Hi John,
I think you raise some great questions too. When I first joined this forum, I was really keen to get to the stage where I knew enough about astro to start AP. I bought visual only scopes, and used them plenty at first. I still do, but not as often as before.
But what has become clear to me is that I don't have the dedication that the AP guys on here clearly do have. Especially the guys that get great results through years of relentless enthusiasm.
To purchase the geast, to get it all stowed in the car each time, to get to that dark site, to spend time setting up, possibly it may cloud over or rain and it's all a waste of time - this time. And most of the time don't forget, the best times for this seem (hope I'm not wrong here) to be at the coldest times of the year, so you have to dress like an eskimo whilst dragging wardrobe sized car batteries around to power the endless array of dew heaters etc.
I love looking at other peoples' efforts, but can I be bothered doing all the stuff necessary to produce it myself? It took me a while to finally accept that the answer is a great big NO.
But kudos to those that do. And I do believe it's probably incredibly rewarding when you make even quite small advances in your understanding and ability.
But first, take time to decide whether, like me, you're going to actually have the dedication and enthusiasm to use the gear that you will spend serious dollars on.
Just my 2c. Hope it helps
