Limited Budget

[Guest]

An interested debate has kicked off on the BBC site: http://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/forum/post134806.html#p134806

 

The main bone of contention is whether you need a big budget to enjoy astronomy. Very long story, but many people in the UK are struggling financially. In my case, a compact digital camera (which I used for afocal photography) and a widefield camera lens have packed up and I have no money to replace them. I'm sure I'm not alone here and many of you have not bought a new telescope for over 10 years!

 

Mostly, I deal with the lack of cash by concentrating on the projects I can do with my limited resources. Due to limited resources in time as well as money, I am spending a lot less time on projects where others are far better equipped and are just in a far higher league than I am.

[Tweedledee]

Sorry to hear of your misfortune with the camera and lens Phil.

 

Here's my take on this from a visual astronomy point of view, and I'm sure my thoughts are relevant to AP as well to some degree.

 

I think that in the past, say 40 to 50 years ago, when I was a lad getting big into observational astronomy, you didn't need such a big budget to enjoy astronomy as you do today. I remember the days when the term light pollution never really entered the astronomers vocabulary. Nobody had security floodlights in their back yard and the streetlamps probably had a 60 watt incandescent bulb that switched off by midnight. With darker skies, so much more is visible. I remember seeing so many DSO's in superb detail through my little Charles Frank 4" reflector and having an extremely enjoyable time because it was so easy to star hop and locate objects from my backyard, not 5 miles from the light pollution I live in now. This was so convenient, but to get a similar view today you need to spend money to have a week away at Kelling star party or similar, and hope you're lucky with the weather, and I gather LP is increasing there now. These days from the average backyard, I reckon I would need at least a 10" scope to see what I could see with that cheap old secondhand 4" years ago. Also nowadays I think people's attention spans are generally shorter, and they expect instant (Hubble type) views which we all know they are not going to get even with bigger more expensive scopes. Plus there are so many other distractions now with hundreds of channels of 24/7 television and computer games all competing against the night sky, that beginning astronomers will give up too easily without properly spending the time to learn how to do astronomy. Years ago there were just 2 or 3 tv channels that shut down at midnight, and people found much better more constructive things to do than sitting in front of a laptop, phone or tv screen. Budding astronomers are likely to think after a couple views through their new Currys Astromaster Powerseeker 114 that they can't find anything, and can't see it very well unless they have a much bigger scope that they can't afford.

 

So I think that we generally need a bigger budget now than in the past.

 

Back in the old days the only extra accessory I really wanted was a "Charles Frank Special Comet Kellner 1.5" FL wide angle eyepiece". I saved my pocket money and ordered it by letter enclosing a £5 postal order after seeing the ep in their (paper) catalogue. At about 12 years old I think I was scarred for life when the postal order was returned about a week later with a written apology that they had sold out and were unlikely to get any more of the eyepieces. 

 

I need a bigger budget because a 1" RAS threaded Ramsden or 1/2" Huyghenian just won't do it for me anymore! Got to have more of those $50 eyepieces. 

[+Ibbo]

I had an upgrade to a 1/2" Ramsdem Pete.

I still have the mirror.

 

[Guest]

The REALLY annoying thing about the camera lens is that I was getting some great meteor shots.

 

True what you say about light pollution. I saw 12 Pleaides with unaided eyes 50 years ago.

[+Graham]

I think most of us are on a limited budget. 

Surely at the end of the day it all comes down to priorities. 

I don't spend my hard earned on stuff like multi tv packages or hi end tech. 

I don't live on take away food. 

I don't drive a fancy new motor. 

I spend mine on my astro gear.

We all have the same choices in life with the exception of a small minority at the bottom of the existence ladder. 

You don't need the best kit money can buy you just need to learn to get the best out of what you have. 

I apologise if that comes over as a bit harsh or unsympathetic but that is the reality of life.

 

Ps

Phil I have a draw full of cameras I don't use. 

You are more than welcome to one if it will help you out. 

 

Edited January 24, 2018 by Graham

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Graham said:

I think most of us are on a limited budget. 

Surely at the end of the day it all comes down to priorities. 

I don't spend my hard earned on stuff like multi tv packages or hi end tech. 

I don't live on take away food. 

I don't drive a fancy new motor. 

I spend mine on my astro gear.

We all have the same choices in life with the exception of a small minority at the bottom of the existence ladder. 

You don't need the best kit money can buy you just need to learn to get the best out of what you have. 

I apologise if that comes over as a bit harsh or unsympathetic but that is the reality of life.

 

Ps

Phil I have a draw full of cameras I don't use. 

You are more than welcome to one if it will help you out. 

 

Hi Graham,

 

Much as I appreciate your kind offer or any "free to a good home" offers, if you can get anything for them I'd rather you did. In today's climate, you never know when you might need it. On the other hand, I can probably make use of any otherwise unsaleable kit.

 

Maybe this is a sign of the times but I don't have any monthly spending money and I suspect that many married men and a good number of married women are in the same boat. Any money I get for kit comes from money given for birthdays and Christmas. I didn't get any this year, as I asked people not to exchange presents with us. It is very difficult to justify spending the monthly money on kit when my wife does not have any monthly spending money either. I'm not sure how large the minority at the bottom of the existence is these days. As poverty is stigmatised, nobody likes to come out. Yes, I (we) have been guilty of financial imprudence in the past when I was on a high income but this is historical.

 

As for us, I gave up fishing years ago and just cannot even think of starting again.

 

I don't participate in this nation's pub culture and have no idea how much a pint costs in a pub these days.

 

I have had two holidays since 2000 and one of them wasn't even a full week.

 

I've never ever had a subscription TV service but, as our main entertainment is the box, we bought a non-basic telly when ours packed up.

 

We no longer have a takeaway habit but there are times when I work late and my wife isn't well enough to cook.

 

I bought a car from new, mostly on the advice of extended family members. Part of the idea was that I would no longer need to work when it conks out (I'll be in my 70s by then) and would therefore not need to drive. It is certainly nothing more than a functional family old fogey's car.

 

We've learned to shop around for groceries. If something costs more than what we're prepared to pay, we don't eat it.

 

[Guest]

Maybe this is more one for Martin's Coffee Shop but it is relevant to the subject in hand:

 

http://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/personalfinance/seven-in-10-uk-workers-are-chronically-broke-study-finds/ar-AAv9tH3?li=AA54rU&ocid=UE12DHP