Skywatcher Pro price reductions

[MortonH]

Check out Bintel. Prices have come down to a (nearly) sensible level. Haven't checked any other sites yet...


Morton

[MortonH]

Before we get too excited, note that the HEQ5 comes with v2 Synscan, not v3.

Morton

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

Must be something wrong with my computer, Morton.

My computer says that Bintels HEQ5 and the EQ6 mounts both have V3.

[ving (David)]

me too ken

[Striker (Tony)]

You guys are just looking at the mounts for sale not the skywatcher packages that morton is refering to.

[digby dart]

Well spotted MortonH. I guess that "Prices have come down to a (nearly) sensible level" is still some way off.

Still, perhaps Tasco Sales who distribute Skywatcher in Australia think that by only spending $2800 any buyer should not expect to be able to always goto planets or update their controller with a version 3 controller.

As for the Skywatcher Mak: 180mm SRP AU2200.
Clearly Tasco Sales equates the Skywatcher 180mm to: Meade 08" LX200R Ritchey-Chretien OTA w/UHTC also at SRP AU$2200.

Obviously Australian astronomers are to be considered to be a a little less circumspect than our overseas contemporaries or "Quick Meade stop production of your 8" Ritchey-Chretien's... the Skywatcher 180mm Mak is here." After all Tasco sales Skywatcher Mak is made in China while Meade's 8" Ritchey-Chretien is quickly knocked together in, only, the USA.

[digby dart]

Update:
A quick check on Bintels Internet shop, as of tonight, showed:
Version 3 controller as a AU$200 option with the 150mm Mak HEQ5 goto package and;
Version 3 controller as included with 180mm Mak HEQ5 goto package.
The later certainly looks more attractive now. That equates to the Skywatcher 180mm Mak being AU$1000 if we assume the HEQ5 goto is worth $1800.