Probably taboo, but how much has your hobby cost so far?

A generous downpayment for a new car.

Yep, definitely taboo, at least with my lady. I have been snatching $20/ week from her purse for the last 2 years  and have about $2000 saved up. I just haven't been able to figure out how to purchase in cash as she sees all the credit card/ Pay Pal statements. A few times I have used Cashier checks. Thoughts appreciated.

Andy Wray:
I see such a wide range of equipment on here, so was just wondering what the average spend on this hobby is for people on here.  So far (excluding bits and pieces like laser collimators etc.) I have spent about $4,800 in total on my primary rig (OTA, Mount, Camera, filter wheel, filters, coma corrector, guide camera, control PC, autofocusser).  I'm guessing that I'm on the lower end of things.  I've used US dollars as a standard for comparison.

I'm just trying to get a feel for what I might need to budget for going forwards ;)

I would answer: As much as you
a) can reasonably afford
b) are willing to spend
Literally the sky is the limit because there is always a better mount, scope, reducer, focuser, flter wheel, rotator, guide scope, ...

To me the main purpose of a hobby is to have fun with socializing (which adds to the fun) on close 2nd. AP admittedly doesn't rank highly on the second aspect. Becoming the richest person on the graveyard is not something to aim for in my opinion. So converting money on the bank into fun makes perfect sense, as long as you keep control over your expenses. 

I would estimate that 20 - 40k will get you to your dream equipment. 10-15k for the dream mount, 5 - 10k for the dream scope  and another 5-15k for dream camera + filters + filter wheel + computer + other stuff. 

On the other side of the spectrum you can have a lot of fun with just a tracker + camera + lenses for (less than) 1k if you buy used stuff. It's amazing what Nico Carver achieved even without a tracker (e.g. 4 Best WITHOUT a Star Tracker, N. Hemisphere Edition - YouTube). Actually I currently started to enjoy such easy setups. To me they were only intended as a step towards more compex setups but I might very well get stuck to this approach because I find it very inspiring. Having said so, if I set up my camera + lens + tripod I'm above the price of your rig. Even daytime photography can be a money pit.

Have fun and never look back!

Clear skies
Wolfgang

Over 18K and about 8K ago I said, "I have everything I need." Sound familiar?

John Hayes:
Man, if you're going to get serious, you've got a long way to go before you can join the rest of us in the gutter.

Nothing else to say...

Andy Wray:
I see such a wide range of equipment on here, so was just wondering what the average spend on this hobby is for people on here.  So far (excluding bits and pieces like laser collimators etc.) I have spent about $4,800 in total on my primary rig (OTA, Mount, Camera, filter wheel, filters, coma corrector, guide camera, control PC, autofocusser).  I'm guessing that I'm on the lower end of things.  I've used US dollars as a standard for comparison.

I'm just trying to get a feel for what I might need to budget for going forwards ;)

Skipping the crap, the gear I've been acquiring over the years  has sometimes been second hand, sometimes new. Some of the stuffs I've selled myself, some are still with e so far. But overall, counting only what my expenses have been the things in a10 year period look like this (in Euro)

1st EQ6 mount  ~1500 (later sold)
1st RC 8 inch, guiding camera, offaxis ~1500
Mono camera, filterwheel, Baader filters~ 3500
SW Equinox refractor 1000  (later sold)
Astrodon LRGB filters ~500 (if I'm not mistaken)
Astrodon Ha OIII filters 1000
Avalon mount ~4000
Lodestar v2 guiding camera 500
Pegassus box ~600
Esprit 120 refractor 3000
Pegassus focuser ~300

A bunch of other unknown, forgotten little stuffs, as well as repairs  ~4000

Of course, my wife is unaware of all this. Otherwise, I'd be sleeping in a tent, begging on the streets now

Not sure I want to be thinking about this. But.. I'll make the list of the 3 rigs I currently run. 

First things first, this list isn't very accurate in pricing, I've taken the current prices of the websites that I normally look at.
But over the last year or 2, the prices on those websites in the EU have gone up there to correct for inflation and higher production/shipping cost. So, not sure how accurate they are with what I paid over the last 2-3 years.

Also, I've taken Euro's for my pricing. In general prices are about 19% higher in Euro vs the dollar pricing due to a 19% import tax.

Also, I did manage to buy quite a few items second hand or for good deals.
Or even some of the items brand new for better deals. All those items will be listed with a "*" 

For example: I purchased quite a few items directly from ZWO. Delivery takes longer, but prices are FAR better than the prices in the EU, as they charge in dollars instead of Euro's
- you will get "hit" with an import tax. But ZWO always seem to list their "cost price" of their equipment on the import form instead of the retail value of the item.- So my 2600MM was only listed as a 260 dollar value on the form, and the import bill for me was only about 60 euro.. So, my 2600MM was, in total maybe about 2400 euro, vs 3290 euro it's listed for in the EU.. that's quite a saving..  No idea about the legality of that.. but.. I'm just going to play dumb.


Anyway, the list.

Scopes:
Esprit 80ED+corrector - 1575 euro
*Redcat 51 - 999 euro
Samyang 135 - 520 euro
*Coronado PST - 900 euro
Skywatcher 150/750 PDS + Coma corrector - 650 euro

Camera's:
*2600MM - 3290 euro
183MM -  1390 euro
183MC - 1090 euro
*290 MM mini - 429 euro
*290 MM - 449 euro
120 MM - 259 euro

Mounts:
*EQ6-R pro - 1920 euro
*Celestron VX - 1375 euro
EQ3 - 699 euro
Primalucelab mounting rings/plates ~ 350 euro

Filters:
Antlia 3nm SHO set: 1242 euro
Optolong SHO set: 419 euro
Optolong RGB: 229 euro
Optolong L-Extreme: 279 euro
Optolong L-Pro: 179 euro

Filterwheels/drawers:
*Filterwheel 7x36mm: 599 euro
Filterwheel mini: 239 euro
*Filter drawer + extra drawer: 168 euro

Guiding:
OAG - 170 euro
*ZWO OAG L - 249 euro
William optics mini guide scope - 149 euro

Controlling:
*ASIAIR Pro x 2 - 798 euro
*ASIAIR PLUS - 429 euro
ZWO EAF x2 - 518 euro

Others:
Adapters, cables, spacers, dew heaters, batinov masks, mounting rings, covers, collimators, etc, etc ~ 400-500 euro. 

all in all, about 23.000 euro..  *if you were to buy it all new in the EU right now*
so.. anyone has that address of the 12 step program? I might need it. 


I will say though that I don't think I spent close to this amount.
*Like I said; the 2600MM, 290MM, 290MM mini, EFW 36mm, ZWO Drawer, 2 asiairs, OAG-L were all purchased from ZWO directly totalling 3900 dollars - which is about 3650 euro ~ and about 3850 euro after import tax vs close to 5800 euro if purchased in the EU itself. So, a big 2000 euro saving already.

* the EQ6-R pro I got a deal on, for about 1550 euro
*the Redcat I got second hand for about 600 euro.
*The Coronado second hand 140 euro + 430 euro repair
*1 asiair was purchased second hand for 220 euro.
*the Celestron VX was purchased second hand for 850 euro.

Most other items I got a 5% discount on, the website I use has a members discount for 5%.

So, I'd say the number is closer to 19.000-20.000 euro ~ 21.000 dollars
(And if you take away the EU import taxes and higher pricing, it's probably equivalent to about 18.000 US)

This does allow for 3 rigs to run at the same time.- Individually the rigs when running are probably 11.500 / 4000 / 3000.
I didn't plan on having 3 rigs in the end. It's more that I've been upgrading the main rig so much, that you end up with enough bits to build a second rig... then you upgrade bits on the 1st and 2nd rig.. and you have enough "old" parts to build a third..

From my own experience, I think it's good to have a roadmap based on what kind of astrophotography you are interested in, your manual skills, i.e. how much DIY/maintenance you are willing/able to do and your budget. Take it step by step, trying to avoid ending up paying for your best equipment twice or three times… My first mount was a terrible deception and a frustrating experience. It was beyond repair shortly after I purchased it. So I made a roadmap and am still on this journey, enjoying astrophotography whenever time and weather permits. Also, I share infos on my astroequipment investment plans with my husband. It's easier for both of us .

PS: currently at around 35K EUR including the rotten first mount.

Just added it all up. £24k

That's quite a lot per finished image 

Way to much and not enough.

Did you read about the astrophotographer who died?  His wife sold off all his gear for what he told her he paid for it. 

CS,

Mike