Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 11:09 am
Yup astronomy needs real patience and some people use 'grab and go' scopes only because it takes the least setup and tear down time 
Also, with Singapore's fickle weather, you will need to be quick in setting up your scope and always alert for a moment of good weather. Also, check the Nowcast (3h update) on the internet for the forecast of the weather. If not, most of the time you won't even get a chance to observe as the clouds will roll in by then. My scope takes about 15 to 20 min to setup depending on what configuration I use and this is considered quite long but good enough if the weather remains clear for 2h. There were a few times that after I setup everything, the clouds just covered the whole sky and it was wasted effort. Not all observing sessions is fruitful and in fact quite a high percentage is a waste of time.
I guess you will learn on the way of cultivating this good value.
Hope you won't give up halfway though.
Also, with Singapore's fickle weather, you will need to be quick in setting up your scope and always alert for a moment of good weather. Also, check the Nowcast (3h update) on the internet for the forecast of the weather. If not, most of the time you won't even get a chance to observe as the clouds will roll in by then. My scope takes about 15 to 20 min to setup depending on what configuration I use and this is considered quite long but good enough if the weather remains clear for 2h. There were a few times that after I setup everything, the clouds just covered the whole sky and it was wasted effort. Not all observing sessions is fruitful and in fact quite a high percentage is a waste of time.
I guess you will learn on the way of cultivating this good value.
Hope you won't give up halfway though.