Though Argo Navis is used by enthusiasts around the world we are proud of the fact
that it is designed and manufactured here in Australia. We are particularly proud of the
fact that it employs fellow Australian workers, many of whom are women.
Yesterday afternoon, whilst at the turn-key state-of-the-art facility that we employ in
the west of Sydney to manufacture Argo Navis, I took the opportunity to snap some
shots which might provide some interested readers with a little bit more insight of
what happens "behind the scenes".
Great pics Gary
Is this the new "really big" screen model for optically aging astronomers
Could I order a couple..I'll keep the 2 I have thought...would not be without!
Fantastic pics Gary. Great to see an innovative Aussie company doing things well. I certainly didn't as I am sure other didn't, realise the size or extent of your operation.
Great pics Gary
Is this the new "really big" screen model for optically aging astronomers
Could I order a couple..I'll keep the 2 I have thought...would not be without!
Hi Geoff,
LOL!
Getting older is not a lot of fun and I can relate to the effects of age on eyesight.
I am sure that, like me, you swear that they must be using smaller and smaller
newsprint than they use to when we were younger.
I guess you will be heading up to the Pony Club tonight? it certainly is nice outside
right now.
Fantastic pics Gary. Great to see an innovative Aussie company doing things well. I certainly didn't as I am sure other didn't, realise the size or extent of your operation.
Hi Malcolm,
Thanks for your posts and your supportive comments which are appreciated.
Though we don't own the facility that performs our manufacturing, we employ them
as a contract manufacturer on a 'turn-key' basis. So we are just one of the customers
of this particular plant.
These days, most electronic product companies, including most of the world's
giant electronic companies like Hewlett-Packard, have divested themselves
of most of their own manufacturing capability and instead employ specialist
contract manufacturers.
As you can appreciate from the pictures, there is a very significant investment
in equipment in this facility costing many millions of dollars and this equipment
needs to be periodically serviced and updated over time and its operation and
maintenance requires particularly specialized expertise.
One major advantage of using a turn-key contract manufacturer for a company
such as ours is that we can take advantage of that enormous investment without
having to build and operate the plant. This then gives us access to state-of-the-art
lead-free reflow soldering, automated test in a electrostatic free controlled
environment and the collective experience of the highly skilled technicians
and support staff that work there.
By the way, Geoff mentioned failing eyesight and I have been intrigued by your
avatar which is a good test of vision. It looks like you are standing next to an
American-style back and white police car? Is there any anecdote that
comes with the picture?
By the way, Geoff mentioned failing eyesight and I have been intrigued by your
avatar which is a good test of vision. It looks like you are standing next to an
American-style back and white police car? Is there any anecdote that
comes with the picture?
For some reason, I've always thought that was a pic of him on a visit to Movieworld or similar with one of the american cop cars
By the way, Geoff mentioned failing eyesight and I have been intrigued by your
avatar which is a good test of vision. It looks like you are standing next to an
American-style back and white police car? Is there any anecdote that
comes with the picture?
Best Regards
Gary
Gary
It is a picture of me standing next to a replica Blues Mobile while on a visit to Universal Studios in LA last year. Back in the day (meaning when I was in my early 20s) my 2 brothers and I shared a small house in Hawthorn (inner Melbourne) and our standard Friday night out was a midnight showing of the Blues Brothers, complete with acting out scenes, dancing singing and general silliness. The 3 of us can still hold conversations lasting several hours consisting of little else but Blues Bros material, much to the consternation of our respective spouses!
The Studios were a lot of fun, although this was a replica they had one of the cars used in the movie on the back lot tour, as well as several other pieces from the film.
The trip was primarily to attend a Swing Dance camp, but we took in a bus tour of the south west and had a lot of fun in LA, which, contrary to my expectations, is a great place. Unfortunately, despite passing close to both Mt Palomar and the Lowell Observatory, didn't manage any astronomy related stuff on the trip.
The 3 of us can still hold conversations lasting several hours consisting of little else but Blues Bros material, much to the consternation of our respective spouses!
However, there are some tough and very
costly regulatory requirements that one has to meet in various jurisdictions
around the world.
Gary Kopff
Wildcard Innovations Pty. Ltd.
20 Kilmory Place, Mount Kuring-Gai
NSW. 2080. Australia
Do these include some of the "technology transfer" regulations...the reason I ask is that this past week I've been working with our US based subsidiaries and checking their "compliance regimes" including export restrictions to some countries (technology transfers and terrorism)...the only reason I ask is that this additional regulation can be surprisingly costly as well.
Alternatively, I won't speak about the need to hold up a global pricing umbrella policy that supports a distribution channel and their margins too.
My point is that I think your gear provides a great "value" for what it delivers...and some nights I think you might sell them too cheaply.
"You want I should get the bugs off your windshield lady?"....
...But be realistic, its way too expensive for what it is...
To bojan and Bob regarding your comments indicating that the AN is not worth the money/too expensive.
It is clearly obvious that ATM'ers can produce similar results from other parts and accessories and produce equal results. And more power to you if you can acheive this. But I believe your comments are relative to your situation only, not mine or anyone elses.
I used to be the same, and would spend many hours tinking in my workshop creating devices for all manner of hobbies which could be commercially available. Bu t these days I am more than happy to purchase a product (like AN) where someone has done all the tinkering for me.
Perhaps your comments should read something like: "It is more economical for me produce my own device than to buy an AN". If you think you can cobble a system together and get it to work, well done! But many amateurs are more than happy to pay for the privelige of a new, tried and tested, out-of-the-box system which has local support if required.
You comments "my belief that it is not quite appropriate to make money on amateurs who can not do things themselves" is kind of strange, given that we all buy commercially produced items at some point in our hobby, whether that be telescopes, mounts, eyepieces etc.
Finally, given those great pictures from Gary of the manufacturing facility, and the years of R & D (and I assume lots of investment $, $1000 for an AN is not really that much to pay for all that hard work.
To bojan and Bob regarding your comments indicating that the AN is not worth the money/too expensive.
It is clearly obvious that ATM'ers can produce similar results from other parts and accessories and produce equal results. And more power to you if you can acheive this. But I believe your comments are relative to your situation only, not mine or anyone elses.
I used to be the same, and would spend many hours tinking in my workshop creating devices for all manner of hobbies which could be commercially available. Bu t these days I am more than happy to purchase a product (like AN) where someone has done all the tinkering for me.
Perhaps your comments should read something like: "It is more economical for me produce my own device than to buy an AN". If you think you can cobble a system together and get it to work, well done! But many amateurs are more than happy to pay for the privelige of a new, tried and tested, out-of-the-box system which has local support if required.
You comments "my belief that it is not quite appropriate to make money on amateurs who can not do things themselves" is kind of strange, given that we all buy commercially produced items at some point in our hobby, whether that be telescopes, mounts, eyepieces etc.
Finally, given those great pictures from Gary of the manufacturing facility, and the years of R & D (and I assume lots of investment $, $1000 for an AN is not really that much to pay for all that hard work.
Stephen,
I am not defending my views here now.. I am replying only because it seems that some of you did not read my comments properly, if at all.
I clearly stated that I was expressing my private opinions (and make no mistake, you are doing exactly the same thing - expressing your private opinion or at least I hope this is the case) of the product (and being a professional electronics engineer for over 35 years of experience in both R&D and manufacturing industry, I KNOW what I am talking about), and I sort of disqualified myself as DIY person in my very first post in this thread (now I feel this was actually too much)
I even admitted that it was a huge mistake to post here.. And clearly it was. However, I am capable of learning ..
Looks like people like myself are regarded as rogue or strange on this forum, maybe even as lunatics, who - imagine - do not go along with the rest and do not take advantage of all those fantastic offers on the market? Or are we standing in a way of free advertising?
If/when I buys an AN, I am reassured by knowing it has great support. Others have verified this that Gary et. al. support their product, and that knowledge is worth $$$ to me as I have no technical knowlege to solve problems. Sure I can put together a DIY using laptop, Bartels box, Autostar controller etc. but it has no support, and I am on my own or relying on Yahoo groups etc to support it.
I miss mine, I had it on a eq5 which I have now sold.
We have HEQ5pro and NEQ6pro goto's now, but the Synta goto controller is pathetic in comparison.
(and since we got the synta's I have learnt to appreciate the way Argo retains alignment if the scope is bumped or if the clutches are off.)
Nothing wrong with expressing your opinion and isn't that what we always do afterall? Even if we think not! I understand both opinions here coming from a background where I could engineer something myself, and would have done some years back. These days, for me, life is too busy with other things too, and the family likes to see me occasionally too, surprisingly!!!
So I do understand if you want to build it yourself, as I have done with too numerous items to mention here, over the years.
But these days for me, ARGONAVIS ROCKS! Every good thing everyone else has said about the product, the excellent support, etc, etc, etc, is true. So good I have 2 of them in fact. The AN is so convenient, and for me, easy setup is important so as not to put me off wanting to go outside for a look when I'm feeling a bit tired after a hard day....know what I mean?
This post has been excellent, just like the product in question and the people supporting it, and it's been great to get some further insight into the operations of Wildcard Innovations.
There is only one thing AN still needs, and that is a "sleep" button, so that Gary can get some peace and shut-eye from all of us diehards,
Ok people--the update on my new Argo Navis-(a big thankyou for all the help to get me going Gary--newbies must be a right royal pain).
Had a quick session with the new toy tonight,trying to dodge the cloud cover.
Did all the final checks etc--fired it up--quick 2 star align---did a planet search--and first attempt BINGO---Jupiter smack bang in the middle of the fov!
Searched quickly for other objects, and got the same result--what an exellent machine--!
Im one very happy camper!
Thanks to all ,for your feedback and comments.
Cheers-Eric
Ok people--the update on my new Argo Navis-(a big thankyou for all the help to get me going Gary--newbies must be a right royal pain).
Had a quick session with the new toy tonight,trying to dodge the cloud cover.
Did all the final checks etc--fired it up--quick 2 star align---did a planet search--and first attempt BINGO---Jupiter smack bang in the middle of the fov!
Searched quickly for other objects, and got the same result--what an exellent machine--!
Im one very happy camper!
Thanks to all ,for your feedback and comments.
Cheers-Eric
Hi Eric,
That's what we like to hear!
You were lucky to dodge those clouds that came rolling through earlier!
I have been helped by both bojan and gary (and others) in setting up my DIY alt/azimuth for my 10" LB. working well now thanks.
In this situation there is no right or wrong, only opinions. as some others have said.
My view is that the Argo Navis sounds like a quality item with many happy owners, but I wouldn't spend that sort of money on an accessory that costs as much as my telescope. My aim would be to put the money towards buying the best telescope I could afford, than the best accessories that I can afford can be added as need be.
It's like fitting heated leather seats with multiple motorized adjustments to the previously mention Lada in my opinion.
Although if I was to find an Argo Navis under the Xmas tree:
Last edited by richardda1st; 25-12-2009 at 10:37 AM.
Reason: diplomacy
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