Quote:
Originally Posted by Harpage
Hi,
In a few months, I plan on doing some astrophotography (I will be going on holidays soon, so I can’t purchase a setup now). I’ll be using a Saxon HEQ5 and a Canon EOS70D. The next thing I need to look for is an OTA, and I really like the Williams Optics Zenithstar 61.
It looks really nice and it’s received many good reviews online. This looks like the OTA for me, so I’ve basically added it to the list. But now I’m struggling to find somewhere to buy one of these.
I checked the Andrews Communications store, and their prices seem about right. Does anyone have experience with this store? And how can I pay them? It doesn’t look like they accept PayPal, which is something I’d want with an expensive purchase like this so I can be rest assured. I would assume to order, I just give them a call/email and tell them what I want to buy and my address - am I correct?
For anyone who has purchased this scope from Andrews, what was the lead time (I heard these items are special order), and what were the costs of the accessories (notably the field flattener and the dovetail bar). Furthermore, is shipping free or something you have to pay for? Driving to Sydney or having someone collect it for me isn’t an option unfortunately.
I found another seller. Does anyone have experience with the 'phiber3317' store on eBay? They sell this scope for $950 + shipping, but they don’t sell the other accessories I need. Plus, there’s a delivery time of over a month, which doesn’t seem very attractive.
I’ve also noticed that purchasing this scope is rather cheap from an overseas shop like First Light Optics. The Z61 + field flattener + AU shipping totals to about $1k AU, which is the exact cost for buying a scope here. It also only takes 2-3 weeks to arrive. But I don’t know about all of the import taxes, customs, duties, etc... Has anyone here done this, and what was your experience like?
I apologize for rambling a lot, but this is a rather expensive purchase and I’d like all of my questions answered before I spend $1k+ on a scope. By the way, I’m not interested in purchasing anything used. I don’t mind spending extra on something which I’ll be able to have warranty on, and I prefer buying new things in general.
Thanks in advance!  |
Are you sure the eBay seller is going to provide warranty
If he is not an authorised dealer then WO won't back your purchase either...
Andrew's Comms is fine to purchase from....