Questar7 on gumtree

[Floody36 (Chris)]

Hi, a bit new to all this but I stumbled across this Questar 7 ($2000) last night.
It's seems to be set up for surveillance rather than astronomy. Still, it's a Q7.
Searched the web and found a few scraps of info on this variant plus some astronomers warning against buying a Q7 that's not fit for purpose.
It's a Z-7-671-BB-FF MFL

I have an equal interest in terrestrial and astronomy visual use and was wondering if this scope (legend) was worth considering.
If its usable I'd love to own it, but I'm in Tassie so am not really in a position to inspect. Someone else may have an interest or be closer to Marrickville to check it out.

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/marri...ope/1015105158

Cheers
Chris (newbie)

[brian nordstrom (As avatar)]

Woaw! if its kosher its a bargain for one of these !!! they normally go for 3-4x this price . If you can find one .
Brian.

[toc (Tim)]

Originally Posted by brian nordstrom

Woaw! if its kosher its a bargain for one of these !!! they normally go for 3-4x this price . If you can find one .
Brian.

New ones are about $8000.

[Tinderboxsky (Steve)]

There is a Questar 7 listed on the Astronomy Alive in Melbourne website under the exotic optics section for $9,000.

Steve.

[Wavytone]

There's nothing magical about a Questar 7. Yes it looks pretty but are you really prepared to pay a $4000 premium for a museum piece - wear and tear and one scratch will significantly devalue it.

I've looked through a Q7 side by side with my skywatcher 180mm f/15 Mak and there was very little difference.

The only question is the mount, and in this respect the Questar whie workable is quite antiquated. Simple, but it is very limited.

You could buy an Intes Micro, or the SW Mak and the new AZ-EQ6 mount and have a scope optically just as good, and a far more versatile mount.

Even a TEC10" Mak - optically better - sold for less recently.

[toc (Tim)]

Originally Posted by Wavytone

There's nothing magical about a Questar 7.

And here I was thinking that Moses walked back from Mount Sinai with two Tablets, and a Questar between his legs!

Mind you, I would love to have a little 3.5 inch Questar on display in the "pool room".

[sn1987a (Barry)]

Hello,
I must tell you, from the beginning, that I have moved to London, United Kingdom (Europe) because I have finished my work contract. I have worked there, for one year and now I came back home. I hope this is not an inconvenience. If you are interested in buying, then I will answer your questions and I can arrange a delivery to your location, of course free of charge.
Thank you


This is a copy of an email I got back when I replied to the ad. It looks like a SCAM to me!!.

Barry:

[Peter Ward]

Originally Posted by Wavytone

There's nothing magical about a Questar 7. Yes it looks pretty but are you really prepared to pay a $4000 premium for a museum piece - wear and tear and one scratch will significantly devalue it.

I've looked through a Q7 side by side with my skywatcher 180mm f/15 Mak and there was very little difference.

The only question is the mount, and in this respect the Questar whie workable is quite antiquated. Simple, but it is very limited.

You could buy an Intes Micro, or the SW Mak and the new AZ-EQ6 mount and have a scope optically just as good, and a far more versatile mount.

Even a TEC10" Mak - optically better - sold for less recently.

Couldn't disagree more.

I have a mint Questar 3.5" , they are an incredibly clever design, beautifully made & very stable in their "table top" configuration.

Q7's have a good deal of thermal inertia and do take quite a while to cool down....but to say there is very little difference with a Skywatcher Mak,
is like saying to me a Hyundai is similar to a Shelby Mustang. Naaahhh....

That said, if you can't look at scope beforehand, wouldn't touch it with a barge-pole at any price.

[Floody36 (Chris)]

Thanks to everyone and their insights.
As cautioned, I don't think it's a goer unless I get to touch it first !
Cheers
Chris

[brian nordstrom (As avatar)]

Or a 1969 440 6 pak Charger 4 speed , I could not agree more Peter , the build quality alone is worth the admission price .
Brian.

Originally Posted by Peter Ward

Couldn't disagree more.

I have a mint Questar 3.5" , they are an incredibly clever design, beautifully made & very stable in their "table top" configuration.

Q7's have a good deal of thermal inertia and do take quite a while to cool down....but to say there is very little difference with a Skywatcher Mak,
is like saying to me a Hyundai is similar to a Shelby Mustang. Naaahhh....

That said, if you can't look at scope beforehand, wouldn't touch it with a barge-pole at any price.

[sn1987a (Barry)]

[QUOTE=sn1987a;954580]Hello,
I must tell you, from the beginning, that I have moved to London, United Kingdom (Europe) because I have finished my work contract. I have worked there, for one year and now I came back home. I hope this is not an inconvenience. If you are interested in buying, then I will answer your questions and I can arrange a delivery to your location, of course free of charge.
Thank you


This is a copy of an email I got back when I replied to the ad. It looks like a SCAM to me!!.

Barry:[/QUOTE

I just got an email from "PayPal" requesting me to "confirm" my account details. An interesting coincidence.

[Wavytone]

a Shelby Mustang

A noisy, drafty, fuel guzzler that didn't handle all that well and isn't actually all that quick anymore. For pure pose value, perhaps, but how many spend $ on that. Oh wait... you own a Questar.

I don't disagree the Q3.5 is a work of art, but its one that dates from the pre-digital age. Ostensibly perfect optics in an undeniably pretty OTA and mount, but stuck with antiquated eyepieces, synchronous motor in RA, manual dec, no stepping motors, no GOTO, no capability for an autoguider, no encoders, no GPS... Great loungeroom ornament and a perfect travel scope for a solar eclipse, I agree.

I used an astro version of a Q7 side by side with my SW 180mm f/15 and optically they are indistinguishable if you use the same eyepiece in both. Both took an hour to cool down. Diffraction patterns on bright stars, detail and contrast on Jupiter and the moon etc indistinguishable. Even the secondary obstruction ratio is very similar. Questar can't beat the physics of resolution and diffraction any more than any other manufacturer, if the optics are good. Maybe my SW mak is better than average, though I have no way to test that.

If anything, image quality in a Q7 suffers in average to poor seeing in circumstances where a Q3.5 doesn't.

There's nothing mythical about Questar beyond very good engineering.

[astroboy]

A Q7 WITH MOUNT went for 7K on Ebay not long ago so I wouldn't get too excited .
I wonder if this is the scope that was sold at a Gov'y auction about 25 years ago for a song ( I think it was Bin Caught Steeling ) the bloke that bought it called me many years ago to see if I was interested ( I must have a reputation )
Qs are great scopes I love my 3.5 standard but I have to admit it gets looks at more than looked through.

Originally Posted by brian nordstrom

Woaw! if its kosher its a bargain for one of these !!! they normally go for 3-4x this price . If you can find one .
Brian.

[Octane (Humayun)]

Good pick up on the scam.

Gumtree (Scumtree): you will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.

I suspect something close to 99.99% of ads placed on there are frauds.

H

[LewisM]

Just for gits and shiggles, I too emailed the "seller". Will post what response I get.

Scamtree is indeed the worst place to buy or sell ANYTHING.