Aldi Stellar Chair Alternative ?

[norm]

Hi All,

Saw this on the Aldi Special buys starting 15/7.

http://aldi.com.au/au/html/offers/2827_14338.htm?WT.mc_id=2010-07-08-08-59


Ok, its not a Stellar Chair and I have no idea on how its going to perform or even do the job. But for the price.......

May have to check it out :question:

TS Norm.:)

[Darth Wader]

What a great find Norm! Beats paying the astronomical (pun intended) prices of a dedicated chair. May have to duck down to Aldi on the weekend.:thumbsup:

[rcheshire]

Thanks, norm. I'll be dropping by the local Aldi store to have a look as well.

[floyd_2]

Looks like a great cheap alternative Norm - great find! I can just make out something hanging off the cross bar behind the seat as well. Might be an accessory tray :)

Looks like the only downside to that chair is that the height adjustment would require the removal and relocation of the cross bolt that goes through the back of the seat. For $25 though - what a saving over an astro chair. Definitely worth a look on the 15th.

Dean

[stephenb]

Thanks, will try to pick one up this week - again, great find.

Might also be good for the ironing :evil2::scared3:

[orestis]

I saw the ad yesterday definately seems like a good alteranative to the one bintel sells,i mean seriously why so much?

Also they have a headtorch which might good for astronomy just paint it red.

Regards orestis:thumbsup:

[GrahamL]

Whats this ironing you speak of ?:shrug:

[stephenb]

:rofl::rofl: Nevermind, it's not important :lol:

[Liz]

Yes, would love to know the outcome of this guys. Let us know please. :)

[norm]

Very funny.....Imagine boxing it back up and giving it to the wife as a pressie.....:doh:, go down like a lead balloon!

But for $25 - at least it won't break the piggy bank. My only concern we're may the spread of the legs and the cross bolts that Floyd mentioned.

Cheer, Norm

[jjjnettie]

Does it come in any other colour than Pink??
Definitely will look into this one.

Aldi's great....don't forget to check out the snow gear!!

[Tandum]

I bought a pair of size 10 boots for $20.
When I got them home I realised they where ladies size 10 :doh:

[Liz]

:lol::lol:


Never been to an Aldi store, or checked a catelogue, so will have a browse online.
Hmmm, I thought that soft pink colouring was quite pretty jjj ;) :rolleyes:

[Stu Ward]

I shall be deffo be going to have a look at that !!

Stu

[jjjnettie]

LOLOLOL The only pink in my house is in the image of Eta Carina that hangs in my lounge. (oh, and the covers to my Jane Austen dvd's ;) )
My main concern is how small it folds up, if at all.:shrug:

[Stu Ward]

It says foldable for easy storage. also in two colours, so we may get a powder blue for us macho types !!!

[Liz]

:lol::lol::lol:

[seeker372011]

anyone bought one yet?

[Liz]

everyone still out shopping??? ;)

[astronut]

They're not available until the 15th:)

[mozzie]

im going to head down myself and have a look and bugger just using it with my dob!!!.the misses can also do the ironing what it was made for :D:D:D i can see jjj,suzy,liz coming down hard on me only joking ladies,aaahhh and just got a clip over the ears from elise

[Liz]

:poke::poke::argue: :help:

ooh, you are treading on thiiiin ground here!!!

;) :D

ps.... astronut says not till the 15th Peter??

[mozzie]

thanks liz

back of the head still has a ring elise wasnt impressed

[Suzy]

Ooooh this looks a goody - I want the pink :D. I wonder how fiddly it is to adjust in the dark :question:

Hey Mozzie, psssst... come closer.... :poke: :doh:

Oooooh, you a brave one fella. :lol::lol: Thanks Elise, on behalf of us females, could you add a slight bruise for me as well? Someone else may request blood, so don't let him go far, we may need your services soon ....:D (only joking, I applaud your brave humour).

Be interested to know how well this chair works, please give some reviews.:)

[M54]

Oh, I won't come down hard on you guys, but may I suggest trying out your new chairs by, say, doing some ironing yourselves?:eyepop:;) :lol:

Definately be having a look at the chairs myself.:D

[space oddity]

At least no-one will see the colour in the dark. The red component of the pink will make it just visible with red light. For $25, it is worth a shot. Wife reckons it will be OK for the ironing . Mind you, ironing is the one domestic chore I cannot stand. Send me to the kitchen to brew up a storm any day.

[floyd_2]

It looks like a gem for the price. I'd say the only drawback is that it seems that you have to unscrew that mounting bolt every time you want to adjust the chair height.

Dean

[M54]

You won't have to stand now, you can sit! (and do the ironing) :lol::lol::lol:;)

[Liz]

Yes, it looks like you are right there Dean.

Ironing saga - I dont iron anything!!! The only time my iron comes out of the spiderwebs, is when I get visitors. ;)
I dont buy clothes that need ironing - wash, hang and wear is the only way to go. :D

[jjjnettie]

LOL @ Liz ....A woman after my own heart.
The only thing I iron is my work shirt.
I dry my clothes on coat hangers, therefore eliminating another 3 steps in the process, pegging up, taking down and folding.
Life's too short to bother with the mundane.

[Suzy]

Just a reminder not to forget- tomorrow is the day to have a look at this chair. :D

[mozzie]

thanks suzy i cant wait to show elise here new toy :rofl::lol:

[erick]

One more sleep :D


OK, the chair - the spread of feet might be a problem if they get near the dob base. I suspect a little bit of cutting and filing and a few extra rods can produce a easily adjustable chair. So if you discount the labour and the parts (and paint etc.), it'll be a bargain :P

But I'll have one or two of the headlamps if they checkout OK. I have my red art paint ready to dollop all over the LED if I can get at it :thumbsup:

[jjjnettie]

You're a bunch of geeks, you know that don't you. :lol:

[richardda1st]

For those of you who haven't purchased sale items from Aldi before.

If the items are popular/sort after items, they will be all gone in the first few hours, and as Aldi only has a small amount per store it's not something they will order in for you. They told me once that they have these short run specials to get the customers into the store.;)

The items are generally all boxed up so you may not be able to have a proper look at it. With that in mind, I have had no problems in taking the items back, just keep the packing in good nik.

[ozskywatcher]

Just tested out the Aldi chair sitting at my 8 inch dobsonian telescope. It doesn't quite drop down low enough ... when I point the telescope at the horizon. That can be easily fixed by raising the dobsonian on a sturdy box.

I can see it working well the other way .. ie when observing though my equatorially mounted telescope .. which is much higher.

It seems well made and well worth $25.

Regards,

Paul Floyd.
www.nightskyonline.info

[jjjnettie]

I'm going out today, but the nearest Aldi is 40 minutes drive out of the way.
I don't suppose there's any chance that someone in Brissie can pick me up one?
I can take delivery at Astrofest and pay in cash and choc chip cookies.

[Steffen]

Paul, how fast/easy is it to adjust the height of the seat? From the pictures I've seen I'm guessing that you have to unscrew it and then screw it back in at the new position? Is that correct?

A regular observing chair would allow you to adjust height in an instant with a single touch. I'm kind of hoping the Aldi chair is similar…

Cheers
Steffen.

[mswhin63]

Too bad we dont have an ALDI store here in WA, but I have been using a sturdy box for the last 4 months and I stand all the time. I only need a small step for zenith viewing.

[erick]

Had a quick look at the chair at lunchtime. Folds very flat. Looks quite solid. Might rust quickly in places? Yes, have to unscrew knobs and withdraw the support rod and move to another hole to adjust seat height. Might take a bit of modding to make that a one handed adjustment job - but it is a good basis to start from , if one wanted to.

Bought two of the headlights. BE CAREFUL - the Aldi I went to had two types of head light in the same bin. The one in the catalog and another. The other seems to have a single LED and the battery pack is in a separate box elsewhere on the headstrap. Well, if you want one white floodLED and also to keep the batteries warm under your beanie???

The one I bought is more like the Energiser. 3AAs in the light fitting itself. A good generous strap to go around beanies and other headwear. Tips forward - plastic click stops. Five lighting situations with a push button change :-

off
one bright white LED
one fainter white LED
two faint red LEDs
two faint red LEDs flashing
and back to off

There are some screws under the batteries so I reckon I can pull the assembly out and paint the white LEDs red to my heart's content.

[erick]

Almost forgot, I bought one of their map cases:-

http://aldi.com.au/au/html/offers/2827_14310.htm

Good for keeping dew off copied star charts, copied magazine hints etc. $7. I chopped the top plastic off so it folds over cleanly and the velcro closes the opening off.

Also they have a compass for the same price. Not a Silva, but it didn't look too bad for someone wanting to pick out the south magnetic pole. Plenty of markings to back correct for magnetic declination to the equatorial pole.


Oh, and coming up next week:- http://aldi.com.au/au/html/offers/offers_20100722.htm?WT.z_src=main How about a heated Pet Bed for your observing seat! Thermals and sheepskin boots on offer!

[mozzie]

just bought mine and opted for the black over a pink color,they are quiet sturdy and well made for $25 ita a hell of a lot better then the plastic chair ive been using.its going to make a better nights viewing especially at astro-fest.woohoo a bargain

there was plenty at coffs aldi jjj if you want me to buy one for you ill bring it to astrofest im there the last 4 nights only let me know?????

[jjjnettie]

Good onya Peter. But only if you have enough room in your car to transport it up. You'll need all the space you can.
I'm at Astrofest from start to finish. Looking forward to catching up with you again.
Triple choc cookies are now on my list of things to brings

[Liz]

Oh, i also like the welders mask to take to the 2012 eclipse - will certainly scare all the nearby campers!! :eyepop:

Well done all on the pink chairs ;) ..... hope they work out well, and enjoy your choc chip cookies Peter. :)

PS ... I wonder of Aldi know about all this wonderful free advertising they are getting!!! Should be worth a discount to IIS members.

[pmrid]

Yep. It seems solid enough. Certainly it handles my weight - a not inconsiderable task these days - and does not collapse. It feels seure and stable and the range of adjustment in seat height is sufficient for most purposes I can foresee.
So for very little, it gets my vote.
Peter

[richardda1st]

Hi Erick, as you say it can be modified to make it a quick change with a bit of work, but in my case with the 10" dob I'm satisfied to leave it at the 3rd hole from the top.

I'm not so confident with it's durability though. A close look at how the chair stops from flattening out (if that makes sense) reveals that it all depends on 4 small tack-welds. These weld have a lot of leverage placed on them. On my chair it's more like 3.2 tack-welds, something I can rectify. As I'm a short arse and only 70kg I'm sure it's OK.:P

This chair will probably be safer as an astro chair as the legs will dig into the ground and resist spreading, not so indoors doing the ironing.:rofl:

[mozzie]

no probs jjj ill get one after work tomorrow there was quiet a few there,plenty of room in vehicle im towing the van up in my bricklaying truck duel cab +3metre tray

[ozskywatcher]

Steffen,

It isn't 'single touch' but it is very simple. It is basically whay tyou have typed.

Regards,

Paul Floyd.

[jjjnettie]

I'm looking forward to seeing what mods you guys come up with.:D
I can hear your brains going "whirrrrr click" from here. LOL

You're a champ Peter.:thumbsup:

[jjjnettie]

:2thumbs: 3 cheers to Norm for the heads up.

[norm]

No worries JJ - but you wouldn't believe it...I'm in Walcha atm and there is no Aldi in Tamworth or Armidale :mad2:!

I'm sure they'll be in stock somewhere in Sydney, but with all these astro-nerds about, they could go like hot cakes.

Cheers, Norm

[Suzy]

So how's everyone going with their Aldi chairs? :question:
Haven't heard much. :shrug:
Bring on the reviews! :D

[richardda1st]

Hi Suzy
My chair works fine, a lot better then standing/crouching. :thumbsup:
As I don't have to keep adjusting the height I'm satisfied. :D
It could do with thicker seat padding.:lol:

Thank you Norm.:thumbsup:

Clear skies have been rare since I purchased the chair.:sadeyes:

Richard

[Stu Ward]

I took mine out for the first time last night. Dunno about the first light curse for scope, i think it also applies to chairs !!!

For $25 its spot on, i did not have to change the level of elevation at all no matter what part of the sky i was looking at.

The only think i had to do is moveit around the scope as i swung my Dob around. But i guess you would have to do this if you bought a chair for $190

its a 5/5 for me

Stu

[Julie1]

I have had a similar chair which I bought from Target about 10 years ago. The only thing I have had to do to it is to cover the seat in plastic (mine doesn't have a padded back rest)to stop it getting wet from the dew and to replace the rubbers on the legs. I recommended this type of chair to other members of my club.

[Sarge]

Got my $25 special, but mine has a black seat and white frame (they did have pink, but I thought, nah better not). Have only had one night out with it so far - damm Melbourne weather!!. I found it reasonably easy to use and only needed minimal adjustment in height. Might not be a good as the $190 delux, but for $25 who's complaining.
:D:D
Rod

[Darth Wader]

Anyone know if these are still available?:shrug: