$1 usd = $1.03 aud

[Octane]

Oh, how sweet it is.

Buy up now, kiddies. Christmas is around the corner.

I'll be putting in a few orders for accessories and bits and pieces. :D

H

[Omaroo]

Do you mean "$1 usd = $1.03 aud" or rather "$1 aud = $1.03 usd" Humayun?

[bartman]

as at 0255 hrs WST on xe.com 1xUSD = 1.012 AUD......
bartman:lol:
it did drop in the last few hours

[astro744]

This still means one USD buys more than one AUD. We generally monitor how many USD one AUD buys. In the above example one AUD buys 1/1.012=0.988 USD.

The AUD did hit parity with the USD overnight but has fallen slightly since.

[bartman]

k fair nuff.....
just was backing H up....
bartman

[wasyoungonce]

How will I enjoy this new found buying power....ummm...Only if I had the money!:shrug:

[h0ughy]

must resist the urge.........

[bartman]

I shall not name, but a friend of mine has bought $100 000 Aud in Usd's just now.
When it does ( and it will sometime) go down to 90 cts he will have made $10000. Pays for a holiday he says!!!!!!!
Lucky bstrd
Bartman

[wavelandscott]

The continued weakening dollar may actually cause some USA prices to rise (relative to other currencies)...I need to do the math but it might be cheaper for me to buy some gear using my AUD$ account!

I wonder what BINTEL will charge for postage to the USA?

[wasyoungonce]

Spot on Scott.

Thus buy now before the prices rise!

[Kevnool]

Now comes the capital gains tax
Cheers kev.

[marki]

I think if you want to enjoy the benifits of the high dollar you had better get a move on. The Au$ will not be allowed to stay at this level for very long as it will impact our exports.

Mark

[h0ughy]

goodness me i never ever would have thought anyone would have said that:eyepop:

[adman]

I have heard someone say that $1.30 was not out of the question, in which case he will have lost $30,000 - he might as well take it to the casino....

[adman]

In very general terms, the current exchange rate situation is a result of a strengthening AUD against a weakening USD. There is not a whole hell of a lot we can do about a weakening USD, even if it is bad for our exports. :shrug:

[wasyoungonce]

Nor is there a lot America can do due to their debt. They have to reduce it and this will hurt them!

[el_draco]

Hot Damn! I just a brand spanking new C11 OTA for $1600 Au! Next the Hyperstar!

[spearo]

I've made a LOONG list of things I cant afford but then again, I cant afford NOT to get them now!
might need to redraw against the mortgage.....
frank

[wavelandscott]

Actually if it done correctly it does not have to hurt the folks in the USA much at all...weaken the value of the dollar with super low interest rates driving down the cost of borrowing and then get a bit of inflation going...

Oh sure it hurts the rest of the world but then again...

[marki]

You are right we can't do much for the US dollar but the treasury will find a way to devalue it don't worry about that.

Mark

[Alchemy]

The treasury ...... What can they do.

If the reserve puts up interest rates, dollar goes up too.

Speculation is driving the market, once it breaks parity it might move up considerably, america financially is in a mess, since the gfc Greece has collapsed, Spain, Ireland, all in trouble, snowball effect as it continues to roll it gets bigger, hooray for a mining boom, we have not felt it like other countries.

[Jules76]

Working in the Computer wholesale industry, where we import just about everything and it's all purchased in US Dollars, it's unbelievable some of the prices I'm seeing at the moment.

I didn't need the RAM, but bugger me $86 for Corsair 4GB 1600MHz DDR3 RAM. :eyepop: I paid about $50 more about a month ago for the same stuff!! Couldn't pass that up!

As I've been telling my friends, family, if your in the market to upgrade or replace your PC, now is the best time to buy. And I'm not alone in thinking this. Ever since the AUS Dollar started getting near parity, our sales started picking up in what is normally a fairly slow month. It's like all this talk of parity in the media switched some lights on in people's heads and told them to buy! buy! buy! :)

Getting harder and harder to not upgrade my Telescope.......................... ..

[marki]

Sell gold. The reserve could also act as you have stated. Our exporters will be applying heavy pressure on the fed govt right now.

Mark

[erick]

Aussie ain't doing much against the Euro :sadeyes:

[Jules76]

No plans by the Government to act according to Mr Swan:

http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/aussie-dollar-set-to-soar-over-greenback/story-e6frfku0-1225939836097

Could also hit 1.10 in a few weeks time. :thumbsup:

[OICURMT]

Resistance is futile...

[Jen]

:) aww thats so kind of you H to buy me a chrissy pressie :lol::lol:

[JethroB76]

:lol: I'm right in PC upgrade planning mode at the moment - I have been watching the price of components recently and combined with some of the new GPUs due soon I have been hoping the dollar might help me out a bit.

[bartman]

This particular person ( and his wife) have enough $$'$ to wait till it drops back ........ I say lucky, but I mean fortunate/worked their way to be in this position.

Casino=uncertainty, $ dropping sometime in the near future is certain.:)
Bartman

[h0ughy]

Oh no its going backwards.....

[hotspur]

Well its been a couple of weeks since this has happened,I was most suprised to see the prices on DWI then, on the lenses.I was about to order a EF-S 10-22 Canon lens and it was $734.But I forgot.

Just looked on their website now and the same lens is $716,it had actually gone DOWN!.

Just ordered it,its on its way,Now is the time to buy gear,if one can.Not sure if these prices will stay around for too long.

Interestingly,I imagine this is what people pay in the U.S.A all the time for this gear,really just shows how bad we have it here in Australia.

Looking forward to Monday when my new lens arrives:lol:

[Octane]

Yep, picking up some new L-series glass on Wednesday and a whole heap of studio lighting equipment.

H

[multiweb]

I bit the bullet last week and got a Baader FFC (http://www.astro-physics.com/index.htm?products/accessories/baader/ffc)with all the bits and pieces. Should get it sometime soon now. :)

[strongmanmike]

Oh great pickup Marc! Is it like a barlow :question: What will you use it on?

Mike

[h0ughy]

:rofl: thats not the point - at least he bought something to proudly show others while it is clouded over this season :rofl: . Like many others ;)

[multiweb]

Anything. My newt, the C11, <dream mode on> whatever scope I get in the future </dream mode off> . It's a nice piece of glass. I have tried barlowing in the past. I get very good details on axis but the field lets me down. This should act more like a powermate but only better with no or very little abberations. I can do a bit of planetary with it too hopefully.



Wasn't me :windy: :P

[tlgerdes]

Dollar is currently sitting at parity 1:1 with the US (and holding at it for the last 3 hrs) tonight thanks to the RBA hiking rates. We could blow through that tonight depending on how aggressive the US Fed is on monetary policy to be released just after midnight.

Retail rates are still at around 96c.

[hotspur]

Regardless of the mining boom in Australia,we still may be heading for a dull time,economically-apparently some financial planners and advisers that I was having lunch with today,say things are pretty crook in many business circles in Australia.Some high profile ones are saying things like 'real depression',these people in the 'big end of town' usually aren't that far of the mark with their predictions.

I'd have to agree,would not advising maxing out the plastic,just because of a strong Aussie dollar-you might not have a job to pay it off soon.:shrug:

[erick]

1.00 AUD = 1.00488 USD and holding!

Time for a "Parity Party" :clap:

[Octane]

Chris and I did our bit yesterday and bought a bunch of new stuff. : )

H

[Jeeps]

Anyone recommend some good US sites to do some eyepiece browsing?

;)

Cheers

[Steffen]

I guess it depends on what you're after, it may not always be worthwhile.

Checking a random eyepiece from my arsenal (55mm TV Plössl), it costs US$212 at OptCorp, cheapest shipping is US$39.48, total US$251.48. Add to that about 2% credit card exchange fee you end up with a bill of AU$256.50, assuming parity. The same eyepiece sells at Bintel for AU$259…

Cheers
Steffen.

[Jeeps]

I do all my shopping locally (i've got an order i'm waiting for from andrews as we speak ;) ) but it'd be interesting to see what else is out there.

cheers

[JethroB76]

Depending on what you're after, going with s/h gear on Astromart can offer worthwhile savings.

[hotspur]

Yes Humayan,this parcel will keep me happy for a long time.:)

Look forward to seeing the lighting equipment you bought.

Hope some of the other IIS members can take advantage of the

strong dollar.

Cheers and happy buying.

Chris

[Omaroo]

LOVING it too Humayun. Woohoo! :D I think I'm a Canon convert. :sadeyes: Figuring this lot out is going to require a uni course. Bluddie L :lol:

[Octane]

: D : D : D

Glad you're enjoying it. : )

H

[adman]

might be a while before he gets that holiday...?
1 AUD$ = 1.09 US$

[[1ponders]]

I jokingly/serious said to someone when the $Aus hit $0.97US, that I reaconed it would go as high as $1.25. Maybe not such a joke afterall. Do I buy that Feathertouch now or do I wait two or three weeks? :D

[casstony]

After the trend changed last time we were in this position (weak US dollar, high commodities prices) the US dollar rose in a lot less time than it took to fall.
ie. aussie dollar falls fast when the trend changes.

[Octane]

Paul,

I'm also waiting for $1.25. Hello, Paramount MX.

H

[Barrykgerdes]

It may look good buying stuff overseas when our dollar is high but it is all borrowed money. Some day it will need to be paid back and when our dollar is worth 60 cents or less US again is when the lenders will foreclose. We will then need to sell the rest of our assets to meet the debt which is the aim of the market manipulators. So much for the level playing field that stops us making our own equipment at a price we can as a nation afford.

Forget about your new equipment invest your money in China or any other country that we owe money to. When the crunch comes then you will have enough money to buy the world!

No 1 Pessimist Barry

[gregbradley]

The US is the country that owes China money. Not Aussie. We make heaps off of them. There's no way we import more from China than they buy from us. Same with Japan. China just signed a contract for AUD$90 billion for more liquid natural gas.

The US on the other hand has 3 trillion dollars worth of bonds in Chinese hands. That means they effectively owe the Chinese 3 trillion. The US economy is US$14 trillion a year. We are about US$1.4 trillion a year.

I agree though, that when the Aussie falls, it falls fast. Currency markets seem to be fickle and very heavily trending. Good when its up.

Greg.

[Jules76]

Interesting news piece which has me rubbing my hands with glee if it happens.

Aussie dollar could hit $US1.70 by 2014, predicts money guru Savvas Savouri

http://www.news.com.au/business/australian-dollar/aussie-dollar-could-hit-us170-by-2014-predicts-money-guru-savvas-savouri/story-fn6t6wad-1226052283978

[casstony]

The purpose of the modern bank is to turn as many citizens into debt slaves as possible and increase profits. They are the single greatest danger to our freedom and way of life - bankers have all but destroyed the US, Japanese and European economies through promotion of excessive debt levels, asset bubbles and fraudulent finacial instruments. I don't believe anything they say.

A strong Australian dollar depends on a healthy world economy needing our raw materials. The world economy is presently about as sick as it has ever been though that fact is hidden from Australians due to ongoing government spending/borrowing in an attempt to avoid the economic contraction necessary to balance the excesses of the past few decades. History suggests that the ****e will hit the fan, it's just a matter of when.

[overlord]

As soon as you see wild ideas like that it often means the thing is gonna go in the other direction. Maybe back to 80c, or maybe 30c or 2.50c. Anyone can come up with random ideas. There aren't any gurus unless they use financial astrology. :D P.S. 1.70 might kinda kill what's left of 'made in Australia' which will be an economic buffer for further increases.