good places to buy?

[GiveItAGoGavo]

Hi all,

Im sure this has been done to death but...

Ive wanted a scope for years..and Ive finally got some time on my hands... not a whole lot of cash...

But Ive been doing some reading, and its seems an 8inch Dobsonian is about the way to go...

Im not sure where to buy from though.. being extremely new to this, all I know of is the actual Bintel sight, which has (what appears to me) something nice, the Bintel BT 152 for $399.

Is this as cheap as I can expect it to get? Also, does anyone see anything wrong with this choice? For the moment I live in an area that *used* to be rural, but is becoming more and more light polluted with the developments, so I might want to travel now and then about half an hour down the road...
Cheers


:)

[dhumpie]

Get it from Andrew's period....best and cheapest place to buy....
http://www.andrewscom.com.au/site-section-10.htm

However that said Bintel's service is second to none. But if you are going for an 8" dob, for not much more you can get the 10", which buys you much brighter views. As they say the 10" is the smallest of the large scopes ;)

Darren

[tileys]

Andrews is a great place to get a bargain but they told me they're not shipping big scopes for free around the country like they used to - was costing them too much. Best to give them a call see what they can come up with.

I got my 8" dob there - a GSO one - which, as far as I can make out, is the same scope as the branded one you buy from Bintel. It cost me $299 (for the basic pkg with a 9mm and 25mm eyepiece). That's about as good 'bang for your bucks' as you can get for a new scope.

Cheers,

Steve

[ngcles]

Hi Giveitagogavo,

A small/medium sized dobsonian 'scope is a great choice for a newbie and may end up being the only telescope you will ever want.

You spoke of an 8" but the one you mention specifically -- the BT 152 is not an 8" but a 6" -- which is still a good size. More aperture (diameter of the mirror & tube) means a brighter more detailed view and larger ones do have considerable advantages, but the larger you go the more expensive and the less portable they are -- it's a trade-off. Having said that an 8 or 10" is still pretty portable and fits pretty easily in most cars.

Heaps of reputable vendors out there including BINTEL. Many sell similar 'scopes at approximately similar prices, but $399 for a 6" dob is _dirt cheap_ for an easy-to-use serious telescope. It wasn't that long ago (maybe a dozen years) that a commercial 8" dob would have set you back nearly $1500-. Prices have come down a long, long way. Best of luck whichever way you go ...

Best,

Les D
Contributing Editor
AS&T

[casstony]

8" or 10" dob are both good choices - you could get a look through both at a public event around Melbourne perhaps? You could also post a wanted ad and pick one up used to save a few bucks - there's probably someone out there who wants to upgrade.

[tileys]

...from Andrews Website it seems that they're still giving free shipping around Aus for Celestron and Skywatcher packages - just not e.g. the GSO dobs they have on special at the moment. Also, the basic GSO packages they sell are without the fancy crayford focusser and cooling fan but as a ready to go package (you still have to assemble the base yourself of course...but it's easy) they're hard to beat - I'm loving mine.

cheers,

Steve

[GiveItAGoGavo]

oooh brilliant! thanks alot of the replies guys... and the correction.

Im looking on the Andrews website now... alot of brands I am not familiar with...

are there any brands that are particularly good or bad?

[wavelandscott]

If you have not seen one of these scopes "in the flesh", I'd strongly encourage you to stop in to a shop if you can before you buy one or alternatively get to a viewing night with a local club or people here from the site.

While it is easy for many of us to say how wonderful scope "x" is (and it can be too), I think it is important that you actually see and use one before you buy if you can.

This does a few things that I think are important.

#1 you get to see physically how big/heavy (or small/light) a particular scope is and this will help you know which scope is best for you.

#2 trying one (or several) telescopes out before you buy them helps you understand what to expect...I've found that having expectations set and understood before a purchase enhances my enjoyment...I site in particular the department store brand type scope with "Hubble" pictures on the side of the box...in this instance, the expectations set by the box picture will be different than the experience in using said scope.

Having said all of that, an 8 inch (or larger) scope can give you years of enjoyment...As has been mentioned earlier, a few years back an 8 inch scope would not have been considered a "beginners scope". Pricing and quality have sure made things better for us consumers!

In summary, don't be in a rush to buy until you have had a chance to try a few things out...getting your interests and expectations in alignment can get you enjoying and hooked on this hobby for life.

Enjoy!

[ballaratdragons]

G'day Gavo,

The GS Dobs are of fantastic quality for their price. Many, many of us started with GS dobs, many still use them. I personally have the 12" and it is incredible!

You are welcome to pop up here on our next Club night and check out the different size Dobs if you feel up to the drive. Many Melbournites come up each month.

We have a Club 8" Dob from Andrews that you can play with all night to see if it is what you are after :thumbsup:
It's a great way to test drive.

Next club night is 7th December :)

[GiveItAGoGavo]

This certainly is a friendly group :)

Wavelandscott: thats some very sound advice. I will try to play with some... but I certainly did not have my expectations of whats on the dick-smith boxes :) haha. I have had an interest in astronomy for as long as I can remember, I have just never managed to get my hands on a scope. But yes I am trying to research as much as possible... I dont have the money now anyway

Ballaratdragons: thankyou very much for the kind invitation. It certainly is a drive though! But worth it with the lack of light-pollution I am sure. I live in Werribee on a small farm which used to be great but now I am almost surrounded by suburbia which is distinctly not great. Once or twice a year I go away to a place practically out in the desert and I would love to take something away with me up there... maybe a 10 inch is too much :S

In regards to the GS units, they are made in Taiwan correct? Are the Bintels made here?

[ballaratdragons]

They are the same telescope, just has a Bintel sticker on it. All made in Taiwan :thumbsup:

They are sold under many names like: GS, GSO, Guan Sheng, Bintel, Southern Cross, Harding etc. It's only the sticker on them that differs, and sometimes the paint colour. They are all made by Guan Sheng.

You'll find the same with many scopes like the ED80's for example: Saxon, Orion, Skywatcher etc, all the same scope in different paint colours.

Werribee puts you about 1/2 an hour closer than most that come up here ;) but I know what you mean about the city moving in on you. I lived at Hoppers Crossing for a while over 20 years ago. It was bushy with some new estates. Now it's an outer suburb!!!!!

[GiveItAGoGavo]

haha that sounds familiar... ok then I guess I could handle going Taiwanese :) I try and keep my money in the country usually but if theyre all from there... guess I dont have much choice! Saves me a few dollars though... although I am trying to work out which comes with what....

there are various versions of the GSO from Andrews (http://www.andrewscom.com.au/site-content-section-10-guansheng.htm#dobsonian),
while the Bintel (https://www.bintelshop.com.au/Product.aspx?ID=6993) has a few filters and other stuff I generally dont understand :)

And dragons, your right about hoppers! where I live (Wyndham Vale), I couldnt see a single other house... now I have something like 20 neighbours :S Ive lost about half my sky with the excess light. Makes me sad.

[ballaratdragons]

Yep, both shops (and others) try to outdo each other with pricing and goodies included. Let them have thier price wars, coz in the end, we are the ones sitting back getting the cheaper prices as they keep trying to beat each other :lol:

Both shops are offering similiar items with the 'Bintel BT-252 10" Premium Dobsonian' and 'Andrews Guan Sheng GS-880 10" Super Deluxe version'.
The filters included in the Bintel deal aren't all that exciting to most of us. Those of us with these filters rarely, if ever, use them. But they look nice sitting in an Eyepiece case :lol:

I would say get either one of those 10" packages, as they are both outstanding deals. Both are offering 5 EP's. Bintels finderscope is a straight through, which can be awkward to use, Andrews has the rightangle finderscope. Much better. Bintels has the cooling fan, Andrews doesn't mention if his has one (usually does, but may not on these). Yes, the cooling fan is worth having.

And both are offering the newer 10:1 crayford Focuser. :thumbsup: I'd like one of those!!!!

It is really up to you.

Both packages are pretty much the same and either one is great,

Andrews: $649 + freight, cheap but with no servicing department.

Bintel: $679 + freight, with back-up service department.

P.S. My name is Ken, not Ballarat or Dragons :lol:

[GiveItAGoGavo]

Ripper! Thanks Ken (thanks for the clarification on that :))

they sound goooood... though its money I dont actually have at this time but... I might happen across it soon hopefully!

Your summation there was brilliant... thanks for the jargon-decryption... I appreciate that a right angle viewer would be easier than a straight through... though the servicing is the bit that tickles my fancy... Im a sucker for a good warranty (read: paying an extra $100 on a monitor for a good dead-pixel replacement policy :))

Ill definitely try and make it to down to Ballarat, though the timing might be a bit unfortunate :(

[ballaratdragons]

Your welcome :thumbsup:

[Lee]

I would go Bintel too - Andrews are cheap, and usually very fast delivery (Bintel too), but I would rate the extra cost at Bintel as WELL worth it. I wouldn't like to try and get Andrews to take back a lemon scope :scared:

[casstony]

I bought my dob from Bintel because I could drive to the shop. Had there been no Bintel in Melbourne but an Andrews instead, I would have bought from Andrews. There's a lot to be said for buying local.

[rmcpb]

If its your first scope I would go for the local supplier, especially if you can pick it up. That way you can check it before delivery, much easier to return something you haven't paid for yet :) Besides the advice you will get person to person is worth its weight in gold.

[GiveItAGoGavo]

thats all good advice




Im not sure I would get anything out of it checking before delivery if I dont really know what Im looking for! Im sure the blatantly obvious I would pick up on... and by the time I have the cash for this I think Id know alot more than I do now so that may not be a bad idea :)

[ving]

actually lee andrews is a very reasonable guy and quite accomodating... he has taken back "lemon scopes" before. where is this info coming from?

[Solanum]

I got my 10" Dob from Andrews and when I got it it had glue from the centre spot dripped across half the mirror diameter. Being a newbie I was very nervous about cleaning it (and didn't know what solvent to use). Andrews shipped it back from here to Sydney at their own cost, cleaned the mirror and shipped it back to me, again at their cost.

You can't complain about that service.

[Lee]

He can be quite reasonable - but recently I bought a focuser, advertised on their website as including a finder bracket - the bracket didn't get delivered with it - then I was told "whoops - error on the website, bad luck". Instead of supplying it anyway, all I could do was send it back for a refund, at my cost (postage both directions).
I ended up buying the exact same item (including finder bracket) for $30 less from Matthew Lovell later that week.
Left me with a slightly bad taste I must say.
Other experiences with Andrews Comms have been positive. On the balance of my experiences, I would spend a bit extra and go Bintel - my opinion.....

[GiveItAGoGavo]

Seems that noone has anything bad to say about Bintel, and its an extra what... $30? Maybe a little extra if I fork out for a right angle instead of a straight-through?

With the glue, that really bugs me... To be honest, Id have pushed for a replacement... something wrong with a brand new piece of equipment is unacceptable to me and, though Im sure their cleaning job would have been great, its still not "brand new"... Its not like its only a little bit of money is what gets me...

At this point Im thinking Bintel because of the service, plus theyre local so if there are problems, I can drive... course I might be moving to Sydney next year so that changes things... Cross that bridge when I get to it...

Having said that, it is probably going to be at least a month or even 2 before I can fork out this kind of money... I keep upgrading in my head... the more I read, the more I want more aperture :S My magna has a big boot... maybe a 12inch would fit.......

[Dez]

G'day Gavo

I recently bought the 10" Premium Dob from Bintel in Sydney and it came with a right angle finder scope, so I'd just check this with your local branch if it does there as well. Looks like they've added the filters and extra eyepieces recently so you'll be getting a pretty comprehensive kit for starting out!

I'm still learning the sky at the moment but what I've seem has been brilliant through this scope.

I'm sure anything you get in this calibre will be great

Good luck and let us know how you go

Dez

[GiveItAGoGavo]

Gday Dez,

Excellent! thats good to know that theyre in Sydney too... Like I said I might be moving to Sydney next year, although I have just been more delayed on my cash-flow...

These things are so expensive :) Although I guess its good that the cost is not ongoing (like say, scuba diving which is another hobby of mine... but a pricey one)

[ballaratdragons]

Yep, keep aspiring to more apature! :lol:

The 12" is fantastic, but they are about to release (or already have) a 16" Dob!

The 12" won't fit into a Magna boot! I have a 1991 Falcon which is quite a large car inside and the 12" won't fit in its boot. I lay it across the back seat :thumbsup:

[GiveItAGoGavo]

really? the magna boot is MASSIVE! But if it goes on the back seat... why not :P

16" is pushing it though! that would take... perhaps a roofrack :)

[Louwai]

As a general rule, work on the old saying, "You get what you pay for". And of course that needs to be applied as per the type of scope you are looking at.

[fairway68]

g'day, hope you don;t mind but i see that you have a 100mm orion refractor. I have a query in the beginner's forum but have not recieved much feedback. Do you think the 100mm is in the same class as the 80mm? Of course its bigger but is the extra aperture worth the dollars?

Cheers
fairway68:help:

[fairway68]

[quote=GiveItAGoGavo;275548]Hi all,

Im sure this has been done to death but...

Ive wanted a scope for years..and Ive finally got some time on my hands... not a whole lot of cash...

But Ive been doing some reading, and its seems an 8inch Dobsonian is about the way to go...

Im not sure where to buy from though.. being extremely new to this, all I know of is the actual Bintel sight, which has (what appears to me) something nice, the Bintel BT 152 for $399.

Is this as cheap as I can expect it to get? Also, does anyone see anything wrong with this choice? For the moment I live in an area that *used* to be rural, but is becoming more and more light polluted with the developments, so I might want to travel now and then about half an hour down the road... quote
Cheers,
Hope this info is of some use but if you are at the andrews shop or website check out their special on the wideview GSO EPs they are a pretty good EP at a ridiculous price!;)
fairway68 and good luck with the weather

[saturn c]

My Astro Shop have very good service! recieve your goods within 2 days! :thumbsup:

[casstony]

Hi fairway, I only just saw your question directed to me. The 100ed is similar quality to the 80ed - very good lens with more or less no false color in focus, an ok focuser, and the tube is quite a bit longer. If you're after a general purpose beginners scope an 8" dob will show you more and for a low cost. If you have more questions that don't get answered just be more pushy - even invade the equipment discussions forum :)

Cheers
Tony