What can kill our hobby.

[superiorstream]

Hi,All
Just wonder what can keep people out of our hobby.Well I think
1)Severe light pollution certainly can as you see nothing when looking up our sky
2)Unpredictible weather.Yes just finishing your complicated astrophotography gear and then encounter
a blackout due to the clouds.Waited for hours but cloud refuse to cooperate.
3)Get a frustrating unmaintainable instrument.;after spending a large sum on it.Well thats actually
what happen to me and made me give up looking at deep sky object.Bought a 11 inches SCT at nearly
s$6000 new from a 'reputible' dealer.After 2 years,learned that the manufacturer had actually GLUED the corrector plate to the
housing and hence cannot be opened for maintence cleaning.Also the glue start to send vapour
out to tarnish the corrector.As if this is not enough and wants to destroy the instrument,some kind
of oil was put into the tube leading to the eyepiece.;and this oil had actually DRIPPED onto the
colliminator.That SCT is now a useless item.6000 for 2 yrs or approx s$10 per day.Thats a real putoff!
What others ?

[weixing]

Hi,

Hi,All
Just wonder what can keep people out of our hobby.Well I think
1)Severe light pollution certainly can as you see nothing when looking up our sky
2)Unpredictible weather.Yes just finishing your complicated astrophotography gear and then encounter
a blackout due to the clouds.Waited for hours but cloud refuse to cooperate.
3)Get a frustrating unmaintainable instrument.;after spending a large sum on it.Well thats actually
what happen to me and made me give up looking at deep sky object.Bought a 11 inches SCT at nearly
s$6000 new from a 'reputible' dealer.After 2 years,learned that the manufacturer had actually GLUED the corrector plate to the
housing and hence cannot be opened for maintence cleaning.Also the glue start to send vapour
out to tarnish the corrector.As if this is not enough and wants to destroy the instrument,some kind
of oil was put into the tube leading to the eyepiece.;and this oil had actually DRIPPED onto the
colliminator.That SCT is now a useless item.6000 for 2 yrs or approx s$10 per day.Thats a real putoff!
What others ?

1) Singapore light pollution is bad, but not that bad... still can see quite a few objects here and there.
2) I do agree on the weather part, that's why I now do visual using my alt-az mount when the weather is clear.
3) Hmm... I don't think Celestron and Meade glue their SCT corrector plate... The below is a link to a thread (LX200GPS yahoo group) of someone had a similar issue in removing the corrector plate:
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/LX20 ... age/112616

Have a nice day.

[starfinder]

I think the no. 1 factor working against astronomy as a hobby is the weather, specifically cloud cover.

All of us amateur astronomers must have experienced disappointment and even frustration time and again because of a layer of white fluffy matter hovering between us and outer space, often at the most inoppurtune of times.

I've certainly had my share of misses bec of this, e.g. the Leonids of around 2001, the total solar eclipse at Shanghai in 2009, the Geminids trip last Dec, etc.

Astronomy must be the toughest hobby or interest on Earth bec I think no other is at the mercy of something so random and unpredictable as clouds. Just imagine... clouds! As I noted during that dramatic night last month when trying to view Asteroid 2012 DA14, we're driven by clouds.

And these few days, I'm battling against the same old white fluffy stuff in trying to view a certain comet, whose closest passage to Earth is today. So far, in Day 5, the clouds have been winning on this one.

Having said that, I suppose the key to 'success' in amateur astronomy is to just keep on trying over and over again, knowing that out of 10 times, there should be at least 4 hits. And of course, try as much as possible to research and plan for the greatest likelihood of clear skies. That's how I've managed to see the full splendor of the Milky Way stretch across the night sky countless times, in Johor, New South Wales, Western Australia etc. And the aurora in Scandinavia (2 nights out of 9), a glorious total solar eclipse (Turkey 2006), a full meteor shower (Perseids in Aug last year) etc.

I've hoped that in my many astro trip reports on these over the years, I've been able to inspire and inform others of what's available if you put in the effort and keep trying.

And to avoid dissapointments driving us out of this hobby, perhaps we could include other goals during astro trips, such as general scenery sight-seeing, bird watching, local food tasting etc.

In this connection, and in respect of science and nature, have other hobbies or interests too, since the Earth itself is so fascinating, such as geology, wildlife, plant life, etc. It would be a pity too to leave these others out. Clouds certainly have little say over those.

So my message to newer astronomers out there is, don't let disappointments keep you out of this. Moderate your expectations, but keep on trying and you will enjoy a bountiful reward.

The universe is fascinating and serenely beautiful, and we should take advantage of the unprecedented opportunities we now have, i.e. with affordable travel unavailable to past emperors, and with simple and affordable astro equipment like binoculars and small telescopes which weren't available to the ancient greats such as Ptolemy, Copernicus, Tycho Brahe, etc. Even Galileo had to make do with simple low-power instruments that's far surpased by the 'cheap' stuff of today. And also all the accumulated scientific knowledge about the universe freely given to us through the works and discoveries of others, which enable us to appreciate what we see even more.

[shirox]

Haha I like what starfinder mentioned. Enjoying food and stuff even if its a cloudy day. For a few of us who travel 160km up to Mersing only the find the local weather is still cloudy is not depressing at all.
Even if we did not manage to get good shots of our planned target. We are satisfied with the company, the food especially. I always look forward to my mersing astro trips because we can get together, drink with my drinking buddy, TCSS and play some nice jazz music under the cloud in cloud out sky lol.
Astro is not necessary just about seeing or capturing stuffs through the telescope. But getting people together and knowing new friends. haha
You are all my new friends for the past 3 years! And I made quite abit! haha

[cloud_cover]

I think the no. 1 factor working against astronomy as a hobby is ....... specifically cloud cover..

Hey!

[Bergkamp_]

It is you guys who keep my hobby going.

[Mariner]

I think the no. 1 factor working against astronomy as a hobby is ....... specifically cloud cover..

Hey!

LOL.

[superiorstream]

Hi--
WeiXing,
Thanks for the help.I am quite sure my one is glued.Its so bad that fume start coming out of the glue
and coat the corrector with a thin layer of fog.Anyway I will try thinner/alcohol later.Also,the ? turn
into oil and start dripping into the colliminator--if not intentional,I dont know what to call it.It seems
that these guys want us to change/buy a new scope regularly to enhance their 'growth'.I dont go for that but treat it as a lesson on modern day bussiness 's--tragedy'.
Starfinder and others,
Yes,Astronomy as a hobby, desire people with a passion for it,but we must not fall prey to ruthless
bussinessman.;thats why I put this thread here--in beginner astronomy--to warn beginner about my
nasty experiences.The corrector plate of my old C8 opens up easily for cleaning;but this NEW 11 ins
give so much trouble and constructed so very differently and I am the 1st owner.Anyway I will put
up a new thread later on using a Android Samsung phone--with google sky map--and a refractor
for a 'cost feasible' setup with afocal capibilities for starter(with the bypassing of a year learning about wheres those stars are).Thats better than getting into trouble
with such possible glue stickening of SCT.;and thanks for all for the replies and opinion.

[weixing]

Hi--
WeiXing,
Thanks for the help.I am quite sure my one is glued.Its so bad that fume start coming out of the glue
and coat the corrector with a thin layer of fog.Anyway I will try thinner/alcohol later.Also,the ? turn
into oil and start dripping into the colliminator--if not intentional,I dont know what to call it.It seems
that these guys want us to change/buy a new scope regularly to enhance their 'growth'.I dont go for that but treat it as a lesson on modern day bussiness 's--tragedy'.

I think don't use thinner better...

Anyway, the layer of fog might be cause by dew drying up... Also, don't underestimate the "sticking" power of dew... I experience this once when my friend 2" diagonal metal compression ring stick to one of his 2" eyepiece and we try all method to remove it, but all don't work... so had to cut short the obs session. It only decide to release the 2" eyepiece when put under the Sun to fully dry up.

Have a nice day.

[superiorstream]

Hi,All
Well,finally suceeded in taking out the corrector---after 6 hrs of spraying one of the strongest
alcohol--the painter shop say it will disolve -slick--a varish for wood painting.Also applying
some physics in pulling the corrector--by subjecting it to simple harmonic motion and pulling
when the acceleration is highest.After that,today subject the corrector to 4 hrs of cleaning.Also note
the following--
1)Yes what stick the corrector to the tube is GLUE---a black sticky glue and it also stick also
to the corrector.The ONLY way to get ride of it off the corrector is to use THINNER to dissolve it
,otherwise you end up sketching the corrector.Thank god,the strong painter grade alcohol soften
the glue hence allowing it to be pulled out.
2)The stuff that drop onto the collimator is OIL from the grease that they put to enable the mirror
move back and forth during focussing.They put too much grease there.
The point is that many of the astro-equipments are very complicated and if you dont know
how to maintain it;then this hobby become very expensive.Take this scope,for example--bought
at s$6000 and hardly used more than 300 hours.If cant do self maintenance,isnt it very expensive?
Finally,my special thanks to WeiXing for the link and the suggestion of using alcohol.Thanks.