malamute62
Well-known member
We bought a place in Kingston - pending govt approval we leave Ontario on June 10th. Take a couple of days to drive there and then do the two week quarantine to be out in time for Canada Day
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Hobbies? What keeps you sane?
- Thread starter Rob MacLennan
- Start date
malamute62
Well-known member
Kingston
MP from "The Nature Companions Practical Skywatching"
Avoid scopes sold by how much they magnify such as "450 power" or "high power professional model"
Aperture not Power - most important is the diameter of the lens or mirror. The larger the aperture the better.
Telescope checklist:
focuser that slides smoothly w/ no wobbles
interchangeable eyepieces not fixed or zoom
a good finder scope prefer 6x30mm
slow motion controls on both axes of the mount
a tripod that doesn't shake or bend
wood or metal construction with minimal plastic parts
For children they suggest an altazimuth or dobsonian mount rather than a complicated equatorial mount
That all said they do say a decent set of binoculars and a set of star charts is a good way to start.
Avoid scopes sold by how much they magnify such as "450 power" or "high power professional model"
Aperture not Power - most important is the diameter of the lens or mirror. The larger the aperture the better.
Telescope checklist:
focuser that slides smoothly w/ no wobbles
interchangeable eyepieces not fixed or zoom
a good finder scope prefer 6x30mm
slow motion controls on both axes of the mount
a tripod that doesn't shake or bend
wood or metal construction with minimal plastic parts
For children they suggest an altazimuth or dobsonian mount rather than a complicated equatorial mount
That all said they do say a decent set of binoculars and a set of star charts is a good way to start.
Congrats. Soon there will be enough GTAM members in NS to open a new chapter (GTAinNSM?)
I know a lot of people are considering this kind of move. A friend just bought a cabin and 5 acres in NB for less 70K. Just out of curiousity are you willing to say how much you bought and a rough cost?
malamute62
Well-known member
We bought a 7 year old home on half acre lot. Home is 3ooo sq feet with a double and a single garage - waiting for more bikes to fill it
. Cost us $450K. Plan is to live there for about 5 years and then do the more secluded , land with a lake or ocean view thing. 
I would think that, as with photography, the biggest "light bucket" you can afford would be the way to go. You can also get adapters that allow a camera to be attached. This would allow two things; taking pictures of what you're looking at and, with the right model, streaming the view to a laptop via WiFi, Bluetooth, or USB connection. That would make for a fun shared experience.
A substantial, solid tripod is not inexpensive.
An app like Cartes du Ciel (PC) or Skyview (Android) can come in very handy for identifying features that you either want to look at, or are already viewing. Skyview is particularly useful because it will overlay the sky chart on what the phone's camera is actually showing.
An old friend of mine. (Tim Spiegelberg) is an astronomer and awesome race engine builder. He builds his own telescopes.I asked him how he determines the length of the telescope. He said he measures the distance between the arm rests in the back seat of his car. Lol.
An angled spotting scope is good for starters. A solid tripod is necessary too otherwise the shake will be annoying. A good starter telescope is a Mac type compact scope as they are cheap. I recommend the spotter scope though as it can do double duty for bird watching or boats or whatever you want later on.
You're absolutely correct Rob, biggest aperture (light bucket) is key.
hmm. Good call. Time to steal my dads spotting scope. I think it is not angled but will be miles better than the plastic piece of crap.
My cousin bought his son a spotting scope....but it was horrible. I’ll check some out thanks GTAM!
I won’t say how much my current spotting scope cost, it’s not the highest end but it’s a decent midrange scope, but the difference between cheap optics and good optics is literally night and day sometimes. Bushnell prime is a good place to start for good quality. The cheaper end of any of the name brands is going to be a bit milky at max magnification but there’s definite bargains to be had. I get most of my optics gear on sale though as otherwise the prices are eye watering. My Bushnell Prime binoculars were a great bargain, very clear optics and I didn’t spend a fortune on them.
My spotting scope shows the moon in fantastic detail. I never get tired of looking at it through that.
Edit: the angled eyepiece can make it a little tougher to find your target but once locked in it’s definitely more comfortable and would be great for kids.
Double edit: My spotting scope was from Amazon, Vortex brand on sale with the 5 interest free payments option. Made it a little less painful!
Thats a beautiful home, especially for 450k. Congrats.We bought a 7 year old home on half acre lot. Home is 3ooo sq feet with a double and a single garage - waiting for more bikes to fill it
We have a lot of family out there. I've been seriously kicking around the idea of moving to NB shortly. People are so much nicer there and so much of the lifestyle there agrees with me. House prices are excellent and you can get a massive piece of land and build for peanuts compared to here. Have a great time when you make the move.We bought a 7 year old home on half acre lot. Home is 3ooo sq feet with a double and a single garage - waiting for more bikes to fill it
Just stay out of the tourist areas. You can't fight the Ameribuck.
I could do the same and move to Manitoba, oops Personitoba, where I was born and have a ton of relatives. From a riding standpoint, to them, Forks of the Credit would be like the Grand Canyon. Mosquitoes the size of lawn darts. Floods and John Deere clubs.
If you need something they will have it. If you just want something you may not do as well.
My biggest concern is the balance between Toronto's special interest group of the day vs the potential redneck attitude. Beer and burgers vs sushi and a wine bar. Personally, I don't care whether a person's credentials are a commercial driver's license or a PhD.
I don't mind the smell of bovine manure but the sound of it gets annoying.
A devout church going cousin moved to a small town in Manitoba where there was only one eatery, the local hotel. If she went there the church ladies would be doing the evil eye thing and the bar regulars would look at her as if she was slumming.
You have to get used to your previous evenings restaurant meal being the topic at work the next day.
It gets complex. I like space but not the work required to tend it or the money to finance it.
I need a anti cynic pill.
i-WERKS
Well-known member
I've got too many hobbies and too little time and money. Hope you guys don't mind pics.
Got into leatherwork a few years ago. Started making watch straps and expanded to other things like sheaths, pouches ect.
I also get involved in a bit of wood working and carving.
Then my first pandemic project was building Muskoka chairs. The cost of materials was actually higher than buying a pre-made chair in the end but at least I can say I built them!
My current project is finishing a DIY guitar kit.
Got into leatherwork a few years ago. Started making watch straps and expanded to other things like sheaths, pouches ect.
I also get involved in a bit of wood working and carving.
Then my first pandemic project was building Muskoka chairs. The cost of materials was actually higher than buying a pre-made chair in the end but at least I can say I built them!
My current project is finishing a DIY guitar kit.
Really beautiful work! Keep at it!I've got too many hobbies and too little time and money. Hope you guys don't mind pics.
Got into leatherwork a few years ago. Started making watch straps and expanded to other things like sheaths, pouches ect.
I also get involved in a bit of wood working and carving.
Then my first pandemic project was building Muskoka chairs. The cost of materials was actually higher than buying a pre-made chair in the end but at least I can say I built them!
My current project is finishing a DIY guitar kit.
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