How often do you use your gear?

Poita (Peter) · #1 25-07-2012, 08:05 PM

As I'm a bit laid up at the moment and can see the scope sitting around lonely and neglected, it got me wondering, how often do you all (on average) use your gear?

By that I mean actually stand at the eyepiece and view something or image something or at least make a solid attempt

I know it varies with the weather and time of year , but on a clear week, how many nights would you get out there?

Larryp (Laurie) · #2 25-07-2012, 08:07 PM

Not much lately, Peter. So many cloudy or wet nights.

Poita (Peter) · #3 25-07-2012, 08:08 PM

But if you had a fortnight of clear skies how often do you reckon you'd be out there?

RB (Andrew) · #4 25-07-2012, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poita

But if you had a fortnight of clear skies how often do you reckon you'd be out there?

All month !

Omaroo (Chris Malikoff) · #5 25-07-2012, 08:10 PM

Not since August 2010. I've set it now a couple of dozen times since then, and have never made it past polar alignment when the sky all of a sudden closes in. I'm cursed, and I'm no longer as interested as I once was. Pity

Larryp (Laurie) · #6 25-07-2012, 08:11 PM

Maybe once weekly

Gem (Grant) · #7 25-07-2012, 08:12 PM

3 out of 4 clear nights on average.

bert (Brett) · #8 25-07-2012, 08:19 PM

Most clear nights, if its around new moon... 4 out 5 nights. But I usually have 2 observatories running in that case.

JB80 (Jarrod) · #9 25-07-2012, 08:25 PM

I voted the wrong option... doh.

I accidently clicked once or twice a month which given the weather lately is probably closer to the truth but if all conditions are ideal then it's more than 5 times a month.

Rob_K · #10 25-07-2012, 08:34 PM

Been a bad July weather & workwise (travelling), but checked & have clocked up 8 sessions: one morning (7th) & seven evenings. Bit of a surprise really.

Quite low in output though.

Only one visual session, on the 22nd (very poor for me). Rest were photographic, on 3, 7, 18, 19, 20, 22 & 23 July. Some involved waiting for suitable gaps in the cloud, which arrived. 3rd was around Full Moon give-or-take, must have been desperate!

Plus I did a short solar session on the 15th so maybe that makes 9.

Cheers -

pgc hunter · #11 25-07-2012, 08:46 PM

Once or twice every two months. Every so often I check inside my mirror box to make sure the mirror hasn't been cocooned in cobwebs.

yeah, I live in Melbourne.

Jen · #12 25-07-2012, 09:08 PM

Not enough as i would like too the weather has been crap lately
I havnt used my scope since the Venus Transit im starting to have withdrawls

seeker372011 (Narayan) · #13 25-07-2012, 09:13 PM

If you don't have an observatory, and have to haul yourself out of bed at 5 ish on weekdays, there's not really a huge window of opportunity is there?

SkyViking (Rolf) · #14 25-07-2012, 09:18 PM

Every clear night, except during the brightest time around Full Moon.
But yeah there is a huge difference between setting everything up versus flicking a switch in the obs!

lacad01 (Adam) · #15 25-07-2012, 10:10 PM

Hardly much these days

barx1963 (Malcolm) · #16 25-07-2012, 10:15 PM

I have voted for "more than 5 times a month" but that assumes clear skies. I get out on virtually every clear night when the moonage is not too bad. ATM i would get out even at full moon I am so desperate with all these clouds.

Malcolm

koputai (Jason) · #17 25-07-2012, 10:17 PM

Almost never. Around here on the rare occasions it's not cloudy, the sky is always wet. Every time I've set up in the last 18 months (probably 8 times) it's been a big disappointment. I'm actually considering selling my gear.

Cheers,
Jason.

Varangian (John) · #18 25-07-2012, 10:19 PM

Probably once a week, even to look at a full moon and a planet or two for a 30 mins. We had two clear nights in Melbourne last new moon and I got out and looked at Omega Centauri, the Jewell box and around Scorpius' tail. The scope is set up due north in the lounge room at the moment ready to open the window to fire away at an early morning Jupiter. That was set up 5 days ago and still we have not had a break in the morning clouds.

Terry B · #19 25-07-2012, 10:37 PM

I seem to get out more than most of you. I create a folder on my observatory puter each night. I have 38 nights over the last 3 months including 2 weeks when I was away. All of this is either photometry or spectroscopy observations.
Cheers
Terry

erick (Eric) · #20 25-07-2012, 11:51 PM

Sadly, I said "once a quarter".

You should do a poll - "How often do you wish you use your gear!"

But I've just been out tonight to show an amateur visiting from Finland the delights of the southern sky. Managed to grab some holes in the clouds.

And I was out two weekends ago. OMG, twice in one month! Hurray!

And Border Stargaze locked in coming in a few weeks!

I'm going to get dizzy with excitement!