Telescope Shop in Auckland???

[NorthernLight]

To all members in Auckland and suroundings,

where do you buy your gear?

I just moved from Melbourne to Auckland and was trying to find a shop similar to my good old Bintel in Melbourne but all I could find online were shops that sell those 80mm refractor on shaky mounts for around 100bugs (but announce it as serious amateur gear).

Whenever you read this thread PLEASE ANSWER and let me know where to go when you are in one of those situations where you need one of these parts that you didn´t know you need and its already Saturday afternoon but you have to get it before sunset.

Hope to meet one of you guys at the next Stardome event!

Cheers

[DeanoNZL]

Hi Max,
:welcome: to UnZud.
No serious astro shops over here :sadeyes:,
almost anything worth it is imported.

[NorthernLight]

Cheers Adrian, appreciate your warm welcome. What a pitty, so I better stay in touch with the guys in Melbourne or open my own shop. Oh, well better not - its like those guys opening bars and end up drunk every night...

[renormalised]

Look at it this way, at least it's safe and you won't wake up in the morning with a hangover, just a bit tired (unless you do an all nighter!!) :)

Plus, you'll be surrounded by all the bits you need:)

[SkyViking]

Yep, no shops over here, I think the market is just not big enough... It's Opt in US or Bintel. Usually way cheaper than what a local shop would charge anyway.

[chris lewis]

Hi yes there are no real ‘dedicated’ astro shops in Auckland.
There are some retailers that sell some optical equipment.

1/ At the ‘One Tree Hill’ observatory [which has a 20 in. Zeiss Cassegrain for public use] there is a shop that sells GSO products.
The can bring in most GSO dobs and accessories.

2/ 'Camera and Camera' in Queen St. sell some basic departmental type telescopes and they tend to overcharge.

3/ 'Jacobs' in Birkenhead on the North Shore sell various new and second equipment.

4/ 'Trade Me' which is our popular on line auction site is your best bet.

I have brought many an instrument on line, it is generally safe and secure.
At present they have a variety on scopes including a new Televue-76, a TV-85, various new Skywatcher scopes including a EON ED66, a ED80 and ED120, an Orion ED100 [which was mine ], there are also various Dobs. from Sky watcher and GSO up to 16 in. some with GOTO.
There is also a new 16in. Meade SCT Goto for $30.000 or so - if you have deep pockets.

Often you can but a quality scope for a decent price.

I have brought most of my scopes on line with ‘Trade Me’ including a S.V. 80 Night Hawk, an Orion ED80, ED100, a WO 66ED and a Meade 8in SCT.

Chris

[ZeroID]

Local Online is Astronz (www.astronomy.co.nz (http://www.astronomy.co.nz) ) and his prices and response isn't too bad but his stock is limited.
I'm buying my 10" mirror from Bintel in Sydney as he won't have anything I want before the end of the year. Even Bintel won't have it till end of August.

Welcome to NZ anyway, you'll get used to the Queen's English spoke as it should be after a while.

And you'll find good darksites only half an hour drive out in the hills of the Waitakeres looking west out over the Tasman. You might even spot our cuzzies across the ditch on a clear night .... ;)

[gbeal]

There you go, more Jaffas than you can poke a stick at. Welcome to the "Land of the Wrong White Crowd" as Don from Bintel called it.
No real astro shops, some places sell more mainstream items, but the real answer is Astromart.
Good luck,
Gary

[MuntiNZ]

Theres one shop down south of NZ in Dunnedin I cant remember what it was called.
Just a little telescope place inside a camera and pharmacy place.
They didnt have heaps of stock or anything but the prices were awesome --way cheaper than here-- and the shop guy really bent over back wards to help me which is not some thing ya see a lot from some of our blardy shops!! :P
Nothin in Auckers tho I looked around while I was there its crazy.
The biggest city in NZ and nothing. :shrug:

[ZeroID]

As a side issue to all this is there a need for a NZ forum/ for sale etc area in IIS ? I keep a eye on the For Sale listings but it's 99% in Aussieland and just wondering if there is a need for NZ people to get a group together. Might generate a bit more local interest and cooperation for Star parties or whatever.

As another aside did any one watch the 12" f6 EQM Newton on Trademe get passed in at $350 !! last night (29/07) ?? I was tempted but my 10" build is well under way and SHMBO would have torn up the credit card if I'd even attempted to bid. About 5 people bid which says there is some interest out there, possibly some members here but maybe others.

[MuntiNZ]

Yeah but NZ is broke mate no offense to my Kiwi mates over there or any thing but it is flat broke. :(
Plus may be the 12 incher newt was junk who knows ay?
There is a Yahoo astro group that lots of Kiwis use so may be they could do it thru that?
And I found that shop in my emails its called Southern Cameras in Dunedin .
That place I do recommend coz there prices are good and the service was great but that wont help people in Auckers looking for a local shop sorry!

[chris lewis]

Hi yes the below site is recommended.

I brought one of the first Equinox ED120's about a year or so ago from Southern Cameras in Dunedin for $NZ2600 which was a good price. They provided excellent service as I had some concerns with the focuser. They replaced it quickly. I notice the new price is $NZ3500.
Please note the Meade 400 AFC 16 in. with robotic mount for $110,000. :eyepop:
Nice if you very deep pockets.

http://www.southerncameras.co.nz/category.pasp?categoryid=17

Chris

[NorthernLight]

Hi Everybody!

cheers for the link, bookmarked it instantly. Yeah, I heard that due to the smaller market demand and offer is limited though I was secretly wishing for an insider tip;).
thanks for the ideas with the fully robotic 16", Im sometimes amazed about what gear people on IIS talk about buying next. I got hooked to the whole thing only accidentially 3 years ago when I first came to Australia (Im actually German) but am not (yet) really keen on sacrificing everything else for the hobby. I like the occasional look through the occular, the afternoon spend with a book on related topics and the distraction from everything else whilst trying taking a decent shot and do some post-processing.
That with the dark sites near-by is really interesting as Im not that far from the CBD (can still see the skytower) and noticed a significant difference to Melbournes suburbs (M´s lightcone is horrible). But a real dark site in less than 2.5h travel distance would be just awesome (soaked in dew at 4am and frozen to the bones one doesn´t feel like driving for hours).
Sorry for the long text but I hope to get in touh with you guys rather sooner than later (my wife only nods when I talk about all these things:lol:)

Cheers guys!

[rob288]

Hi guys, I have bought several items including top end gear from http://www.nztelescopes.co.nz (http://www.nztelescopes.co.nz/) very helpful, apparently online sales only, they ship from there warehouse, no retail shop, prices were very good, alot better than the camera stores etc.

They imported a special item for me as well, only took 48 hours, cheaper than I could get from OZ.

The Aucklanders are probally not aware, as they are based here in Timaru, in the South Island.

To most Aucklanders if its not in Auckland or Wellington it does not exist.

[ZeroID]

Now, now, now, that's not very nice. That is a popular misconception put about by Mainlanders to justify not moving to Auckland. :lol::lol::lol::lol:;););):rofl::ro fl:

I'll support ANY NZ business anywhere which does it's best to provide good service. Thanks for the link, I'll check it out for some of my needs.

[NorthernLight]

wow, hefty prices (DSI II for the price of the of DSI III) and a little lack of expertise if you ask me. the online shop offers i.e. the same EQ6 twice for the same price but different usage and recommends 25kg payload (even to ride a C14 ontop) - if you don´t like your EQ6 put a C14 and 30Kg counterweights on it and watch the clutches slip away wihlst black smoke rises into the night sky. Even with higher GST in NZ and DHL shipping costs - Bintel is the better option.

[MuntiNZ]

Mate are you the same Robert ( rob288 ) who owns that shop?
Put in to Google this - "nztelescopes.co.nz" +rob288
When I was lookin for some stuff I asked around and Robert from Langwoods Photography in timaru sent me a message and I am pretty sure thats part of nztelescopes.co.nz coz he put the link at the bottom of his email to me.
If ya are why not just say ''here is my web site''?