Looking to buy second hand 'scope - $2K to spend

[Simple Simon]

Hi there everyone - nice to be here. Great and friendly forum with lots of useful information.

Finally decided to take the plunge and invest in a scope for myself and 4 kids - Given that I don't see them as much as I'd like to (due to work), I was hoping it would be another way for us to spend some time together.

Due to my love of gadgets and limited time & patience, I would prefer auto everything (as in AutoStar and GPS). I thought of scouting around for a second-hand 8-inch Meade LX200GPS or LX90GPS. Do you think this would be achievable for around $2K? Do good used examples come up often?

I originally thought about an ETX125 but was worried that we would quickly outgrow it as our astronomical ambitions and expertise developed (eg getting into Astrophotography). I want to avoid having to keep upgrading to a better unit.

Any thoughts or views would be gratefully appreciated. Thanks! :)

[[1ponders]]

:hi: and :welcome: Simon.

You've come to the right place for advice. You'll get lots of opinions here :lol: Have you checked out the Buy, Sell and Trade forum. Member Josh has a 12 month old LX90 up for sale at good price.

[janoskiss]

Welcome to IIS 'Simon'! :) In your position, I'd go for a 10" Dobsonian and an ArgoNavis push-to object locator computer. I cannot help you with SCTs but I'm sure there are plenty of other members who will.

[nightsky]

G'Day
:welcome: you could also have a look here seeing your in Sydney
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=14055
also if it's a Meade your after with goto just do a seach :)

[acropolite]

Simon, if you love gadgets and Goto then the LX90 is a nice scope, I have one and would buy the same again. $2200 for Josh's (in this thread (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=14097)) is a bargain.

[rmcpb]

Welcome to IIS Simon.

If you want to get into astrophotography and have that budget then the LX90 on the Buy and Sell forum would be a great buy, especially considering the service from Bintel and the extras included.

That must be good deal for a dob user to recommend it like this :)

[mickoking]

I second that advice :thumbsup:

[[1ponders]]

There is another one here as well
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=14055

[nightsky]

G'Day Iponders,
I already give him that one

[[1ponders]]

:doh: Thanks NS

[RB]

:hi: & :welcome: to the forum Simon.
Hope you find what you're looking for. It'll be a great way to spend time with your kids, having lovely tours of our universe.

[iceman]

Welcome, Simon!

Where abouts in Sydney are you?

This weekend, we're heading to Kulnura (1 hr north of Sydney) for some observing, and you'll be able to check out a variety of scopes there. Joe may even be there with his LX90 so you could check it out. Humayan (Octane) also usually comes with his LX90, which he does photography with.

It's always a good idea to check out the options first hand, before committing to a purchase. You'd be made more than welcome, so come up and say g'day!

:welcome: to the site!

[Simple Simon]

Thanks everyone - you have all been very helpful.

Gotta admit though, there's a lot to rack my brain (or what little's left of it :lol: ) over the available choices.

The Kulnura trips sounds fantastic, but unfortunately, weekends are generally work affairs :( or I am travelling - much to the kids' anguish...

I'll report back on decision-making progress soon.

In the meantime, thanks again to all - your input is much appreciated! If there are other pearls of wisdom, please feel free to throw them my way...

[Simple Simon]

Josh has sold his LX90- oh well...

Has anyone here purchased direct from the US? What kind of problems are typically faced in doing so? Eg Breakages in transit, Customs Duty, service issues...

Are these difficulties outweighed by the savings? Whilst I tend to prefer to keep my money locally if possible, I am not against saving a bob or two.

Your experiences/stories would be welcomed.

[rmcpb]

This one (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=14055) is still there as far as I know, it hasn't been marked as sold.

[Simple Simon]

Probably more appropriate to ask this new question in the equipment thread - sorry!

[merlin8r]

Hi Simon,
I recently sold my LX90 LNT.... Moving up to a 200. Anyways, I work in a telescope shop (I won't say which one) and when you buy from overseas direct, the big stumbling block is warranty. When you buy local (new of course, used doesn't count, although some 2nd hand stuff comes with a warranty) you get the full manufacturers warranty, and local service. The policy of the manufacturers (Meade and Celestron at least) with regard to purchases made in the US is, if it breaks, send it back to the factory. This is one of the main reasons why telescopes appear so much cheaper in the US.... The retailer does not have to factor in the cost of warranty repairs.
I hope I haven't confused the issue too much for you. The LX90 is an excellent first telescope.

Clear skies,
Shane

[seeker372011]

I would personally never buy a complex piece of equipment such as a goTo scope from the US

I have the following pieces of astro equipment (amongst other stuff)
ETX 70
AS CG5 Go To Mount
PST
Orion DeepSpace Imager
a 11x 60 binos
an atik 1 c imager
every one of these has had a problem and I have had to go back to the retailer for a fix under warranty

in my experience, the downside risk is far too high to buy complex systems from overseas

an eyepiece or a filter..sure go for it... but not a complex system with heaps of electronics

how much do you value your peace of mind?

[jase]

It is actually quite difficult to buy some of the commercially made telescopes from overseas. Specifically Meade and Celestron have sales restrictions that ban US merchants from selling their telescopes to international customers, especially when the purchaser has a local dealer available. This allows Meade and Celestron greater controller of their sales. If a dealer is caught penalties occur.
Many moons ago, I tried to order the Nexstar 11 through optcorp.com to only find my request was rejected. I had no choice but to go through yorkoptical at the time. As already mentioned, if you buy locally, you'll get a local warranty.

[norm]

I did the sums on a Truss dob from O/S, by the time you add shipment costs, insurance and any tax/duty it just wasn't worth it. It was over $1000 AU dollars alone. 2ndly regardless how well the vendor packages it, there is still no assurance it will arrive intact with damages. The hassle of getting that sorted to me just isn't worth the grief.

2ndly I think peace of mind knowing you can go back where you purchased it locally for repairs would make a big difference as well. Developing some patronage to your local astronomy shop over time probably doesn't hurt either and who knows you could end up with the odd special deal from time to time on accessories. With this hobby your in for the long haul.;)

For accessories such as eyepieces, again I guess it depends on how much you save and again the price you put on a warranty.

Thats my shillings worth!:P

[Simple Simon]

Great input folks - thankyou. I think the above quote seems to sum it up.

Besides, as a newb, it is probably even more important to develop a good relationship with a store and go from there... after all, you can't expect service without patronage!

[nightsky]

G'Day,
Here's my 2 bobs worth :) A few Months ago I made enquirers about the cost of shipping for a Meade LX90 8" (second hand) and the postage was between $700 to $950 and that's US dollars using Fedx,US postal was the cheapest then you have to pay import duty,taking that into account and what has been said previous in this thread "Buy Local"