Looking for a new, inexpensive hobby.

[Poita]

I'm regrettably going to be selling up all my astro gear (see classies) due to having to move, buy a car with more seats and a new baby on the way.

Any suggestions for a hobby that will keep my brain ticking over but doesn't have much setup/ongoing costs? It is time for something new!

[Astro_Bot]

If you're technically inclined, you could play around with Linux and get involved in a forum or two. I switched to Linux around 2004 but was heavily involved for about 4 or 5 years in support forums and learned an enormous amount in the process. It can chew up a lot of time if you let it and the forum communities are generally pretty good - I made some pretty good acquaintances over the years spread around the world.

It starts with downloading an ISO for a Linux distribution, joining a corresponding forum, installing (maybe dual boot at first) and away you go.

Assuming you already have a reasonable computer, it's completely free (save the cost of any CD-R/DVD-Rs you burn). Not only that, it can save you money if you can successfully migrate everything to Linux. I figure I've saved at least $2000 in software costs since 2004.

PS: Congratulations on the new baby. :)

[TrevorW]

Entomology :thumbsup:

[troypiggo]

RC helicopters. Enjoy. :)

[mental4astro]

Keep one scope if you can, even your most modest, & start sketching! $20 will see you supplied for weeks. Heck, I'll send you over some sketching kit if you like to get you going. Would be such a shame to loose all you've gained and shared with us.

[MattT]

Get a Guitar and teach yourself how to play it. Keeps the brain going and 2nd hand ones are cheap as chips.
Matt

[Poita]

I simply can't see a thing at the new house, I'll probably keep the ED80 and cube though just for when we go camping. I'd have to learn to sketch left handed, right hand is no good :(

The new place is next to a carpark that has massive sets of lights on both sides of the house. It is like being in the middle of the SCG with all the lights on, they run 24/7.

RC helicopters sound like a moneypit with my reaction-time :)

I may get back into programming and Linux, or even python and teach the kids along the way. Have a bunch of old computers here to experiment with.

No shortage of insects either, so maybe entomology will be the go :)

Guitar is a great idea, my daughter is an accomplished flautist, it would be good to be able to share time with her. I just had a look, they sure are cheap 2nd hand. Any pointers as to what to look out for so I don't get a dog?

[mental4astro]

Moon & planets don't need dark skies.

[Screwdriverone]

DIY brain surgery???

I think I have some books you can have from my first atte

[multiweb]

With a baby on the way you won't need a hobby. No time for that. You'll need lots of nappies.

[troypiggo]

D'oh. I misread your title. Thought it said "new, expensive hobby" lol!

[Astro_Bot]

You could buy a copy of the Kama Sutra and work your way through that. Given there's a baby on the way, you're at least qualified to start! ;)

[marmotte]

Somebody who can play (don't need to be pro, beginner's enough) and whom you trust to try it out for you/with you.

[sheeny]

+1 Did that when I was 15. Great thing to do. I still play, though I'm sure I've forgotten more about playing the guitar that I currently remember.:lol:

There is that... however, sometime you just need something for a bit of escape.;)

'nuff said.

Or....

Have a look on Amazon for a series of books by David Gingery called "Build your own metalworking shop from scrap". It's all about scrounging and making do, so it doesn't cost more than you're prepared to pay;).

I bought the set out of interest, and so far I've made my blast furnace for well under $100,:thumbsup: just working on flasks for sand casting. As for building the lathe, shaper, mill, drill press (I already have one), dividing head and leaf press... that's for when I retire.:D

Just a suggestion:P...

Al.

[jjjnettie]

How about getting stuck into the yard and making a vegie garden. :)
It's not only soothing and satisfying, you get to eat it in the end too. :)

Congratulations on the new bub too. :)

[PCH]

and a willingness to dive into buckets of sh*t - lol

[Nightshift]

Start with a Nylon acoustic, plenty under $100, learn 6 basic chords and start playing. Learn to read TAB, it isnt hard and go to any TAB web sites for your music, all free. Once you are playing a few tunes buy a steel string acoustic/electric with a narrow neck, your playing will improve tenfold but your fingers will need to toughen up. No need to pay more than $300 for a first steel guitar. I have bought many good guitars from cash converters, people buy expensive guitars, dont learn and lose interest and then trade them cheap, I have a nice Takemine steel acoustic/elec with cut away that retails for around $1200 I payed $280 with a case at CConverters, the case was worth $150.

Enjoy. Dennis.

[RickS]

Trolling on Internet forums? :lol:

Congrats on the baby. Shame you're leaving astronomy, at least for now...

[sheeny]

+1

If you are serious about learning guitar, when it comes to tabs, download TuxGuitar. Its free and will let you read Guitar Pro and several other tab file formats. It will play the music as well so you can play along with it.:thumbsup: Most of my tabs are still in plain old text format, but that's OK too.

Enjoy! ...and remember the difference between a guitarist and everyone else is the guitarist didn't give up when he/she got frustrated.:P Cause you will, but its all part of the learning experience;).

Al.

[Ausrock]

If you decide to go the guitar route...........

DON'T........

1) buy a nylon string unless you're interested in playing classical or "soft" folk
2) buy a cheap steel string acoustic from a s/hand shop UNLESS it's a known, reputable brand and you have a decent guitarist friend with you to offer advice. Even the lower end "known brand" guitars (eg: Maton) are relatively affordable, good instruments that hold their value.

DO........

1) learn to read basic music notation rather than TAB or get your daughter to teach you

2) anticipate a different learning curve

3) learn to have patience

And as Sheeny said.........

"Enjoy! ...and remember the difference between a guitarist and everyone else is the guitarist didn't give up when he/she got frustrated. Cause you will, but its all part of the learning experience"

[Zhou]

I second that idea, also the inernet has extensive info on how to play, TAB etc... You can even do a free online course from no other than Berklee College of Music https://www.coursera.org/course/guitar

[TrevorW]

Insects are the most diverse group of animals on Earth. There are over a million described species of insect, and an estimated 6-10 million species total. Insects are found in nearly every above-ground environment, even in Antarctica, which has a species of insect called springtails. There is even a species of insect that lives on the surface of the open ocean, walking on the water tension using tiny leg hairs. These are insects of the genus Halobates, otherwise known as sea skaters or water striders. Around Antarctica, where there is greater oxygen in the sea than the Equator, these can grow to 30 cm (1 ft) in width.
So far, there have been observations of 5,000 dragonfly species, 2,000 praying mantis (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-praying-mantis.htm), 20,000 grasshopper, 170,000 butterfly and moth (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-moth.htm), 120,000 fly, 82,000 true bug, 360,000 beetle, and 110,000 bee, wasp and ant species. Keep in mind that arachnids (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-arachnids.htm), such as mites (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-mites.htm) — of which there are over 1 million described species — and crustaceans (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-crustaceans.htm), like lobsters, are not insects, which only includes members of the class Insecta.




its mostly free and very educational

[graham.hobart]

I would go - insects or birds as a hobby,
A. They don't cost anything
B. you can impress people with your knowledge of (c) the skies, and (d) the little critter that just landed on your lap, drawn towards you by the big lamps.
I love the natural world and have oft been denigrated by my Wife because i can recognise a bird or insect. But I know less than <0.05% of what is out there. Start a book- paint it.
Don't leave this forum buddy because we would all miss you-
Graz:sadeyes:

[Poita]

??

I think it is going to be bugs and a guitar. I can already read music, I play and used to teach piano. Never had a go at guitar though.

It turns out Garageband has a bunch of guitar lessons built in, and uses your computer as a tuner. I borrowed an electric guitar and had a go on it this afternoon, I see what you guys mean about the toughening up of fingers!! An electric seems like the go as you can use headphones and spare everyone else the pain.

jjj, that is great advice for everyone, I always have a vegie patch and work it all year, I love cooking too much not to have my own supply of herbs and vegies. Got a great crop of corn last year. I do wish I had my own place though, I miss having chooks and fresh eggs.

Paul, the buckets of s*** don't bother me, my youngest is 6 but has brain and physical development problems, so I've been doing nappies non-stop for the last 6 years, another set isn't going to worry me.

Thanks everyone for the tips on TABs and other suggestions, I was really looking for something relaxing that doesn't suffer from upgrade-itis, it looks like a good option.

[MattT]

Electric with headphones :thumbsup: When you get your own just check the neck isn't twisted or warped, and as you can read already your miles ahead, and there are lots of You Tube stuff out there from the top pros should keep you occupied for a while....and enjoy the new bubs!
Matt

[Nico13]

You could always try target shooting :lol: lots of targets next door and you know when you hit it cause it goes out :D

Sorry to see you selling up Peter and yes do keep the ED80 and thanks for the help you have given me and no doubt countless others with your generosity.

Cheers

[Poita]

Heh heh heh... I like your thinking Ken :)

[Ric]

Hi Peter

Have you thought about microscopes as a hobby? With the addition of a small web cam type of camera you can get some interesting images as well.

It certainly is a fascinating world and not just insects either there's plants, crystals etc.

[allan gould]

I was just going tok suggest a microscope. Excellent device, fairly cheap and there is so much to look at.
Allan

[Varangian]

x2 next to underwater life is certainly the next most interesting aspect life's diversity.

[alocky]

Hi did say 'cheap' hobby :lol:
Whether you go for target rifle, or the new boy 'F class' (scopes and sandbags), you need a rifle that can group around the 0.5 minute of angle mark. These don't come cheap!
If you really want to start throwing money away - get into bench-rest. Many of the top competitors machine their own projectiles...
Barrels wear out, scopes break, And then you're throwing an awful lot of copper and lead away, as well as buring up expensive powder. You also have to travel for competition.

Sorry to see you abandon the hobby - kids and moving closer to the centre of town kindled my interest in H-alpha solar observing, and the moon is still a pretty interesting thing to look at. Deep sky stuff can wait for the new moon weekends, it aint going anywhere.
cheers - you'll be back....
Andrew.

[Kunama]

there are only so many floodlights so he only needs one packet of bullets... I can loan him a rifle for a night :lol::lol::lol: then he can use the ED80 as a hobby.....

[alocky]

I see! Not a long term hobby then. Honestly officer, the youth of today?! Must be some kids with a .22 around... I didn't hear a thing.

[DavidU]

I didn't know there was a cheap man hobby:D

[h0ughy]

you could take up cloud watching and image the more unusual shapes and styles - then again you would then need to learn to play the guitar so that you could put music to the time lapsing. then again you could join the scouts as a leader - or - do some planetary imaging with what you have left?

or befriend a buddy who has lots of scopes and somewhere to go.... and borrow.....

[Waxing_Gibbous]

Unh-huh. Yup.
I woudn't count on having any personal time until around 2025.:lol:

[Gem]

Even if you sell most of your stuff... you can surely keep one pair of binos and do some nice visual observing with a hot cup of tea ... or get up each meteor shower...

I went a decade (2000-2011) without a scope larger than 80mm or a pair of binos... I still had fun! :)

[John.Osborn]

When you find one please let me know I am also looking for one