Since buying my first scope my collection has become interesting. In this context broad means wide ranging and covering a fair slice of the observable spectrum…….
At what time do you say “no more” and simply work the science the gear provides access too?
There is a big difference between how much you have and how Much you actually use. A scope in a box under a bed is not doing anyone any good.
Imaging has complicated requirements, where differing focal lengths and field of view can be argued for, but it can also serve as an excuse for hording.
Be a minimalist if you can, and make sure equivalent amounts are spent on your spouse's hobbies. Of course if your single, line the hallway with scopes if it makes you happy, but eventually you, or your next of kin, will be selling them for whatever they can get, or taking them to the tip.
There is a big difference between how much you have and how Much you actually use. A scope in a box under a bed is not doing anyone any good.
Imaging has complicated requirements, where differing focal lengths and field of view can be argued for, but it can also serve as an excuse for hording.
Be a minimalist if you can, and make sure equivalent amounts are spent on your spouse's hobbies. Of course if your single, line the hallway with scopes if it makes you happy, but eventually you, or your next of kin, will be selling them for whatever they can get, or taking them to the tip.
I am a self declared Astro Hoarder. I buy stuff that I have rarely used or have not used at all. The gonna, wanna, never happened scenario. I have four scopes and only one gets used .. purely for visual. I always say I will get into Astrophotography .. having purchased all the gear required but never done anything more. Conveniently I blame my urban location .. but that is just an excuse. I am fortunate .. or maybe not .. as I don't have to justify my purchases to anyone. Also .. I have never suffered buyers remorse for the stuff I have bought.
I am a self declared Astro Hoarder. I buy stuff that I have rarely used or have not used at all. The gonna, wanna, never happened scenario. I have four scopes and only one gets used .. purely for visual. I always say I will get into Astrophotography .. having purchased all the gear required but never done anything more. Conveniently I blame my urban location .. but that is just an excuse. I am fortunate .. or maybe not .. as I don't have to justify my purchases to anyone. Also .. I have never suffered buyers remorse for the stuff I have bought.
I have found I am somewhat hoarding as well as everytime I sell a scope I end up with two more.
Lately its been acquiring vintage refractors and having fun viewing with them and getting them working again. I feel I am somewhat in my small way of preserving these scopes. As to my kids I can hope they don't sell my gear or at least maybe donate them to a club.
Based upon the last 49 years of being into Astronomy, and my wife has known me 30 of those years, and my current project at Swan Reach; I would say never enough astro. I say max out as much as possible. Budget related of course.
My last marriage probably went sour because of my over the top approach to astronomy..
We needed a new fridge and I used the money to buy a 12 inch... I know that may have been the last straw but it's hard to know as they can overreact so easy.
It was winter the galaxies were there and heck in winter you can get by without a fridge.
Anyways we are still good friends..I gave her this place, and the other place and ironically the 12 inch is taking up space in her garage ( with a crook mirror) and she asks me at least once a month if I can move it out of there..she never did like it I feel.
So I get to live in a caravan all the time and even the most sucessfull people only get to live in their van for two or three weeks a year...me all year..how good is that...and little house work ..much more efficient and with my crook legs I always can grab hold of something...the shower is outside which is a bit tuff in this cold but it's different so different is luxury the way I see things.
But the astro tends to be my main interest and I now have a small observatory ( 8 x 4 ft) currently empty but only while I am sorting out the big one..the big one is 3.8 mtrs square and has my 80 mm on eq5, my 115 mm on EQ 6 , my rasa 11 on eq8 and my 8 inch Newtonian on an eq 6 ( although it is off at the moment for mirror cleaning)...
Future plans..the small observatory will house the 12 inch when refurbished for visual and the 80 mm binos on a dedicated mount...
At the moment it is not possible to run all imaging scopes at once as I am waiting on an Asiair plus to step around getting another lap top and to make things a little less cluttered...happy days I just now while typing this received an email from ZWO saying it has been shipped..lucky lucky lucky boy...timing is perfect...but having the email as I started this paragraph is extrodinary.
I don't think any of this is extreme particularly having gone thru the cancer scare and three close calls with death..mmm moreactually..plus I have more health issues that I don't want to clutter my head with.... but my point is life is very short and you really need to do what you want to do and stuff everything else..I won't go to weddings or funerals or do a damn thing that does not suit me and sure you can call it selfish but I call it "have your head together and your priorities in order"..folk waste so much time on all sorts of things ..I waste time here it can be said but this place saves having friends in the real world and I get all the socialising I need here...so I can see it as not actually wasting time..plus I come here while between jobs or if I can't walk that particular day.
I do like it here.
You only get out of life what you grab with both and run off with...
NO laughing matter. I need another preferably dark-sited, dome.
The one that must be obeyed wants a beach-side getaway.
Hummm......Mauna Kea?
Beach-side sounds wonderful too. That's when you negotiate for a remote set up. My backyard clothesline relocation resulted in a pier popping up on the count I needed concrete for the clothesline anchor base.
Win-win. Everybody's happy.
Like any hobby, astro can go too far and things can turn sour - if you are getting into financial trouble and are in denial, then it's time to take a pause.
..maybe a few domes. 
