I'm hooked

Hi and welcome stephen! I was in the exact situation! I started with the skylux and my first view of saturn was through it! I have to say it has lovely crisp views!

Welcome again!
Matthew

welcome stephen....

I was in the exact same position as you last year... seeing saturn for the first time, it looked like a christmas decoration just hanging in the sky...(but where were the strings holding it up?) certainly a WOW factor... I too dragged herself from the comfortable TV viewing position to view the sight.... and she has been dragged from the TV many times since!!!

however as the rest of the lads have said.... the addiction gets worse...and having invested in newer eyepieces, cameras, filters to name a few... (with lots of head shaking from the wife... and "another package arrived for you today :roll: !!"....) I am in the "aperture fever" phase of this past time.

However to keep SWMBO happy I am planning this years hols (while consulting seeing conditions and light pollution in the locality of some foreign destinations...)..... but in fairness she did buy me "bang" for Xmas and is on for the Solar Eclipse next year !

Seriously though... I have found the gang here on the IFAS boards most helpful, friendly and informative.... I have learned alot from them...you couldn't be in a better place to explore this past time, er, illness?, er addiction??????

you wont find a more helpful place in ireland over this site. its members have answered countless questions and have never criticised any of my questions and have always been here to help. I also remember my first time seing saturn, through my cousins scope. i had to get one. im now in equiptment gathering mode, with a telrad finder, green laser pointer and wide angle lens and polar allignment scope planned before the year is out. try to enjoy it without too much equiptment. after i get my telrad my goal is many many faint fuzzies before i will allow myself a new present!

There certainly is a lot of good information and friendly banter.

Although I do have one question:
Is there a term for the frustration/anger/disappointment felt when you put on your warm clothes, collect all of your bits (skymap,red light etc.).drag your telescope from the shed, set up your telescope, do a polar alignment etc.etc.etc, only to see everything disappear in the space of 5 minutes with a lovely covering of cloud!!
p.s. I have already shouted at the sky, but it has no effect...

Or do you learn to be the Rapid Reaction Force of the night (ready to jump at a minutes notice)..

Is there a term for the frustration/anger/disappointment felt when you put on your warm clothes, collect all of your bits (skymap,red light etc.).drag your telescope from the shed, set up your telescope, do a polar alignment etc.etc.etc, only to see everything disappear in the space of 5 minutes with a lovely covering of cloud!!

Thats called "effin and bline din"!

Astronomy in this country is an opportunists game, zero notice and always ready to go. You can almost never plan in advance. The way we run observing sessions in the club here is that there is an understanding by all interested members that if they sky is clear either Friday or Saturday night, that we're ready to go.