Astro Burn Out - who has it?

[LewisM]

Its why i got the Tak Sky90 : easy to transport and plenty fine for imaging especially with the reducer flattener making it an f4 wide flat field instrument. It weighs nothing and will fit in the prlican cases i have.

[The_bluester (Paul)]

Originally Posted by LewisM

NEVER get tired looking up...do all the time, even taking a leak (2nd story lavatory with big window looking east). Just get tired dragging out all the equipment seeing I have no observatory (well, not here, but 5 hours drive away I do).

Likewise, for a number of years I was on the committee of a car club and it meant a couple of times a month I would get in late. At the right time of year seeing Orion looming large as it was setting over our house as I drove the last bit home was rather distracting and I was a bit prone to spending a couple of minutes standing outside the garage before I went to bed (Which I should have done straight away)

[Andy01 (Andy)]

I'm also suffering from the opposite, total lack of astro time.

Every bloody new moon this autumn/winter has been clouded out in Victoria, so no peaceful stargazing nights in the country.

As far as AP from the light polluted backyard goes, same story - seems that the rare clear nights coincide with the full moon!
(Sigh)

Press reset- Roll on Summer

[codemonkey (Lee)]

Originally Posted by Kunama

My wife has Astro-Burnout..... Every time I start talking about anything to do with Astro, or when I buy a piece of equipment (which is quite often), she gives a grumpy look, rolls her eyes and leaves the room......

I managed to cheer her up when I got her little scope autographed by her favourite astrophysicist.....

hah. Pretty much the same here. That same burnout has helped me convince her that automation is the answer though, so hopefully over the next few months I can get an automated ROR going.

[Mosc_007 (Charles)]

Same thing here. After about 18 months of imaging every chance I could get I gave it up for about 12 months. But recently I have started getting back into it. A break seemed to have got the motivation going again. Will just be doing wide field for a change and see how I go. Then when the motivation is high give my Esprit 150 a run. I stopped going out just after I bought that. Been sitting in its case for 12 months......

[Windston (Dan)]

I have the problem where I cant wait all month to get out, and then when I get out there, something goes wrong and it takes me hours of imaging time to fix, and then when I do get it fixed, 30minutes later the clouds roll over! ARRRGGG!!

One thing that I did notice was that when you get a new piece of gear, especially major like a mount, take it out for a few nights at full moon when its clear so that you can get used t aligning it, and playing around with things such as tracking. When I got my eq6pro it took me a good few nights of pure, hardcore frustration to get it all working smoothly, and I still take a good hour just to get a decent polar alignment!

[g__day (Matthew)]

Comes and goes, but many things compete for your time and apart from family, work and travel I am training constantly for my next black belt. Done some imaging lately - but it was more to shake the dust off the gear, update some software and check everything was still working well and I could still remember what went were. So the passion isn't as intense or immediate and it was in the past - were every great night I'd be imaging until 3am - but I know the gear is tuned and ready for when things come together and it will be like greating an old friend again!

[Shano592 (Shane)]

Certainly comes and goes.

I'm back into the Gear Acquisition Syndrome phase... *sigh*

[ZeroID (Brent)]

Bit jaded here as well. But I think it is also a 'winter' malady syndrome. We've been clouded out for weeks with very sporadic clear nights and not always suitable for other reasons, full moon problems included.
I've spent a lot of time on gear building, some of it just for the heck of it, no immediate need but fun to play with and experiment.
But it will improve, my ZWO 1600 purchase has just received it's funding boost and once the bank clears it all and I get an order in I'll have a whole new system to relearn and tweak.

[dimithri86 (Dimithri)]

I have it too. Waiting for the work on my house to finish (i dont want to keep my equipment out when there are outsiders around) and better weather.

[Rodstar (Rod)]

Having been into this Noble Hobby for over 30 years, I can also attest to the reality of the waxing and waning of interest over time.

I have found that there are too many interesting things on planet Earth (including people - wife, children, friends; and other interests) to stick exclusively to astronomy. Scandalous I know.

I can recall people coming and going from the astronomy circles I have been part of. From most of us I think there is a deep love of and calling to appreciate the night sky that keeps calling us back. I have needed time away, whether for months at a time or in one case more than a whole year, to remember and appreciate the specialness of the night sky.

Often when I have not observed for a while, it will be the chance sighting of the night sky on the way out to the car, or when walking the dog, that starts up the galactic whispers again.....

[glend (Glen)]

Well put Rod, thank you.

[gregbradley]

I would suggest doing some visual work for a little while. Get out amongst the stars for a bit.

Greg.

[glend (Glen)]

Originally Posted by gregbradley

I would suggest doing some visual work for a little while. Get out amongst the stars for a bit.

Greg.

The fine central detail distortion resulting from my macular degeneration makes that a problem, which has driven my move to imaging. For others that is certainly an option.

[Derek Klepp]

All these little things are sent to try us.With all this technology I find its good just to go and give it a break for a while and listen to the sounds of the night instead of looking up.
Cheers