Quote:
Originally Posted by Shano592
Hi Malcolm,
I just watched the DVD that Obsession sent to me, and a 50kg, 40+ yo little old lady from Pasadena puts it together, from the back of her van, in just under 10 minutes ... all the while, she is talking to the camera.
I think the guys you were watching may possibly have been recovering from something from the night before ?? (Kidding)
They just appear to be drop-in poles with screw tighteners, with a click-over locking mechanism on the top section.
Looks like the construction of the the Obsession is pretty much on a par with the SDM design, from the looks on the two web sites.
It is also good to note that SDM are adjusting the prices fairly, to accommodate the climbing AUD!
Currently, including shipping, Customs, GST (but NOT port charges), SDM is several thousand $$ cheaper for the 25-inch.
Now, I just have to wait for 97 cents on the USD again.
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I am a recent purchaser of an Obsession 15 inch (slightly used) and it is a magnificent piece of work. It is in most every way nicer than my Discovery 12.5 inch reflector (which is quite nice).
Having said that, I've had the good fortune to view through and see a couple of the SDM Telescopes and I would say that they are at least the equal of the Obsession in terms of quality and build and likely fractionally nicer as they are each customized.
The hardware used (mirror, focuser etc.) can be identical, depending on what you order, so the real difference, if there is one, is in the wood craftsmanship...I think SDM might have the edge.
Don't misunderstand me, the Obsession is top shelf and if it was made in Australia I would be raving about it to you...I suspect for the money, Peter will build and deliver you a better scope than Obsession can.
Do yourself a favour before you order one from overseas and check out the SDM stuff in person and compare it to the Obsessions in Australia (there are a few of them around).