 #...
·
·
2
likes
|
|---|
| Keep it simple - I’ve setup a low cost, portable rig, which takes just 20 mins to carry out, fire up, align and be imaging. Also hoping to use this for travel. My main rig has been sulking in the corner for months! |
0.00
#...
·
·
2
likes
|
|---|
|
You have to be a masochist to do AP, or stupid, or both. Here in Finland there has been a handful of clear evenings from October, and typically this was ranging from 0C to -28C, which brings its own issues. It helps to have a rig that you can set up quickly, if and when there is a chance of a few clear hours. Also having a compact travel rig can help, so you can do AP on holiday or by travelling to a darker site. My next set up will be built around a small harmonic drive mount like the newly announced NYX-88, and a fastish short refractor |
0.00
#...
·
|
|---|
|
Northern Italy here. I watch my setup getting hammered by the weather and hope that the geoptik cover won't give up  Basically, I've been living with weather induced anxiety (high wind, hail, etc) for the last 3 and a half months without having nothing in return. Not a single clear night  Sometimes I think about selling everything, but luckily AB reminds me of how many stuff I still have to image so my passion for the hobby comes back again |
7.40
#...
·
·
7
likes
|
|---|
|
Thanks everyone. I appreciate it. The problem with this hobby is that it's a very isolated experience. You go out under the stars at night, all by yourself. Your wife supports you but doesn't get it. The neighbours are wondering what the heck you're doing. It's easy to forget there's a thriving community behind it all that does the same things you do and experiences the same hardships. But I have to say reading these posts did give me a confidence boost. Like some suggested, maybe I should reconsider my goals and stick to easier targets that require less integration time. A portable setup, something like an AM5 on a carbon tripod, would make it a lot easier to get up and running. I love my EQ6-R, but it's cumbersome to assemble and disassemble every time. I'll let things sink in a bit and give it all some good thought. We'll wait and see what summer brings! |
11.91
#...
·
·
3
likes
|
|---|
Guillermo de Miranda: I'd caution you against the idea that if only you had equipment X, Y, or Z, things would be magically better. We've all been there and it rarely works. A simple cover for your mount may drastically reduce your set up time and make use of such opportunities that you do get, without a complete set up change. I don't know where you are in life, but the idea that you can do portable imaging - usually that means broadband (because narrow band can be done at home); but then broadband means you have to now contend with whenever clear sky time coincides with Moon phase. And be ready to drive to some dark site when that happens (unless your backyard is dark, which then means the cover idea works), regardless of whatever else you and your wife had planned for that night, and if you have to go to work the next day. At the end of the day - don't throw good money after bad. Try to make simple changes and see if you maintain an interest. If not, it is perfectly OK to find something different. Hobbies change, interests change. |
5.21
#...
·
|
|---|
I live in the Pacific NW of the US, one of the rainiest places around. OTOH, in summer it is clear 80% of the time. My solution is two sites, one at home and the other a remote site in California where winter weather is better (or normally it is - not last winter  )
|
0.00
#...
·
·
1
like
|
|---|
|
Belgium here, not too far from Maastricht and Eindhoven, so basically the same weather: cloudy most of the time, a few clear days since somewhere in 2023, a few dry nights with partial clouds. Very often high clouds or strong winds, foggy mornings and dewy evenings. I have a light rig (GEM28 with a 5" newtonian and mono camera) but it's a sail whenever there's more than a moderate wind. It's stored in a shed and I can move the setup outside and align in about 20 minutes. I plan carefully to get the most out of it, but it has been difficult - weather forecasts seem to be unreliable. I wanted to go for a large M81/M82 project this year but haven't quite come to the point where I'm satisfied. The nights are getting shorter already so imaging time is shrinking, soon it'll be summer and there won't be any real dark in the nights. To get the most out of my rig I shifted my interests to lunar imaging. It's only a 5" F/5 newtonian so I'm lacking the aperture for the finer details, but with a 2 inch 3x focal extender that I purchased second hand for a bargain I manage to capture some fairly good lunar images. It's also fairly straightforward: put the rig outside, align as good as I can, capture the moon and process it all. After processing I end up with pictures that I try to understand: what are the craters, mountains, valleys etc that I see, what are their names, how do they change when the phase of the moon changes... I'm hoping for better weather soon. I guess we were spoiled with good weather from 2020 when the pandemic started until mid 2023. It's been so bad that it can only become better. Or not? |
1.51
#...
·
·
1
like
|
|---|
|
Astrophotography is hard, and tiring, I committed to be out every clear night. For over two years. And I have, but after two weeks of clear skies in the late summer, I was secretly praying for cloud cover. I sleep better without my gear outside, and not having to do flats in the morning before I need to rush kids off to school and I get to work. So my learning: The clouds give me a break, and allow me to focus better when it's clear. Yes. I've had over two months without a clear night and that is too long. Be patient and you'll get that multi-week clear nights soon. |
8.77
#...
·
·
4
likes
|
|---|
|
Climate change is really impacting local weather in many places, some more than others. I also think it's making accurate weather prediction more difficult, but I'm not sure about that. San Francisco California skies have always been terrible for astrophotography. Coastal fog and wind are pretty much a constant here, except for maybe in September and October, and then the rainy season begins. But remember, if we stick with AP long enough, we'll all become millionaires. But that's only if we start out as billionaires. |
6.06
#...
·
|
|---|
| Its been an abnormal year in western canada also where we typically get a lot of sun and clear nights. You roll with it. You have other hobbies, work overtime so you can buy more stuff, spend time with your family, go to the gym. You don't have to eat breathe sleep something to have a deep interest and pursue it. |
2.81
#...
·
|
|---|
|
ja ,hier in holland kan je niet zeker zijn van mooi weer. maandagnacht is t helder,maar volle maan,dus dat schiet ook niet op. Maar een paar jaar geleden had ik bijna een maand helder weer,dan kan je er niet tegen stacken om alles op tijd af te krijgen,zoveel data. dit is ook een hobby voor jaren he,ik doe t al 35 jaar ondertussen. gewoon doorgaan,misschien word t beter. of idd ,een vakantie pakken naar t zuiden,donker gebiied opzoeken enzo. maar met een grote scope word t niks idd. verhuizen dan maar hahah.. groet en sterkte. |
4.13
#...
·
·
1
like
|
|---|
|
John suggests as a last resort moving for a better view. Haha...Als ik dat maar kon! (If only I could!) |
6.96
#...
·
|
|---|
Oskari Nikkinen: Wow. I have no words. That's dedication. And I am sitting here in south Texas complaining about *only* three fully clear nights in two weeks. Thanks for the perspective. |
0.00
#...
·
|
|---|
|
What you described looks like Azores islands where I live! Since January 2024 we had about 7 clear nights to work. The humidity here never goes under 70-80%. The winds can go easily up to 40-60kms/h and we look like to have four seasons in a day, literally. Since I come in to this hobby, I’ve been noticing the weather in general here in the islands, had been worst in the last couple of years, and I took my doubt two years ago when I build in my backyard a Weather Station. She’s all a traditional Stevenson Screen but I have some tech on it, and one of those tech things is a digital weather station that monitors all the instruments inside and outside. I can saying to you for sure that in 2023, from 365 days, we had 28 clear nights. Because the computer makes me a week, month and year chart of the weather conditions.. Imagine to do something on those conditions. Our solution here passes by using OSC sensor and very fast systems, in order to achieve some decent results. If you want to use a normal refractor and or a mono camera, you’re completely screwed! My approach on the last years change by using my limited nights to shoot compulsively without caring too much of the target itself.. I just check if the stars are pinpoint and the focus, then I stored the data and keep to other targets until I have enough hours to produce a good image. I do usually two targets per night. One before the meridian and other after. The cloudy days I divide my astrophotography in editing the previous data that I’ve been acquiring over the year, even reprocessing and try new methods. I do a lot of research and study new methods for equipment, acquisition and processing and I do maintenance since I live in a wet region. The rest of that time is used for planning in order to not east to much time in clear nights. This is my free time, which is divided with time to my wife, family, etc. Then in my business hours I have work to be occupied. |
0.00
#...
·
·
2
likes
|
|---|
|
Hello! South of Germany here, and I'm in exactly the same situation. I can't remember the last full clear night, and clearoutside.com has been showing nothing but red for the past, I'd say 6 months now? I've been able to image maybe 3 or 4 times in that time span. It's a real bummer, but ever since I found out that this kind of situation is happening almost everywhere right now it eased the pain a little bit.  Just gotta have to wait and be patient; eventually the clouds will pass. Astrophotography is my favourite thing in the world, and I couldn't imagine giving it up. Though in other news, to find new motivation and something else to do while the clouds at night persist, a few weeks ago I ordered all the necessary equipment to get into solar photography! I'm nothing short of absolutely excited to get into this side of the hobby. Here's hoping for the another clear German summer, at the very least during the day. If I can't image multiple stars at night, I might as well image a single star during the day.  Clear Skies! |
5.72
#...
·
|
|---|
Frank Lothar Unger: Also here in Zambia. Normally April I can get some pretty good runs in, but this year was awful. Despite South Central Africa having the worst drought for 40 years. El Nino.... |
8.04
#...
·
·
2
likes
|
|---|
|
As I don't think any-one has replied from the UK, it has been bad here too. We are known to have a wet climate anyway, but the rain just hasn't stopped for weeks and weeks now. Even if we get a clear spot it doesn't last for long, certainly not long enough to risk imaging. As it happens I have taken a bit of a rest from imaging due to some health issues, but I chat on a group with other Astrophotographers, and they have all been complaining of the same thing. Don't sell your kit, you will only regret it. Just take a break and as said above find some other interests to occupy you in the mean time. I am going to Astronomy camp in Bortle 4 (I live in Bortle 8) on 6th May, so I sincerely hope it bucks up by then as it is the only chance I get to image broadband. Plus it will be my first time imaging for over 6 months. I will be out of practice. Carole |
|
11.91
#...
·
·
7
likes
|
|---|
Jedadiah Ashford: Like you, I would go out every clear, moonless night to a local dark sky site or spend the evening setting up in my backyard if doing narrow band. The pandemic and things that happened during it made me realize how much I was neglecting family (my daughter especially) in this focus. I have my priorities now, and Astro is lower down the list. So my advice to you, especially if you have young kids is - make sure this isn't getting in the way of spending time with them (not saying it is in your case, just sharing my experience). The way I look at it - the stars will always be there, after your kids are grown up and gone. I said elsewhere - this is a better fulltime hobby for those that are retired. For those of us with work and growing kids, it is best to have more modest expectations and enjoy such time with the stars as we can get. There are more important things in life by far. |
0.00
#...
·
|
|---|
|
Most of Europe has had a poor winter for astrophotographers ! Even in Spain where I have a setup in remote (I live in Switzerland), we had a exceptionnally long time span without clear nights. And then there is the Moon... Anyway, going remote is quite a great solution and avoids a lot of frustrations. I also use the very high-end scopes of Skygems Observatories in Namibia. All this costs money, of course, but then you do not have to buy expensive telescopes ! Philippe |
20.43
#...
·
·
4
likes
|
|---|
Arun H: GASP* Life outside of astro!? |
1.91
#...
·
·
1
like
|
|---|
|
I guess I can join the Symphony of Frustrations with almost a year's worth of NZ windy unstable skies. Last I imaged was back in July (winter) and since then ... well, mostly the weather didn't play nice (at least in coastal Canterbury) or I could not commit the time. As much as possible I try to image from a Bortle 2/3 site, 600m asl, 80km/1-hour drive away from home. It's exposed to winds but the sky can be so beautiful! But for partially clear nights and/or short summer or near-summer nights, it is an extra toll on sleep/fatigue (especially during the work week) not to mention the fuel budget for <4 hours of imaging when all goes perfectly well. These hours are still worth 10 times any hour spent imaging from humid view-obstructed Bortle 7/8 Christchurch skies at home (and I don't get 10x more clear nights there!), so enjoying a peaceful night under the stars above the oceanic humidity can be quite the satisfying joy. But like you, months of seeing my gear gather dust in the garage + skills not being maintained, bring thoughts of selling it all and stop this constant "cold shower" over this lifelong passion. However I can't quite let go, simply because I dreamed of doing AP since aged 10, and 30 years later I finally have some time, gear, budget and a supporting partner. May be later in life would be just as good if not better, I can't tell, so once in a while I take a deep breath, try forget the frustrations of yet more DSOs I could not image, dust up the gear and get it ready even if for that 1 night every 6 months. I don't want to sound all "worthy" or "preachy" by reminding you to be grateful for all aspects of your life that make your passion possible, even if on rare occasions, but ...  |
4.72
#...
·
·
3
likes
|
|---|
Guillermo de Miranda: Yes this is a bit of a lonely hobby, but you're talking to us, right? You're imaging the universe, and most people on Earth don't even look beyond their city or even look up at the sky at night. By seeing the universe you're understanding your place in it, which is priceless. Keep looking up! |
8.59
#...
·
|
|---|
Guillermo de Miranda: You do what you have to do. In your case, I would find a way, even if it means swapping out/trading some equipment, to use shorter exposures. A camera that supports an HCG mode (high conversion gain) will give you high dynamic range, but allow for much shorter exposures. You can operate at even higher gains (albeit at a loss of DR, which may not matter so long as you still have around 11 stops or so) to support even shorter exposures. If you suffer from limited clear sky time, short exposures can be a critical component in acquiring enough data to produce quality images. You gain a significantly greater capability to cull bad subs, and re-weight subs that will work but are less than optimal, than with long exposures. Modern CMOS technology offers great strengths here. You can use any CMOS camera with an HCG mode at the HCG switchover gain, or an even higher gain, to reduce exposures to a couple of minutes, down to even just a matter of seconds. With 30 or 45 second subs, you have to acquire a lot more, but, you can cull far more selectively, and make far better use of those partially clear nights. This is my primary mode of operation. I have some fully clear nights each year, but there are almost always some amount of clouds, sometimes you can't see them with the naked eye, but the camera still picks up their thin passage. Sometimes they obscure enough of the DSO to force me to discard subs, other times I just need to re-weight the exposures in the stack. IMHO, this is your best option to make the most of the hobby. FWIW, you don't need to babysit, so long as your imaging system and software is capable of automatically reacquiring a guide star if it is lost. So long as you can do that, and ideally if you can also auto-focus, then you can set an imaging session on a partially clear night, and just let it run. Some of those nights, you might not capture many or even any subs, but don't worry about that. The key, is trying every time you get even a partial chance. It actually doesn't take all that much, to acquire enough data to make a good image. The net gain across imaging all those partially clear nights, will usually far outweigh the sub losses, if you contrast with NOT imaging on those nights AT ALL. ;) |
1.20
#...
·
·
2
likes
|
|---|
|
The nonstop clouds have been a disaster for trying to capture any meaningful deepsky images. Hence I switched my focus to planets and the moon! You only need a few minutes to capture a short video and it's off to the races. For the dreaded summer months (without astro dark here in DK) I'm planning to try solar imaging as well. This keeps the astro juices flowing for me. |
0.00
#...
·
·
1
like
|
|---|
|
I totally understand. I'm in the UK (East coast) and so far in 2024, there has been only 1 totaly clear night (though that was also affected by late fog) and 2 other nights that were ok but not totally clear. I don't think we'll ever get another completely clear night, this seems to be how it is now and I'm told is due to climate change so is only going to get even worse. I'll give it till the end of this year and if it doesn't improve then will sell everything and do something else. I wouldn't want to own an astronomy shop in the UK |
