DC Photography Contest #213

[Fuzzbucket]

I think it IS for astro photography though. With wifi.

[LadyMadonna]

Looks like some very fancy kit, @GhostMouse.  Husband suggests equatorial mount.  Definitely looks like something to do with astro photography to me.

[GhostMouse]

Well that wasn't as difficult as I'd hoped.

 

Everyone's got it, it is astrophotography equipment. His setup is for deep space (galaxies and nebulas, things like that), so that may be why it looks different to your brother's setup, @Fly-by-Night. He also did mention he wouldn't necessarily use all of these at the same time. And @LadyMadonna he actually has a new equatorial mount on the way! He also just got a new camera as an upgrade to the one pictured. He's been out of the hobby for a little bit but is getting back into it.

 

So top left is the camera with a filter wheel, top center is a computer, below the computer is a star tracker, bottom left is a guide scope, bottom right is of course the telescope itself, and the little cat-face thing is the plate to mount the guide scope to the telescope.

 

Also, LadyMadonna, is yours some kind of fruit?

[LadyMadonna]

Looks like a very expensive hobby, @GhostMouse.  But I bet the photos he gets are fascinating.

 

Well, you're all sort of right about mine.  Yes, it is a Magnolia and it was once a flower.  It's actually the seed pods - so I guess you could describe those as fruit.  I planted it several years ago, but I've only seen the seed pods once and they really stopped me in my tracks.  Magnolias always seem to flower and be looking glorious and then along comes a hard overnight frost.  It's looking good this year and the flowers are just opening, so fingers are firmly crossed that the weather stays mild.  Current forecasts are for overnight lows of about 9°C.  I learned last year that Magnolia petals taste a bit like ginger - weird, huh?

[Fly-by-Night]

1 hour ago, GhostMouse said:

Well that wasn't as difficult as I'd hoped.

 

Everyone's got it, it is astrophotography equipment. His setup is for deep space (galaxies and nebulas, things like that), so that may be why it looks different to your brother's setup, @Fly-by-Night.

That's it, probably. He's not into astrophotography per se, but has taken some beautiful pictures of the Milky Way in South Germany (I've hung up one in my apartment).  I guess deep space stuff is a whole different kettle of fish.

1 hour ago, LadyMadonna said:

 I planted it several years ago, but I've only seen the seed pods once and they really stopped me in my tracks. 

That reminds me of the first time I saw the fruit of an Osage orange tree when on holiday in Spain a couple of years ago (I don't think we have them in Germany, at least I'd never seen one before). For a moment, I thought a dog had dropped its tennis ball. 

[blah]

So it looks like the only one we haven’t figured out is @Fly-by-Night 🧐😂 You said German of a certain age but I asked my mum and she had no idea either. 

[LadyMadonna]

Some sort of vending machine.  Suggestion I was given was Advent Calendar (as there are 24 slots).   But if that's what it is, the location looks rather odd and it's very bland.

[Fuzzbucket]

I thought it was the entry panel for an apartment block ? That's why I said I intended to take a pic of one, as we were about to stay in one - but it turned out ours was a single one, no panel so.... But THEN I remembered... in my teens,, I spent summers in Germany. It's a Sparkaste, isn't it ?

Edited March 17 by Fuzzbucket

[Fly-by-Night]

@Fuzzbucket: Your knowledge never ceases to amaze me. Yes, it's a Sparkasten or Sparschrank. In other words, it's a mini "savings account" that belonged to a Savings Club. They were first recorded in the 19th century, for example among sailors who would use their savings to help families in need (because they had lost someone in a storm, for example).

They had their heyday in the 20th century, between the World Wars, when you'd find the "Sparkästen" in shops, schools and pubs and they were supported by local banks which might even buy the Sparschrank for the group.

These days, you still have some of these in German pubs. Members are encouraged (sometimes obligated) to put some money in whenever they meet at the pub, and at some point, the money is taken out and they throw a big party.

 

[blah]

Clearly mum and I don’t hang out in pubs enough! 😂 Is the little metal thingy to push bank notes through the slit? I also suddenly have the burning desire to read a crime novel involving one of these - just think if people put things other than money in. Or just make off with the money for nefarious reasons…

[Fuzzbucket]

49 minutes ago, Fly-by-Night said:

@Fuzzbucket: Your knowledge never ceases to amaze me.

 

 

It's not knowledge as such - I am just 79 years old so have more background than most here. It still took a while to rack through all the junk in my brain to find that one ! The one I "met" was in a coffee shop near my friend's house. When I asked what it was and it was explained to me, I was told one of the local grocery stores had one too. But the way I was told, you got to save individually ? I don't think the family I was with understood it, then ? It wasn't described as communal to me.... But if communal - why all the slots - why not just one ?

[Fly-by-Night]

On 3/17/2024 at 11:31 AM, Fuzzbucket said:

 

It's not knowledge as such - I am just 79 years old so have more background than most here.

You're very modest. It's still knowledge, I'd say.

I must say, I don't usually hang out in pubs, so the first time I saw one of these was when I was in a small restaurant with two friends a couple of years ago (it's where I took the picture). Both my friends (one my age, the other one ten years my senior) were surprised I'd never seen them before and explained Savings Clubs to me. I'm going to ask them for details. However, I suspect the answer will be that it varies, like with so many traditions.

[Fly-by-Night]

It looks like a tie between GhostMouse and blah...

I'll set up a tiebreaker poll, then.

[LadyMadonna]

Link to tie-breaker poll