What is your favourite manufacturer?

[h0ughy]

OK this one is a little bit of fun but with some scientific edge to it. Obviously some manufacturers advertise more heavily than others. Which ones have the most impact on you, personally!

For me it was Meade, but my first SCT was a celestron.

[ving]

see now if you took the advertising out of the equation then it'd be different. the only advert i could think of was a celestron one tho....

[ballaratdragons]

Considering I never saw any ads for any scopes this poll is NA to me.

I made my decision on information shared and discussed in these forums, followed by googling the brands and models mentioned in here.

I was familiar with the names Celestron & Meade from magazines about 20 years ago but I had not seen another Astro mag until 3 months ago.

So, sorry houghy, I have not ticked a box above as I did not see any advertising to influence me.

I'd tick the 'IIS Forums' box if there was one!

[slice of heaven]

I was thinking along the same lines BD, and didn't poll for those reasons you stated.

[janoskiss]

I guess for influence (poll question) I'd have to go with Meade too, because for a while they (with the help of several Melbourne dealers that shall remain nameless) almost had me convinced that I will never be able to afford a half decent scope. But for favourite (thread title question) I'd have to go with GS for producing a real volkskop in the 8" Dob.

[iceman]

Tasco, cause they're on every dept store, toy store scope :) Negative influence counts too, doesn't it? :)

[iceman]

Oh and GS don't really advertise either, it's the rebadged or resellers that do the advertising of them, eg: Bintel, Andrews.

[RAJAH235]

Well, for me it was Tasco. At the time, they were the ones that pointed towards the beginners type t'scope. My little 114 was good enough to let me see comet 'Shoemaker-Levy 9' strike Jupiter with such dramatic results. Just wish that I'd had my Meade 10" DOB back then. They'd be 2nd, with Celestron 3rd. :thumbsup: :D L.

[gaa_ian]

I went for Meade in the Advert stakes, as they had a good level of info on their scopes for our club purchace of our LX-90.
But that does not make them my Fav. manufacturer.
That would have to be GS.

[Starkler]

The only advertising that has influenced me is word of mouth and reviews by experienced observers. I clicked 'other'.

I wouldnt buy anything optical related to astronomy without getting an opinion from someone whos judgment I trust.

[acropolite]

Definately Meade, they put a lot of info in their advertising. But I'd like a Takahashi on their own Eq mount.

[asimov]

I guess after extensive research on what the best optics for my budget might be when I was building the newt, I ended up with Parks optics because their claim to be amongst the best in the world for optics. That & user reviews swayed me.

[GrampianStars]

http://www.rcopticalsystems.com/images/kittpeak20_thumb.jpg :cool:

[beren]

When i first started buying/reading astro mags the Parks adverts stuck out for me , not only for the scopes but errr the ladies modelling.....also Televue > huge eyepieces and desirable refractors {always wanted a pronto}

[silvinator]

For me, Meade's advertising is the most influential and always sparked my imagination - it's those glossy, glossy, super-colourful pictures of nebulae and galaxies they have in the background of those super-gizzed up scopes that make me pay attention. That and their techno-babble specifications always gets me wishing that I had whatever scope they were advertising. In the end, I get over the delusion and I am glad that I even have one scope.

In terms of favourite manufacturer, I've only really dealt with meade products so I don't really have a favourite. If it was up to what manufacturer I'd like to buy equipment from, then it would have to be Takahashi, followed by Vixen.

[Robby]

http://www.star-mate.com of course ;)

[Librarian64]

Meade more recently, but many years ago I used to like the Celestron ads in Astronomy magazine.

[dhumpie]

Its always been Celestron for me right from the start (my first scope was a lowly Celestron Cometron). But I will have to admit that Meade was one of the major influences as well back in the 80's. The other two are Edmund Scientific and Orion (I used to drool over piccy's of the Astroscan when I was a kid).

Darren

[BC]

It would have been Synta as that was where I was heading until I found this forum. It would have been a 6" Newt on about an EQ4. I'll tick the IIS box.

[avandonk]

I bought a Tal 200k,no amount of advertising can disguise a lack of performance for the dollar (buck).

You always get what you pay for (hopefully).

It does not really matter what you decide on,as long as the telescope does what you bought it for.
Here is a pic taken with the TAL200k (very early days).

[h0ughy]

Now lets see, Meade is on top then Celestron and then the no name brands chinese optics. Gee we must be easily fooled Eh!

[Eardrum73]

For influence it would have to be Meade, their adverts and colorful space nebulas really did the trick. I even saw one with a hot looking chick on it.... or was that a Saxon adverT????

Anyway...
Didn't end up with a Meade though, GS 12' DOB instead..... although my most desired scope would be the C9.25 with goto and forkmount.

Most influenced: Meade
Most desired: Celestron
The one I married: GS 12' DOB

[Orion]

Obsession Telescopes. :) http://www.globaldialog.com/~obsessiontscp/OBHP.html

[Dave47tuc]

Well in the early years I use to love the Parks and Unitron ads. :)

Later I brought 3 Meade SCT's and I would have to say I brought the LX3 on what the ad said.

Meade & Celestron remind me of Ford & Holden. :lol:

[xelasnave]

Meade started the dream for me when I noticed gotos.
Astro Physics have an interesting approach that is very clever. It appears one must go on a waiting list which seems to get the attention of anyone with cash as they are used to simply buying what they want..but having to wait provides their buyers with a sence of "getting something" better because of the wait. I like the Astro Physics 150 apo and eq mount and would love one (but I dont have the cash) and that is starnge because I have never sampled the views to be able to compare..although photos taken with them make them seem very good. In the meantime I will be happy with a Meade, a Celestron, a Skywatcher and a Bintel 12 inch, I dont know who made the binos however.
I am a little impressionalbe with any astronomy advertising.
alex

[snowyskiesau]

It wasn't any manufacturers advertising that got me started, it was walking past an
astronomy shop every day on the way to/from work.
After a few visits 'just to look around', ended up buying a Celestron C8.
This was in 1991 when the range of telescopes was very limited compared to today.

The advertising that has most effect on me these days is this damn forum! I wish people
would stop selling things or at least stop including photos. :rolleyes:

[Ric]

Meades advertising probably influenced me a bit this time around with the LX200R but it was still researched first before purchasing. My first scope was the C8 and at 16 years of age I was more influenced then by advertising, still it was a great buy and I still use it after 30 years.
My loyalties are split right up the middle, I love them both.

Cheers

[ving]

porsche, there is no substitute ;)

[huckabuck]

i vote for Orion. while their advertising isn't as obvious as the big boys the customer service is without a doubt top-notch. they have sent me several parts after i somehow smashed the originals. at no cost!!! NOT EVEN SHIPPING!!!

[Striker]

There is no doubt Meade & Celestron has made a huge impact to astronomers around the world......and lets face it if these guys wern't around I doubt there would have even been a market for the likes of Taks and RC's and AP's.

I dont think amatures would spend 10's of thousands off dollars without atleast having a taste of this great hobby with more affordable gear like Meade , Celestron, GS.

How many people do you know who have just started in this hobby getting a huge Takahashi OR RC on Tak EM400 mount with a SBIG STL camera....not many I hope.

[jase]

I'd second Tony's comments. I was actually looking for the Bisque brothers in the list who make the Paramount ME, TheSky, TPoint etc. These guys have had a profound impact on amateur astronomy equipment to say the least.

Though, I'd have to say my all time favourite is Takahashi. They have been around for well over 30 years. ...And to this very day still make their own parts.
http://www.sbig.com/mb/tak/takpics.htm - check out the foundry pics from SBIG's visit! Don't forget to see Yuyama-san, the legend behind the revolutionary FSQ modified petzval design.

Quality not quantity.

[GeoffW1]

Now, this deserves deep deep thought.

Meade is way ahead in the poll, and they do make a wide range of very attractive stuff. What other manufacturer has assisted them to bling bling telescopes to the masses? Hm?

How many of us found it so easy to get a half-way decent budget telescope as a startup because of this same manufacturer? Hm? I did.

Which one offers a range of budget but-still-usable eyepieces to suit poor people like myself. Hm? Although they are certainly ot unique in that.

Now I would really like to say it was R M Williams, but no, I have to vote for Guan Sheng because of their ubiquitous presence, sort of an acknowledgement.

GeoffW1

[astroron]

I had always wanted a Celestron and went to the USA and brought one back.
I have never been a fan of Meade, my mantra is wait a couple of years after Meade has brought out a product then think about buying it.

[duncan]

Well Tasco was what originally got me going back in the 70's. But then all the flashy adds from Meade and Celestron. But now i'm buying a 12"Dob from Bintel. I guess you get what you can afford!!
Cheers:lol:
ps. I voted OTHER because Bintel have been so helpful.

[casstony]

Meade's advertising had a strong influence on me getting into the hobby. Now that I'm aware of the variability in product quality and the varying suitability of a particular instrument to a particular observer, I'm not influenced much at all by advertising. It's all too easy to purchase a faulty product or a quality product that doesn't suit my needs.

[Rodstar]

Well I started out on Meade, but then, when bitten by aperture, Obsession caught my eye until someone very kindly pointed me in the direction of Peter Read (www.sdmtelescopes.com.au), and I have never looked back.

Other: SDM is definitely my favourite.

[matt]

I'm a Celestron man...for now.

However, casstony's comment about the variability of mass-produced gear rings very true and I have most definitely experienced that first hand through the 9.25.

Perhaps it's only really become an issue since the Synta buyout, but it's most definitely an issue.

[Adrian-H]

id imagine that meade has the heavyest form of advertising out of all of them, seems it works too.

[ispom]

I have a 100-1000 Carl-Zeiss-Refractor,
my favorite is Zeiss :)

[MortonH]

I remember 20 years ago seeing magazines with the old orange C8, and the cool-looking black C-90. So when I finally got my first serious telescope, it was a Celestron. However, since then, I've always felt that Meade SCTs were somehow better. Never used a Meade scope, but there's something about their advertising...

Having said all that, experience teaches you that advertising and reality are two different things. I like TeleVue and William Optics for striving to make quality products and for making advertising claims that are borne out in reality. I miss my TV-85.... :sadeyes:

[matt]

Yes.

I really like the William Optics gear as well.

It's beautifully put together. Very nice fit and finish, and still competitively priced. As good as anything on the market in terms of performance and quality for your dollar.

[Terry B]

A Vixen is my best scope. For quality at a reasonable price it is hard to beat.

[Zuts]

I voted other which would be Televue as I just put an order in for a TV 85 :)

Paul

[Glenhuon]

My favourite manufacturer is the the one that can give me a quality product at the lowest cost :)

[spearo]

Losmandy...hence my recent downpayment on a G11
frank

[dugnsuz]

Although I Don't Own Any Of Their Products Yet, I Feel That William Optics Have Re-introduced A Quality And Aesthetic Sorely Lacking From The Meade/celestron Space Race!!!
Cheers
Doug

PS - I owned a C8 back in the 90's and I think that the Celestron hardware is better than the Meade stuff - but Meade won hands down on the innovation, electronics side of things.

[Stephen65]

I'd be voting for WO too

[GLENN A DAVIS]

My First Telescope Was A 50mm Amasco.it Was A Simple Table Top Scope, But Gave Me Years Of Enjoyment!
I Then Got A 100mm Unitron Refractor, Which Was Superb!
I Then Made Myself A 200mm F/8 Newtonian Reflector.
In 1978 I Finaly Got A Celestron C8 Which Was A Great Portable Instrument.
Celestrons Advertising In The 1970's Was Very Enticing And Certainly Wet My Appetite!
Right Now I Do Not Own Any Telescope At All!
I Am Hoping To Get A 100mm Triplet Next.
Maybe If I Ask Santa Nicely??

[IanL]

I would have voted for televue. I can not see past their build quality. Over engineering and fine optics.

Ian

[madtuna]

No particular manafacturers advertising influenced me...(save for Macdonalds and Cadbury) :D

I am influenced by use, feedback from users and forums like this

[Ian Robinson]

Don't have a favourate .... I choose by quality (wont compromise on it) and want good value for the $ too.

I am probably a very tough customer to deal with.

I do my homework before buying anything.

[torr]

Well Tasco probably influenced me the most advertising wise, but I've never bought any Tasco gear (that i now of..ie unbadged cheap eyepiece). My old man did once when I was a kid, a little 60mm apt/800mm fl refractor on a wobbly az mount.

[ving]

nikon :D

[seeker372011]

orion-the best customer service in the industry

[TrevorW]

Stallarvue for bang for buck

A & M Italia for sheer opulence

[Ian Robinson]

I' go for quality and performance.

I am not the least bit influenced by hype / advertising, as I do my homework and know exactly what I want before I start shopping and have never physically visited a shop to buy a camera or telescope or mount or assessory.

I like Vixen GEMs , Lumicon odds and sods and have never bought a manufactured telescope (I've bought all my telescopes as components and assembled them myself , opticals from Nova , Orion Optical , NPGW and the like, cells and HW from Novak or Orion Optical or AS, focusors from JMI or made to order etc).

The only telescope I have that was bought complete was the one dad bought for when I was a kid (a 1960's vintage Tasco 60mm EQ) ,... still got it.

[DavidU]

I remember the early Astro Physics adds in the US mags, I wanted one so bad !!!!!!!!!! still do, they are just 10 times the price.
I did manage to drool all over the early Meade Starfinder 10" with elec drive so I bought one (from a fella in Coonabarabran).:thumbsup:

[multiweb]

When I was a teen I had a magazine and I used to look at those Perl/Vixen massive newt and drool over the Celestron HSTs on their fork mounts looking at the price list and thinking "yeah, right! no in this life time". And now I'm in the land of kangoroos with a C11! :D :thumbsup: See? S**t happens. Even for a frog! :lol:

[Zaps]

Takahashi.

When I was young I had very little interest in amateur astronomy equipment. Maybe because I wasn't an amateur astronomer until after I retired from a professional astrophysics career. Then I got to see and use Takahashi telescopes when observing with friends, and nothing else will do for me now. My fellow Americans think the sun shines out of Roland Christen and Astro-Physics, but for me they pale to Tak.

[dpastern]

Advertisting didn't sway me one iota. A bunch of reviews in magazines, and via online forums helped me make a decision with my current gear.

Dave

[TJD]

:question:celestron :)though i do like skywatcher:D i find meade's goto scopes are a bit to complicated for me:shrug:(same with spelling):P

[bartman]

"what is your fav manufacturer" - title of the post - doesn't equate to the poll which says "Which manufacturer's advertising influenced you the most":eyepop:

so whats the go?
I would vote differently for either question!

[marc4darkskies]

When I was a lad it was Unitron and Celestron ads. My first scope was a Unitron 3" equatorial and my second was a Celestron 8 (both sold ages ago). For my recent reentry into the hobby though magazine ads played no part whatsoever.

Cheers, Marcus

[Baron von Richthofen]

Williams Optics for me