Esprit 120 first light review - Page 3

AlexN · #41 27-08-2015, 07:21 PM

H. Do you need a paramount for your FSQ really? Your scope and camera weigh all of what 7kg? Hahaha. The g11 Gemini would carry the Esprit 120 and the FSQ side by side. Use the 120 for lum and the FSQ with colour stl11k and you will be set.

Octane (Humayun) · #42 27-08-2015, 07:27 PM

Oh, I meant that I want a Paramount, and, if I purchase one (which the dear wife has given me permission to) then I wouldn't be able to justify an FSQ-130ED. How much is one, anyway? Claudio has removed pricing from his site.

H

Octane (Humayun) · #43 27-08-2015, 07:28 PM

By the way, the camera and STL-FW8 filter wheel is quite heavy. The FSQ-106N is quite heavy, too. And, with an FS-60CB on top, it starts to add up.

H

LewisM · #44 27-08-2015, 07:31 PM

Just get the FSQ-130ED... forget the Paramount. Put the scope on your G11. Bliss.

I believe the US price for the 130 is circa $13K.... so, I guess it is more than the ME+... just.

Octane (Humayun) · #45 27-08-2015, 07:40 PM

So, about $20K Australian, after having to buy all the adapters and focuser.

I'll pass.

H

AlexN · #46 27-08-2015, 07:40 PM

H.. The dear wife allowed a paramount??!! Lucky man. I call dibs on the g11 if it is to be sold!

LewisM · #47 27-08-2015, 08:11 PM

See H, if you let me keep the N when I worked on it, you would need to buy an Esprit after all.... there is some weird logic in there somewhere

If you sell the N, let me know - 2 N's on one mount is like something in a dirty movie

codemonkey (Lee) · #48 04-09-2015, 09:43 AM

Just an update on this: almost three weeks and no response from Tasco regarding either the focuser issues, nor the missing flattener. Very underwhelming support.

LewisM · #49 04-09-2015, 11:38 AM

I gave up on Tasco a long while ago. Once, you would get almost instantaneous replies from Rob at Tasco. Now you get NO replies from ANYBODY, let alone service of ANY nature. Terrible really, and it is for that very reason ANYTHING I need that Tasco supplies I get from Teleskop Express instead (AND save money!).

They are only losing customers doing this tactic of non-support. I am positive they would rather your dealer handle it, but sometimes they even give dealers the brush off as I found out. By the time Tasco had answered my dealer about a replacement MC board, I had ordered and had DELIVERED a replacement from Germany, and $75 cheaper too.

Tasco needs to WAKE UP!

Camelopardalis (Dunk) · #50 04-09-2015, 12:52 PM

Just a silly question...have you tried calling them?

codemonkey (Lee) · #51 04-09-2015, 12:53 PM

They certainly do need to wake up. When people spend the amount of money that these things cost, they expect decent support.

My dealer has also told me that he'd chase them up, but having heard nothing back from him (he's usually very good), I'm guessing they're giving him the run-around too.

And this was after the rep told my dealer that some of them accidentally shipped without the flattener... kinda seems like something they could have checked, given they already knew it was a common issue?

codemonkey (Lee) · #52 04-09-2015, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Camelopardalis

Just a silly question...have you tried calling them?

Fair call. No, I haven't. Seems reasonable to expect a response from an email address that they publish on their website.

codemonkey (Lee) · #53 04-09-2015, 01:02 PM

This morning I sent an email to Barry Smith direct (QLD rep), and just now, mere minutes after posting my last response, I finally heard back.

Apparently an order was raised for my flattener but "for some reason it wasn't shipped" but it will ship directly to me today.

Apparently their scope technician will be in contact to work through the focuser issues.

Camelopardalis (Dunk) · #54 04-09-2015, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by codemonkey

Fair call. No, I haven't. Seems reasonable to expect a response from an email address that they publish on their website.

Given the prevalence of email in modern society I partly agree, but at the same time email is notorious for going awry in pretty much any global corporate scenario...

When high-tech don't work, revert to the old fashioned methods.

The reason I raised it was that when I was looking for "real" info about the Esprit before I bought mine, I contacted them by phone and was put through to a knowledgeable chap who was very helpful. Maybe I got lucky

codemonkey (Lee) · #55 04-09-2015, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Camelopardalis

Given the prevalence of email in modern society I partly agree, but at the same time email is notorious for going awry in pretty much any global corporate scenario...

When high-tech don't work, revert to the old fashioned methods.

The reason I raised it was that when I was looking for "real" info about the Esprit before I bought mine, I contacted them by phone and was put through to a knowledgeable chap who was very helpful. Maybe I got lucky

That's interesting. I'm a software developer by trade, and for me email is basically a more official SMS; something that usually gets a response in minutes, or hours, not days, and certainly not weeks.

Camelopardalis (Dunk) · #56 05-09-2015, 10:50 AM

I feel your pain, and don't take this the wrong way, but for many businesses who don't specialise in IT, email is a secondary form of communication

codemonkey (Lee) · #57 05-09-2015, 11:31 AM

Yeah, fair enough. I guess my perspective may be somewhat outside the norm. Geeks gonna geek! :-)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Camelopardalis

I feel your pain, and don't take this the wrong way, but for many businesses who don't specialise in IT, email is a secondary form of communication

codemonkey (Lee) · #58 12-09-2015, 08:57 AM

After getting it touch with Tasco's telescope technician (very helpful, nice guy!), I've been provided with some more information on adjusting these focusers and I think I've now got it about as smooth and even as I'm going to get it.

The down side is, I carried the scope ~300m back to the house to do the adjustment, only to find the locking lever had fallen off somewhere along the way. Something to be said for build quality...

I've now asked Tasco for a replacement lever; given I'd never done anything to the lever besides use it for its intended purpose, that seems reasonable.

Tasco also told me the flattener would be sent last Friday and I should receive it early this past week. I contacted them yesterday and was told that the sales manager believed it had been sent yesterday because "the guys have been very busy".

RobC (Rob) · #59 12-09-2015, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by codemonkey

The down side is, I carried the scope ~300m back to the house to do the adjustment, only to find the locking lever had fallen off somewhere along the way. Something to be said for build quality...

Lee - How did the focus lock fall out ? You are not having much luck.

Rob

LewisM · #60 12-09-2015, 09:34 AM

Grab a metal detector and go search for it! I would!

These are hex screw retained aren't they? Loctite in your replacement when you get it!