Astronomy: One rabbit hole after another / home observatory

[jrkirkham]

First it was a new telescope; then a larger telescope, and another, and another. Then it was a camera and a mount, then another camera. Now after a couple of years of day dreaming I finally ordered a SkyShed Pod XL3. So far Wayne has been exceptional to work with, though I am probably still three months from delivery. At one time I had set aside a nice nest egg for the project, but that was before my family decided that we needed a new bathroom and roof on the house. Those things can suck the life right out of a nest egg. Anyway, I am not disappointed. It looks like it will match my needs, be within my budget, and keep me from sleeping in the car so often. I am getting excited about it. I am less than 2 years from retirement now. My hope is to be prepared when the time comes. For the past 6 years I have been working one full-time and two part-time jobs for 60-65 hrs./week. I am looking forward to as time when I can walk into my backyard, sit down, and look at the stars without a deadline. Now I've got to get started on a deck for the pod.

[pakarinen]

Yeah, roofs and bathroom remodels are pricey. But it sounds like you're on track now, so congrats and good luck!

[Bigzmey]

Congrats Rob! Keep us posted on the progress. My home location is too LPed, but I already got approval from my better half to build/buy observatory at the dark site. We just need to put the kids through college first.

[jrkirkham]

I'm just the opposite. I received permission to build on a dark site, but my wife doesn't want me to. I have a dark site that is about five miles from my home. It is on a farm owned by a lifelong friend. Our birthdays are only a week apart, my mom used to be his babysitter, I was in his wedding, and he also likes astronomy. When I had bigger plans I was looking at a ROR observatory with a warm room with sleeping quarters and a new telescope. After 43 years of marriage my wife is not crazy about losing me to a telescope. She is worried that either I won't run out there to use it enough, or else I will run out there to use it too much, lol. Anyway, that location is always available should my yard prove to be too light polluted. I am putting the pod up so it will be easy to move, should I decide to in a few years. I am also putting the pod up close enough to my Morton building that I can create a working warm room in one corner of the building and eventually learn to operate the telescope remotely.

A couple of years ago my middle son came home for Christmas. He thought with our family getting older and grandkids coming along we needed a second bathroom. He thought he could put one together over the Christmas break for a few hundred dollars. I was hesitant (actually stubborn) but he convinced my wife. Now, two years and $10,000 later we are almost (but not quite) finished with a really nice addition to the house. In the process he noticed that the roof has some bad spots. We didn't want to go into retirement with reduced finances like that, so another $10,000 or so and the new roof should be on before cold weather. That sure put a ding in the old telescope fund, lol. I guess we must have priorities. Staying dry while sitting on the toilet gets more family votes than building a new shed for my toys.

[Bigzmey]

I am in the desert pretty much every weekend anyway, so her hope is if I get the obsy I will move all my astro junk there and free house of it.

[Shabadoo]

Sounds like exciting times ahead!

[pakarinen]

Staying dry while sitting on the toilet gets more family votes than building a new shed for my toys.

Have you suggested they use a pancho?