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Scope Case Mania, necessary or margin booster?
Over the past decade or so I have bought, and sold, a fair number of scopes, and have lately observed the apparent value add of manufacturers including aluminium cases with scopes.
When buying scopes from overseas suppliers like Teleskop-express, their TS branded triplet APO s always shipped in very well designed double cardboard shipping boxes with custom foam cutouts to support the scope. Never had an issue shipping them half way around the world, and they were useful if, or when, you eventually sold a scope.
Having recently purchased a large Skywatcher ED150, it surprised me the extent to which Skywatcher has committed to supplying aluminium hard cases for much of the lineup of refractors. Let's just examine the ED150 case, it weighs substantially more than the scope itself. When my boxed ED150 arrived the gross weight of the box was 30kg, and was a contributing factor for it being left in a couriers cage for a week.
I understand, in part, Skywatchers inclusion of a hard case for the ED150, as shipping damage in the USA was a hall mark of the launch of the original ED150. Overkill reaction was to provide a big,, heavy, aluminium case with four locks!
Now, looking at the Skywatcher catalog, almost all the refractors above basic Achros, come with aluminium cases.
So how did these cases become a standard accessory, regardless of whether the buyer wanted it? Obviously There is a cost to provide them, which is added to the bottom line on these scopes, and you cannot delete the case from your order. It's like Skywatcher expects them to be air dropped by C130s into your backyard.
Next, these cases take up space (forever). The ED150 case is about the size of a large rifle gun safe, not something you can just tuck away. Even the small ones need to go somewhere.
Why not make cases an option? Is it because no one would pay for one? For those that absolutely think they have to have one, there are many aftermarket solutions. Small scopes like the ED72 etc can be put in a cheap Bunnings Craftright pluck foam case. In several ED150 reviews I have run across, it was suggested to leave the heavy case at home if your going to a dark site, just stick the scope in one of the nice Geopick padded bags, as they are much easier to handle and weigh next to nothing.
So that is my gripe for this week. What are your view on mandatory case supply?
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