One problem in VSOing are charts. First I had no charts, until I found in my club the first edition of AAVSO Variable Star Atlas. I felt like I was in heaven. Right under my eyes was an atlas full of variables and comparison stars. I used to use Cambridge Star Atlas with AAVSO Atlas for finding and estimating the variable. Now I have Uranometria 2000, the first edition, and hundreds of variable star charts from AAVSO.

The most difficult thing is finding the variable. This is the place were most beginners stop. How on Earth can I find a 9th magnitude star located between hundreds of other 9th magnitude stars? The answer has only one solution. Practice. I found my first variable after an hour of searching. It was X Cancri and shone at 6th magnitude. But it was hard to find it. After a week I found it in 20 minutes, and now I can point any telescope in 10 seconds at X Cancri. And so the other variable star observers . My advice: take your time and search the star until you are sure it's the right one. Use a star atlas with a limiting magnitude beyond the magnitude of variable.
I don't have a finder for my reflector but, now, it's easy to find the stars. I use the 20mm eyepiece and a copy of Sky Atlas 2000 (second edition).
After finding the variable I use the AAVSO chart to make the estimate. For the estimate I use two comparison stars. This lasts up to a minute, including writing the estimate, time and other particularities. When the variable is not seen I search for the faintest comparison star. If the field is crowded (especially in Cygnus, Auriga. Perseus and Sagittarius) I use the 10mm Plossl for higher magnification (70X).
I start in the West and finish in the East, sometimes in the morning. My charts are arranged by constellation. When I finish with the variables form a constellation I continue with another. When a nova or a CV erupts I start observing with it.
I usually make 50 to 100 estimates at night. However, the weather is not very cooperating in Romania and every month I make about 350 estimates.
With my refractor I can see 12 magnitude stars with 30X magnification. With the 10mm Plossl I can detect 13 magnitude stars. This is the limit. I don't observe variables fainter than 12 magnitude, unless I use the 240mm reflector that belongs to the Bucharest Astroclub.

The sky, from Bucharest is not heavily light polluted. I can see with the naked-eye stars to about 5.5 magnitude. And sometimes the MIlky Way. But in a few years the light pollution will grow for sure.

I use a table when I make observations form my backyard, where I can put my eyepieces, flashlight and charts. When I'm not at home I put my charts and flashlight on the ground (in summer). But, it seems, that, everywhere I go I can find a chair or two. In winter I keep my eyepieces in my pocket with the pencil and flashlight.
I don't write down the time for every observation. I do about 10 estimates at a time and basically interpolate the time. Only when I observe a cataclysmic variable or an erupting one I write down the hour and minute very precise.

After a good day's sleep (when possible) I use PCObs 1.4 from AAVSO to enter the observations. Then I send them to AAVSO, VSNET and once a month to MCSE.

I also like to construct light curves from my observations. For that I use VarObs and Microsoft Excel. For light curves skip to the special page.