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

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 ;)

Prior to 2019, I was merely dabbling, using low end scopes and mounts (like the Meade LXD-75) and a variety of lower end cameras (DSI, DSI Pro, Starshoot Pro, modded Canon T2i). After purchasing a real mount in 2019 (an EQ6-R), I became more serious and quickly added two new refractors, an ASI1600mm Pro & filter wheel, and various software (Pixinsight, APT) and accessories. When I moved from NY to AZ in 2021, I added two more refractors (including a RedCat 51), the new ASI2600mm Pro & filter wheel, and more accessories (electronic focusers, etc.).

I would say that since 2019, I have spent just over $11,000 on equipment, accessories and software. That does not include the Celestron Edge 8 that has been on order for months (and might possibly be delivered in July) and the observatory that I am hoping to construct out here (around $10,000).

While it sounds like a lot of money (and it is), I have to say that I am very satisfied. The quality of images that amateurs can take just blows me away - it was unimaginable in the 90's or early 00's. And the new technology has made the process so much easier. 

You can spend a fortune on almost any hobby if you really try. As long as you feel rewarded by the results, that's all that counts. 

At this point, I consider it all a worthwhile investment.

Chase Newtson:
Luckily I am single and have no need to hide any information on what I have spent 🤣

Yep. Me too. It's a distinct advantage in this hobby!

Patrick Graham:
I'm powerless over this hobby and my life has become unmanagable!!

I guess I too am consumed by this hobby, however my 15 month old granddaughter keeps me grounded as spending time with her is clearly more special than obsessing over this hobby.

John Favalessa:

🤣🤣🤣

im not writing it down.. sorry..
Im in denial.!!

I don't think there some magic threshold that once you reach it you will be in astro-nirvana.
Its all very personal and personally I have set a limit for now.
Maybe theres a bare minimum for a decent photo.. Im sure most are well past that already.

I've been fairly serious about astronomy for the last 14 months. During that time, I bought and sold many used telescopes and related equipment. I started off with EQ127, moved quickly to a 4" Dobsonian, then onto a 12" Dob before turning to a 16" Meade Dob that was at least 15 years old. Of course, I didn't do any real astrophotography during this time but did some experiments with a Nikon D3300 camera. As I moved from one setup to the next I've been able to resell and recover my money. For a few items, I've even made money. At this point, I think I have spent $10k but only out of pocket about $800. That all changed this week, though. 

I'm finally stepping into astrophotography seriously, so I just spent about $3200 on new equipment. I'm still waiting for some of it to show up, so I don't have a picture of the system yet, but it should all be here by the middle of next week. I've looked at AP equipment for a long time. I've read all kinds of stuff on sites like this, and many others, as well as magazines, books, and videos on the art of AP. At this point, I believe my new system is a decent beginner system. I hope it will give me good service for a long time. Here's what I bought:

1. William Optics ZenithStar 81 with the .85 reducer – $1010
2. William Optics New 50mm Guiding Scope (with a Unique 1.25 inch RotoLock) – $149
3. ZSO ASI120mc guide camera – $149
4. ZWO ASI533mc Pro main camera – $995
5. Sky-Watcher EQM-35 Equatorial GoTo Mount – $970

Total for all that is around $3270. If you add in the $800 I'm already out for my earlier systems, then my total so far is around $4250.

While on this topic I wanted to also throw out a few other hobbies I've enjoyed which have their own high price of admission. I got into ham radio about 5 years back and spent more than $4000 buying a new radio (ICOM IC-7300), antenna (actually three antennas), power supply, amplifier, and a host of other accessories. I can't talk to the planets or stars yet, but I can talk pretty much around the world. 

I was into woodworking for a long time when I was in my 30s and 40s. Looking now at the cost to buy all the equipment I had for that hobby reveals that I would easily spend over $10k. 

And of course, I was really big into golf when I was in business for myself. It was an excellent way to build the business. A new golf cart today will cost you easily $15k. Some will ask, why do you need a cart? For the same reason I need a new telescope. I got into golf, woodworking, ham radio, and a dozen other hobbies over the years to reward myself for hard work. So in relation to these hobbies, and I'm sure some of you have similar experiences, I'd say my cost to date for AP is well within limits.  

Thanks for reading. I've really enjoyed the discussion so far, I hope more will post their tales of financial madness for us to read.

Carl Franklin:
I've been fairly serious about astronomy for the last 14 months. During that time, I bought and sold many used telescopes and related equipment. I started off with EQ127, moved quickly to a 4" Dobsonian, then onto a 12" Dob before turning to a 16" Meade Dob that was at least 15 years old. Of course, I didn't do any real astrophotography during this time but did some experiments with a Nikon D3300 camera. As I moved from one setup to the next I've been able to resell and recover my money. For a few items, I've even made money. At this point, I think I have spent $10k but only out of pocket about $800. That all changed this week, though. 

I'm finally stepping into astrophotography seriously, so I just spent about $3200 on new equipment. I'm still waiting for some of it to show up, so I don't have a picture of the system yet, but it should all be here by the middle of next week. I've looked at AP equipment for a long time. I've read all kinds of stuff on sites like this, and many others, as well as magazines, books, and videos on the art of AP. At this point, I believe my new system is a decent beginner system. I hope it will give me good service for a long time. Here's what I bought:

1. William Optics ZenithStar 81 with the .85 reducer -- $1010
2. William Optics New 50mm Guiding Scope (with a Unique 1.25 inch RotoLock) -- $149
3. ZSO ASI120mc guide camera -- $149
4. ZWO ASI533mc Pro main camera -- $995
5. Sky-Watcher EQM-35 Equatorial GoTo Mount -- $970

Total for all that is around $3270. If you add in the $800 I'm already out for my earlier systems, then my total so far is around $4250.

While on this topic I wanted to also throw out a few other hobbies I've enjoyed which have their own high price of admission. I got into ham radio about 5 years back and spent more than $4000 buying a new radio (ICOM IC-7300), antenna (actually three antennas), power supply, amplifier, and a host of other accessories. I can't talk to the planets or stars yet, but I can talk pretty much around the world. 

I was into woodworking for a long time when I was in my 30s and 40s. Looking now at the cost to buy all the equipment I had for that hobby reveals that I would easily spend over $10k. 

And of course, I was really big into golf when I was in business for myself. It was an excellent way to build the business. A new golf cart today will cost you easily $15k. Some will ask, why do you need a cart? For the same reason I need a new telescope. I got into golf, woodworking, ham radio, and a dozen other hobbies over the years to reward myself for hard work. So in relation to these hobbies, and I'm sure some of you have similar experiences, I'd say my cost to date for AP is well within limits.  

Thanks for reading. I've really enjoyed the discussion so far, I hope more will post their tales of financial madness for us to read.

I don't think you are finished as your mount will barely carry that setup. I have the EQM 35 and use it with a Williams 71 and asi294 and it is just adequate.
The 81 is too large for the Eqm-35 I think but good luck.
I have the Williams 81 and use it with the EQ6.

A lot…

But to be fair.. there is no shortage of expensive hobbies out there.. so if it wasn't astro gear…  I'd be blowing "fun money" on something else. 

This is beginning to look like an Astrophotographers Anonymous group session. 

I just added up what I've spent so far over the last five years and realized I spent enough to buy a well equipped midsize car in cash and have money left over.

BTW, that cartoon that John Favalessa posted should be IOTD.

anything   under 5k is modest. Not to trivialize 5k.Thats alot of money. But in terms of the amount of"gear" available to us.

Gear being an appropriate word  ,as it can be addictive if your not careful.