i spend more nite time out with the scope than i do in bed hehehe :rolleyes:
:D

[psyche101]

Not all that bad. I lucked into a sale day to vault myself into the hobby, I wandered into and ABC shop and spotted a Celestron GT 4" marked down 70%!! $1400 down to $400.00 (although that seems the going rate in the classifieds here) Next came the 10" Dob, @ $550.00, Meade EP set also @ $550.00, about $300.00 worth filters, magazines and charts, $30.00 on a good compass, $0.00 on Stellarium, and finally about $110.00 on a 3x Barlow. My lovely wife spotted some 10x30 Binos at the OP shop and brought them home for me. Just under 2K, and seeing things I didnt know existed. Heaps better value than a new flat telly, I'd rather the kids come out and watch the wonders in the sky than Big Brother. It's a good and healthy hobby!

[Starkler]

Have to have a bit of a chuckle at the poll options.
About 10G worth at my place.

[Jen]

:eyepop::eyepop:

[§AB]

$0 because I can't freaking use 'em :mad2:

[Babalyon 5]

Is this another post aimed at self gratification? Sure know what Hagar is talking about!! :whistle:

[AlexN]

being proud of your equipment is hardly self gratification...

Nobody here is gloating about who has the biggest and best.. the thread was initially started ( as stated on the first page ) to show the broad spread of peoples equipment...

[TrevorW]

I saw an American amatuer advertising a 31" RC on the net the other day for $275,000. He also offered his observatory for sale if anyone could afford the mountain top hideaway in Utah.

It's one of those hobbies where you often start off small and then continue to buy the best you can afford just like boat owners, sports car enthusiasts, serious bike riders.

Self gratification hogwash, I think it's more a case of pride in what you have and a dream of having more.

[Cheap Astronomy]

Enjoy your hobby without remortgaging your house - Cheap Astronomy (http://www.cheapastro.com)

[h0ughy]

STeve - eventually mate you have to spend a dollar to save a few:whistle:

[gman]

I think most enries in this thread prior to the US stockmarket crash may need to re-value their estimates to todays prices if they had to replace.

The 10" dob I bought is up by approx $250.00 from my purchase earlier this year.:screwy:

[AlexN]

Grant, I was looking at that just yesterday.... I got in just in time to buy all my gear, as prices are up by about 20% almost across the board..

C11 - Up by $300
QHY8 - Up by $300
M102 - Up by $170
EQ6 - Up by $580

[Jen]

:eyepop::eyepop: well my upgrading looks like its going out the window now :shrug::sadeyes:

[Stephen65]

My Mewlon 250 has almost doubled in value in A$ terms in the last month.

[leon]

Good glass dosen't age, nor the value, what one sees in the $1000.00 scope today, he/she will see in the $1000.00 scope in thirty years time.

Nothing changes.

Leon :thumbsup:

[bloodhound31]

With a darned great crack in the corrector of a discontinued model C11, mine's worth oh, about nothing....

Baz.

[Elliot1628]

I bought a CELESTRON ASTROMASTER 130 EQ about three weeks ago, costing $449.

However, I find it hasn't polar axis telescope in its equatorial mounting, so it cannot navigate objects accurately, I feel defficult to use.

[wolfstar]

My first post here, from the USA...
Everything I own I bought used, Byers Ultima C8 with the Advanced Astromaster, a 2inch Williams optics Focuser, Losmandy counterweights, Not including eyepieces and imaging gear...around $1600 US. Not quite understanding how or why some folks collect gear, I just want stuff that will bring me closer to the stars:D

[robgreaves]

Everything astronomical-related here comes in a shade over $49k. Ouch! That's everything; scopes mounts, cameras, eyepieces, binos, filters etc.

I would hate to think how much 'turnover' I've gone through over the years. Have owned and tried virtually every mount there is out there, from a Paramount ME to a Celestron C5, and tons of different OTA's of almost every type.

Current gear I've settled on is listed in my signature block below. It took a lot of trades to arrive at this, which I have concluded is the best of the best and should 'do' me for a good few years yet.

Regards,
Rob

[Seekabove]

i have inherited a MAK155 signature series
Mr grandfather made some modifications to the equipment and have no idea how to set up properly. If aNYONE COULD GUIDE ME TO SOME WHERE I CAN GET ADVICE. I live in lane cove Sydney

i can supply photoes of scope and accessories
thanks for the help in advance
Eathan

[bmitchell82]

Well... :D its a ever growing list.

looking at it somewhere in the 2500 bracket.

Considering i was looking at close to 5k for my setup ill get out of it cheap about 4k :D

[DavidU]

As the WD (war department;)) may read this my Celestron 6" refractor,EQ5, 12" dob, box of eye pcs, 2x binoculars, spotting scopes, barlows, software Skyscout etc is worth about $100 !:lol:

[sadia]

Probably somewhere between 5k-6k
or
maybe nothing in current melbourne weather :rofl:

[toryglen-boy]

i guess my gear is around $5K ish

all depends on where you shop !!

[stephenb]

Your WD has the same policies as mine :lol:

[lacad01]

I'd rather not tally it up as it's quite depressing, especially as I want more, more more!! :evil:

[Bolts_Tweed]

Just saw the thread and Im not giong to read thru 9 pages but I thought I would share some advice a wise friend once gave (Ok Marples its you - lets change that to a friend ;)) and that is:

Never ever let your wife sell any of your gear for what she thinks its worth

Im not encouraging dishonesty but I am convinced she thinks that 10 inch Meade is way expensive while she never takes a second glance at the little Televue np101 sitting next to it - if she knew I am sure something would have to go :) (probably me)

M

[Glenhuon]

To me, priceless. What it has cost, so far, don't even want to think about it. :)
Ah, its only money, can't take it with you anyway. Since I don't have resident treasurer, my opinion rules. :lol:

Bill

[ian]

visual scope + imaging setup + solar scope ... $6k-ish and even then none of my gear is high-end.

in showing newbies the low entry costs of enjoying astronomy, perhaps the poll should be 'how much is your main visual setup worth' ... with so many 8" - 12" dobs around the dollar categories seem more sensible and the point would be satisfactorily made.

[Jen]

:lol::lol::lol:

[Darth Wader]

Not much at all - about $800, with about $600 worth being gifts. Spending money sadly is not an option with an 18 month old son, newborn baby girl, one wage and a reasonable mortgage!

[DavidU]

I'm with you there ! I have 5 kids & 5 grand kids

[Stuart78]

Roughly around $1400 worth of gear, thats a 10"Dob a few eyepieces a telrad and green laser oh and some Nikon 10x50 Binos, thats all i need at this stage of my hobby maybe down the track i will get something abit more dedicated to some imaging like around 3k but i am not in any hurry,
i admit i do enjoy popping on here looking at some of the images people take with their gear though..:)







Stu:P

[pgc hunter]

$0

[TJD]

lets see
$400 on books
$1700 for the dob
$2000 for 6'' (now they sell for $3000)
$800 on eyepieces
$200 on laser collimater
$260 on camera
$46 for astronomy club
$100 on maps
$200 binocluars
$260 binoculars

and thats the end of my birthday and christmas prizzies for the rest of my life:P

my grandfather got me the 12'' just before he died :(

most of its my mums but scopes are mine (i can tell you who uses the gear the most)

[Trido]

hah At the moment, $1000+ is exactly at 80%. Good call. :)

[Manav]

$2700 - Skywatcher Reflector 253mm + EQ6 and eyepieces et.al

[AdrianF]

Just re-tallied my totals its now getting close to $7000 replacement. I just hope my wife doesnt see this post.

And AstroFest a week away.

Adrian

[csastro25]

Hi all....:hi:

Well i guess its around the $10000 dollar mark now, with a new added investment.. Thats all the stuff from the eye pieces to the large scope..

Its an approx tho..


claude:D

[bird]

...far too much...

[mithrandir]

The "accountant" asked that question yesterday. I was told no more toys until some other things around the house are finished.

That means about $5000 of imaging bits and pieces will be on hold. :(

[loc46south]

Never sat down and added it all up - it frightens me.

G-11 Gemini Mount - over $1,000
C9.25 OTA - over $1,000
OPTEC TCF-S Focuser - over $1,000
SW 120ED Equinox - over $1,000
Moonlite Focuser and Controller for above - over $1,000
SBIG ST-8XME CCD Camera - over $1,000
SBIG ST 2000XCM CCD Camera - over $1,000
Brand new kitchen (to build up brownie points to buy more gear) - over $1,000
SBIG AO-7 - over $1,000
SBIG AO-8 - over $1,000

Thats more than $10,000 already and I've only started counting :help:

[Jen]

:lol::lol::lol::lol: look out you will be hit up for a new house before you go out spending any more money hahaha :rofl:

[MrB]

I'll give ya $15,000 for whats listed :lol:

[loc46south]

Gee you are generous - Kitchen cost more than that.:eyepop:

[RB]

Please refer to the new and updated Poll listed below:

How much is your equipment currently worth?! 2009 (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=49852)


:)