Atik Support - very poor

[JohnH]

A while ago I wrote about amazing service from Astronomic who replaced an Ha filter I had in no time flat depite the fact that it was not even new when I bought it.

Now I have to report the opposite - I bought a new Atik EFW with both the manual and USB contoller when it first came out. The manual controller was ok but the USB one was always unreliable often failing to intialise correctly and worse failing during an imaging session so much so I could not use it. It seemed to be the control cable connection that was flaky and to avoid repeated break/make of that connection each time I set up I bought another cable and left that plugged in permanently. That worked for a while but eventually I could only get good connection half the time and then not at all. I reverted to manual control but even that failed eventually with a bang and smoke from the control box.

Now all the time this was happening I was asking Atik to please supply the pin out for the contol cable so I could replace the dodgy connector - a 50c part. I have asked in the Yahoo support group and ATIK but the only response I ever got was send the whole thing back to Portugal.

Well, in the end I have had to do that and it has now been nearly 2 months - I have paid for the repair to the manual cotroller and for a replacement EFW control cable but have nothing yet - not even an indication that the itesm have been posted. I email ATIK (Rui) at least once a week - on average he has responded to about 1 in 4 of these emails.

I seriously counsel those considering Atik products for use in AU to consider the adequacy of their support service and product reliability before purchase.

I hope I am an isolated incident.

[allan gould]

Sorry to hear about your frustration. A company will survive of fail on customer service alone, no matter how good the product. They should lift their game.

[M_Lewis]

The atik company rep for australia is a member of iis, mail her, and ask her to action it for you. I think her name was Jennifer from memory, because she had to speak up and set the record straight for a rather embarrasing thread where someone claimed to be an atik dealer when it was quite obvious they weren't.

I own an Atik camera and couldn't be happier with it, or the service I required when I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong when I initially received it. Turned out to be me - the operator error thing, where I was skipping a step. But they walked me through the process and sorted it out.

[mithrandir]

IIS member "jennifers", is from the UK, and is Marketing Manager for Atik.



Ditto.

[gbeal]

So, for the record John, are you talking about "Astronomic" as in Astronomics, in the US, or Astronomik in Germany? Or someone else? Makes a difference.
Gary

[multiweb]

Shame to hear about that because they look like really neat little cameras judging from the shots I've seen around. Pretty cool gear. Hope it gets sorted out quickly for you.

[strongmanmike]

Given that Astronomics won't sell to anyone outside the US and Astronomik filters have a life time gurantee I would think John was refering to Astronomik :)

[TheAstroGuy]

Hi John,

I am sorry to hear that, you should have brought your Atik gear from me :)

No but in all serious-ness that's no good, Contact Vince at Atik he is the main technician there and is usually very helpful.

Whilst i am a dealer myself i also use two Atik cameras and have required help in the Past with understanding software and both Vince and Jennifer are extremely helpful people.

Good Luck

Kind Regards

Shane

[JohnH]

Oops can't type can I? Astronomik in Germany have stellar (sic) support!

[JohnH]

Yes maybe Shane!

But all I really ever wanted was the pinout for the EFW cable so I coiuld replace the faulty connector or make up a new cable myself. Atik always sound helpful by email and promised to send the cable directly and not to wait to fix the control box, pay later etc etc but it is now two months and counting and, of course the money has been transferred, emails seem to go missing - maybe it is language problems or spam filters, I do not know, but I really cannot recommend it...

Regards,

John

[JohnH]

Just in case you were wondering - 2 more emails no replies and I am still waiting for the parts...

[mithrandir]

Have you tried the Atik group on Yahoo (http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/atik_instruments/)? Steve or Rui usually reply to direct questions.

[JohnH]

Yes mate my original problem reports and pleas for assistance are in there. I did not feel like flaming their poor support in the Yahoo group directly but I am pretty close to doing it now...

[The Doctor]

Bu&&er !
Same thing has just happened to me this morning! USB CONTROL BOX, power still going to the FW but , no control !
USB lead still works tested that with a printer an hour ago ! Problem is I don't even have a manual control box !!...and no idea where to get one or how to make one :(
I've written to support@ Atik etc ad posted on the Yahoo
Any ideas all welcomed !

[JohnH]

Mate,

As far as I know this model (EFW) is discontinued. ATIK might repair it for you, or you might be able to argue for replacement with the newer model (how old is it?).

Best of luck!

[netwolf]

Karlo, long time ago I spoke with Rui Tripa at Atik in Portugal directly a few times via Skype. I still see he is online in Skype most of the time. So perhaps give him a call and speak directly to him. Look for "atikman".
I have never used Atik camera's but I was getting some advise from him on a Artemis Kit camera that was the basis for one of the first Atik camera's.

[Poita]

Is it the DIN socket that you need the pinout for?

[The Doctor]

Yes, just in case it cannot be fixed, I thought of rigging it up with a home-made manual switch ??
I have been in contact with Vince ( at Artemis) who handles things here in the UK- He's been very helpful , and honest I have to say, and I'm posting the lot of to him and Steve Chambers(?) today to see if they can fix the board- otherwise it's a new FW for me :(
If the problem still exists when I get back from my hols in 3rd wk of August then I'll have no option but get a new one. The StarlightXpress 7x 1.25 looks very interesting :)
I'll keep you posted , in the meantime it's back to webcam AP and red filtered Mono.
Karlo