Aperture fever has morphed, introducing 'the Astro-gear black hole'...

[big_dav_2001]

Hi guys and girls....

Well we've all heard of Aperture fever, but i'd like to bring your attention to another astro-illness which seems to be plagueing me... ive fallen into the astro-gear black hole...:sadeyes:

My train of thought is going something like this :question::

"I'm liking this astro stuff, might get a 12" dob..."

"But if i get a good dob, ill need some good EP's..."

"But if i get some good EP's, ill need a case to put them in..."

"Ill need a telrad for the scope too..."

"The scope's no good if its dewy, so i'll need a dew heater..."

"Better get some thermal gear too..."

"Argo-navis would also come in handy..."

"I'm gunna need some way to power all this stuff when i'm in the feild, better get a rechargable battery pack..."

"Now that i think of it, ill probably need some camping gear for when i take it out bush..."

"Gunna need a red torch too..."

"You know what, i might have a crack at some photos, so im gunna need a good CCD camera..."

"Dont think my computer's up to processing them though, might need to upgrade..."

"Geez thats a lot of stuff, im gunna need a bigger car..."

"Hmmmm, now that ive got more room in the car....:confuse3:"

And so it continues....:doh:

What have you done to me!!!..Is there any escape???....:confused2:...:lol::ro fl::lol:

Davin
:cheers:

[DavidU]

HAHAHA, yes, I'm familia with this !
Just stand on top of a large hill in a stiff breeze and tear up $100 notes.
Same sort of thing:lol:

[Jen]

:lol::lol: and dont forget oh crap i need to find time to do this, and you now no longer sleep when its dark. Have to work two jobs to pay for it all :lol::lol:

Good luck Dave :D

[mozzie]

yes davin it doesnt stop:rofl:i love it.i dont go to the pub or smoke so astonomy is cheap:lol::lol::lol: oh well kind of cheap!!!!!!

[AstralTraveller]

OK, take some deep breaths and think. You can't buy or use it all at once. What do you need now? Well personal thing like warm clothes and torches will be needed whatever you do next (btw a big thermos is great - don't muck around get a 2l). Then figure out what you want to do and put resources there first. If you are only going to image then nice eyepieces aren't needed. But I'd suggest starting out doing visual astronomy. That's where I've stayed - I just don't fancy the technical issues and time in front of a screen (I get enough of that at work). In that case you want eyepieces next. Don't skimp. Get the best. I worked out what I wanted and then found most of it second hand. It's amazing what people sell: I picked up a 10mm Zeiss Jana ortho for about $150-200.

BTW splash out on a tube of silastic and put a generous bead along all the joins on the base of your dobs. It will keep moisture out of the particle board and improve the strength and rigidity no end.

[Suzy]

Hey Davin, you left about 20 "essential" items off your list! :rofl:

I know what it is.. I've figured it out... when we have "everything", we dream of owning more, even if we don't really need it. The dream is always there, because Astronomy is always inbedded in our brains. I now cannot go outside after dark to hose- no - I have to look up. I cannot leave someone's place at night and get straight into the car - no - I have to look up. See what I mean? ;)

I've now pretty much got everything I need (i think :question:)
except for dew things, but am still trying to find an excuse to buy something. I'm sure my ep caps could look prettier.. :question: wonder if they come in pink? Better google entire world - sure there's some out there. And no, I don't want to paint the ones I've got - what purpose would that serve?! :rofl: Sorry, I have a warped sense of humor!

[Ric]

Welcome to amateur astronomy Davin. ;)

Don't forget to add the observatory when you get sick of setting up and packing away. :lol: :lol:

Cheers

[big_dav_2001]

I dont want to know!!! Im in enough trouble as it is!!!....:rofl:



I know exactly what you mean... i do the same thing!!!



You might like this then: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370372033699 ..... :P

Davin
:cheers:

[duncan]

ONYA SUZY,LOL:lol:

[Suzy]

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

[DavidTrap]

This is basically the description I give to anyone who asks me about all the gear I have bought for Astrophotography...

DT

[big_dav_2001]

Hmmmmm..... (to 'the boss'):......... "OH DAAAARLING!!!!!"

LMAO!!!

[duncan]

"" Don't You Darling Me!!!"":lol::lol::lol::lol:

[big_dav_2001]

Has some-one planted a bug in my house????.....
:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl ::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

Hahahaha

[duncan]

Funny how the opposites think sometimes. You would think they would be happy knowing we are in the backyard and not at the pub chasing whatever,LOL:lol::lol:

[duncan]

Problem solved! Now i'm married








TO MY SCOPE!!!!!!!!!!
:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

[Ric]

How do you make a small fortune out of amateur astronomy :question:

Start with a large one. :D

[duncan]

HAHAHA!!!!:lol::lol::rofl::rofl::ro fl:

[big_dav_2001]

Hahahaha.....good point!!!....LMAO!!
:2thumbs:

[Suzy]

:lol:I've said it on here before... hubby can't wait to chuck me outside for the whole night so there's 5000 less words out of my mouth that night that he has to listen to!:rolleyes:

To Davin: A pink telescope!!! What are you trying to do to me! You know i'll have to buy now don't you....:poke: Ah, sheez!

[DavidU]

A pink scope:lol:

[Jen]

:lol::lol::lol:


That pink scope rocks dam it i want a pink one now :rofl:

[Baddad]

Hi Jen and Davin, :)

Jen's gettin' greedy. She's already got a pink computer and pink Rolls. Now a pink scope!!!!:lol::lol:






Cheers Marty

[space oddity]

You forgot about the bigger car/wagon/4WD to get out to a decent dark sky site.
Then there is the petrol and wear and tear on the car.
Couple of bucks to clean the car since more than likely there are dirt roads involved.
Then there is the time off work to head out yonder.
Then there is extra storage room to house the scope- may need a bigger house with a bigger mortgage. Wife whinges about "the coffin." Add lawyer fees for the divorce.
Any time for a third job? (hey, don't laugh - my third job's income was specifically dedicated to astro gear, but ths had to be chucked in, as the %^%#@#% kept taking my time put aside to head out stargazing at short notice to book in work - every opportunity last year wound up being torpedoed at the last second:mad2:.)
Do not expect to get much time any more to head out to that favourite dark sky site.May have to wait till I retire, but oh, no, my eyesight will probably be shot by then........

[Jen]

:lol::lol: and you know what? The next thing i will have is a Pink astro geek friend and his name is Marty :lol::lol:

[Jen]

:rofl::rofl::rofl: sounds like you have learnt this from experience already :lol::lol:

[spearo]

I keep entertaining thoughts of quitting work for a while so I could have a "sabbatical" and finally have time to do some imaging!

Then the fever returns and i think of all the next bits of everything i want to get and how I'm going to have to keep working to pay the mortgage AND the toys...

They say time is money...in fact I find the two incompatible, like mutually exclusive variables, when you have time you have no money, when you have/make money, you have no time.


frank

[Baddad]

Hi Jen, :)
Now cut that out Jen! Look what ya' done!
My dog is pink, I am pink and ooh noooo!
I'm getting an exorcist. I'll fix you. :lol:

Cheers Marty

[Baddad]

Hi Davin, :) Ooh and Jen, :)

It appears that the exorcism is beginning to work. Slowly but surely. Don't like that yucky girly pink font. :lol:

A word of warning, Davin. A certain pink lady from Swan Hill turns astro geeks' toys pink at will. She used to turn stuff green but now has opted for pink.

Keep all your astro toys hidden or they turn pink. Unless you want pink toys.:P:D

So that part of the "Black Hole" has not been mentioned by anyone. Don't even venture near the event horizon of the "Pink Jen Lady" :lol::lol:

Jen also had one of the astro geeks as a devoted slave last year. :eyepop:

Cheers Marty

[Jen]

:lol::lol::lol: lol Marty :lol:

[big_dav_2001]

:lol::lol::rofl::lol::lol: hahaha...Thanks for the warning Marty, and here i was thinking that suggesting that showing Jen the pink scope was a good idea, turns out i was adding fire toan already very pink fire....hehehe:P



:lol::lol:.... Is that the part of the galaxy inhabited by hordes of hostile and unruly emoticons???? :lol::lol:



Hmmm...sounds like theres an interesting story there somewhere... Is it safe to delve any further??? hehehe:rofl:

Davin
:cheers:

[Baddad]

Hi Davin, :)

LOL :lol: Have a read of some of the old threads. Keyword.. confession.

Cheers Marty

[big_dav_2001]

LMAO!!!:rofl::lol::rofl:... "Orion Slave Girl"....:rofl::lol::rofl:

Sooo Jen, at the risk of re-visiting a thread probably best left alone...:P Have you redemmed yourself???:D

Davin
:cheers:

[Jen]

:lol::lol: no i havnt yet Dave :scared3:

[Baddad]

:P:lol:Hi Davin, Hi Jen, :)

:lol::lol:,,,, NFOCL (Nearly Fall Off Chair Laughing)

Believe it or not, I instigated ROFL back in the 90's. I asked my son "What's LOL in my email? He answered..."Laugh Out Loud"

In my email: I replied ROFL. My son asked me what's ROFL? :lol:;)
It caught on quickly.

The exorcism is complete and successful. I beat the pink ... er Jen

Cheers Marty