[Hagar (Doug)]

You guessed it, I've got the sads at the moment and could almost sell the lot.

This got me thinking about why I feel the way I do and as usual I came up with a few things which have bothered me of late.

We all spend an awful lot of hard earned dollars to buy the best gear we can possibly afford and in return the Astro equipment manufacturers seem to think they can just pump out equipment with no standards so to speak or at least no standardisation.
Almost all telescopes use differing size focusers, diferent size and pitch threads and different size adapters and connectors.

We as gulible sheep are expected to continually buy the next adapter on their shopping list so we can connect cameras and accessories to our new scopes.

I for one have a box full of bits and pieces I have put together over the years which I suppose will serve me into retirement for it's scrap vallue if for nothing else.

At least the top of the line manufacturers produce adapters to fit all their equipment and in some cases these fit their entire range. I intend over time to standardise all my telescopes to Takahashi threads wich are at least manufactured to 2 major standard sizes.

Are we too soft on these companies treating us as fools with specialty fittings for each scope in their range or releasing new equipment before they have been able to release drivers, user manuals or even just basic instructions. Seems more and more hits the streets without the basics being provided at the time of sale and in some cases, not at all.

Bearing in mind that we can't all afford PME's, Astrophisics and Takahashi, do the other suppliers have some resposibility to test, document and sell their equipment to us with all the required bits and pieces?

WHAT DO YOU THINK.