View Single Post
  #9  
Old 16-02-2014, 12:20 PM
rat156's Avatar
rat156
Registered User

rat156 is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 1,696
I think that around the 3/4 mark of what the piece of equipment was new for is a reasonable amount for astro gear. If the item is in good condition (it is usually pristine) then the only things you're not getting is a warranty and the "latest and greatest" gadget.

CCD cameras will become outdated before they have terminal electronics failure (much the same, but faster for DSLRs) for the vast majority. The same can happen to OTAs as well, particularly now with the Chinese producing some pretty good optics at bargain prices. They'll never compete with the ultra high end market, but they've taken a fair chunk of the RC market for example. Twenty years ago you'd have paid a lot for a reasonably small aperture (by todays standards) achromatic refractor on a non-driven, non-goto mount. Now this "cheap junk" is probably under a grand on eBay, our standards have shifted.

A used CCD camera in good condition should hold 1/2 to 3/4 of its value depending on what is available now that supersedes it. I don't think that the electronics will "wear out", you car has a lot of electronics in it (probably), not many are off the road because the computer has malfunctioned.

Cheers
Stuart
Reply With Quote