Astronomy Ireland Nationwide Mars Watch 29th March

why is it Graham that someone like me thats only doing astronomy
about 15 months knows all this astronomy ireland sadly has become
just a sales company just look at website €180 for Astronomy for
Beginners ill give you the whole history channel the universe the
full 8 seasons that i downloaded for free the amount of things i
learned from looking at documentarys.

you can get learning videos like all this stuff for free at the
ESO website they know this and they play up on people not knowing
this i learned everything my self reading websites looking at nat geo
the planets documentary the sky at night we really need to set up our
own club where money making and hustling in banned only pure astronomy
for free.

Gliese (do you have a real name?)

I just caught your profane reference to the mag. Whilst many would agree with your sentiment, we like to try and keep the forum relatively profanity free - so I hope you don't mind me making the change - the sentiment is the same, just not as hard-hitting

Moving on, it seems that over the years these events are a mixed bag and tend to get both good and bad reviews. I guess when you have "over 1000" people attending, some are bound to have a not very good experience. I guess that is just statistics. You had a not-very-good experience, Paul seems to have fared better.

That said, there have been some posts on these boards that have highlighted (not sure if this is the right phrase) "hard-sell" tactics which some people really don't like.

But like many other previous posts here, you always have the option of not going if you don't like that kind of stuff. You pays your money and makes your choice, as the man said... And for the record, I had a not-very-good exeprience at one of the AI (A&S) events and I'd be a pretty tolerant person I think...

Good to hear that there were no buckets

YMMV
Dave

Reading some of the posts above I am starting to wonder if I was at the same event in the Phoenix Park on Thursday night. I for one had a very enjoyable night at which I met with and spoke to a lot of really genuinely nice people.

Pat_Dunne wrote: Reading some of the posts above I am starting to wonder if I was at the same event in the Phoenix Park on Thursday night. I for one had a very enjoyable night at which I met with and spoke to a lot of really genuinely nice people.

no one saying that their bad people at all i was there for a least
a hour i met some very nice people and one guy i didnt know from
kildare who was new to astronomy with his C-11 i have no problem
with anyone who works in astronomy ireland all they do is their
jobs i would just not go to any Ai events ever again its just a sales
company end of story to see how much money he can get out of you
and if people dont like it sorry.

Hi guys,

I think we just have to separate the apples and the oranges in these situations. Firstly I have no affiliation to A.I. I bought my first scope and mount there after pricing around and feel I got a great deal. The focuser unfortunately gave trouble which is being fixed at the moment. We did have to wait for parts but that was down to the fact that I bought a William Optics which A.I. don't carry in stock and it had to be ordered in, that was my choice. Now I am not saying anyone is right or wrong here but A.I. is a business, like it or not, and overheads have to be covered and staff and stock carried have to be paid for. As for sky watch nights, my personal opinion is they should be free and used to develop a broader interest in the area generally. If such events are to make money, then they should be developed into a far bigger offering where looking through a telescope is only a small part of the night’s activities, possibly utilising sponsorship. Just to clarify, I realise that due to the weather in Ireland long term planning of any event outdoors is a nightmare, but if planned well with other activities on site the clouds would not ruin the whole night as people will come anyway knowing there is still plenty on offer.

I'm sure many amateur astronomers will feel more comfortable buying in a physical shop where they can ask questions regarding their first purchase. They will then happily look around for the best price and/or best product once they build some confidence and have decided on which of the myriad of more specialised areas of the hobby that captivate their attention. With the best will in the world with such a small market as Ireland no business could possibly cover all products available in all of these areas.

I agree an aggressively run non-profit organisation devoted to astronomy in Ireland would be a fantastic thing to have available, but what the people running such groups tend to hide very well is that such organisations take an unbelievable amount of work, dedication and energy from a usually small group of volunteers without any financial reward. Over the years I have seen and been involved in many such groups but haven’t seen any that do not need money on a regular basis. Whether a business or a non-profit they all need money to survive whether it comes from sales, subscriptions or fund raising.

On a closing note, living in a small place such as Ireland, I feel incredibly lucky that I have access to the amazing range of equipment on offer both here and abroad, allowing me to make my choice and spend my money as I see fit.

Cheers, Reggy

As I said, there are always mixed reviews of the AI events. That's probably a lot to do with the number of people there and also people's expectations I guess.

As has been discussed on these boards in the past, it is important to understand that AI is a club, Astronomy and Space is for-profit business. AI is run by volunteers who do sterling work for no/very little reward. There seems to be an unclear distinction between the two - I don't recall anyone herecoming up with the definitive answer anyhow. But if you understand this, it may illuminate some matters a little more. Of course, I'm open to correction.

Overall, if you have received good service/value from any company or not-for-profit organisation be it for gear, an event or trip, then that's great. And people should continue to support anyone who gives good service/value.

The whole AI 'thing' does tend to polarise people - some have received good value/service, others (including me) have had a less satisfactory relationship. C'est la vie