Quote:
Originally Posted by dpastern
I'd be surprised if Bintel does all repairs in house. I suspect that those meades are rather complex beasties under the skin ;-)
|
David - might be best to do some research before making these comments here.
Both Don Whiteman and Michael Chaytor from Bintel have spent time working for Meade and Celestron over in Irvine, CA to be very qualified and informed product engineers - skills which they brought back to Australia for our benefit. I believe that Don was involved in research and development for Meade in some capacity too, and is more qualified than nearly anyone to fix these scopes. They keep going back over from time to time to keep abreast of developments and brush up on the new gear as it surfaces. They've invested in a spare parts inventory, and this isn't cheap to maintain. They don't have every part in stock, for sure, but they certainly know what is needed most often. Remember - even the spares have to be shipped internationally - and stored - whether they're used or not. They keep mechanical components (motors, gear trains, clutches, etc) as well as full electronics for pretty-well everything they stock. I couldn't imagine they carry spare SCT mirrors or corrector plates, but I could be wrong. Maybe they do draw the line here, because replacing these parts usually isn't worth the money. Make sure you have insurance!
Back when I had a 12" LX200GPS I'd rather've sent it to Don than to the factory/HQ any day of the week. I wouldn't even think of bringing in a Meade or Celestron scope direct from the USA to save 20%. Not in a million Sundays. Some would, but then they risk being stranded if the crunch comes.
Why pay a little more to buy from here? Because you get a very short turnaround on local repairs and don't have to pay for freight back to the States - and also avoid possible breakage en route. You get great advice on accessories and these guys know exactly what will and won't work in relation to the scopes. You can take your scope in to them and have it thorougly cleaned for almost nix at any time. Great service. It's also interesting to note that these two blokes are heavily involved in the astronomical community, and Don holds a very active committee position within the ASNSW. Not too many other simple vendors go to this extent to be close to those they sell to. I've also never come across someone who has told me not to buy certain items in their inventory because something else (that they didn't even carry) was better suited to my needs.