IO Astronomy

[spaceboy]

IO Astronomy AKA www.hampshireastronomy.co.uk is a supplier I have came across in the past but have always preferred to stick with suppliers I am more familiar with. On this occasion I decided to do my research and found that unbeknown to me they are actually more prominent in the astronomy community than I had first thought, having a place amongst Sky At Night Magazine retailers guide http://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/retailer-guide.

As my usual supplier was showing a wait for the item I wanted and with money burning a hole in my pocket I decided to give IO Astronomy a go. Put it this way, I need not have had any concerns. There was regular updates to the progress of my order which was more than just an automated email. The item was here before I knew it and everything was in good order.

Very friendly with a professional service overall. The only gripe I would have and this is probably more my browser security than their site but I had to disable my pop up blocker and allow all cookies (not just theirs) before items would show in cart. No big deal I guess as once checkout was complete I reverted everything back to the way it was but for those who may have similar browser security I thought I'd give it a mention.

While I usually like to review a supplier after using them several times I was so impressed with my first impressions of IO Astronomy and the friendly service offered by Sharon I didn't want it to go un-noted.

[Chinapig]

Following a talk at my local astro group on dark sky portable AP, I called IO Astronomy a few weeks ago, for some advice on portable mounts suitable for dslr work and for use with a small refractor.  I was looking for something compact, lightweight, and easily transportable – for holidays, and impromptu grab-&-go trips to darker skies.

I spoke to Dave Woods at some length, and his advice made logical and economic sense.  I therefore visited the company’s showroom in Hampshire a few days later, to have a look at the various options in the flesh.  Dave gave me a tour of their showroom, and spent well over an hour with me, patiently outlining the comparative benefits and challenges of the various contenders - from the likes of Polarie and SkyTracker up to a full-blown AstroTrac system.  Among the candidates that Dave demo’d was a product that really caught my attention - the iOptron SkyGuider.  It had the potential capacity for a dslr and small refractor, using the same motor as the larger ZEQ25 GT, but was small, light, sturdy and seemed excellent value.  It even came in two neat carry cases – one for the mount, and one for its dedicated tripod. I also looked closely at the little Starwave 70ED, to accompany the SkyGuider and, in passing, noticed the new Starwave 102mm f11 refractor.  Hmm…   Buying a Lunt Herschel Wedge on the way out, having enjoyed Sharon’s excellent coffee, I went off to think about the other options for a few days, thoroughly impressed with the company’s service. 

I phoned them about a week later, outlined my final choices, and was further impressed with the fact that Dave offered to drive the products over to my house and spend some time with me setting everything up, to make quite sure I was happy with the kit and its operation.  In my view, an exceptional level of service – friendly, helpful and informative at every stage, and Dave was genuinely keen that I bought exactly the kit I needed, and which would give me the best long-term flexibility, while using my budget to its greatest effect.  I have since phoned with a couple of questions – always answered swiftly - and ordered one or two accessories, which have been dispatched and delivered swiftly. 

I’m a very happy customer, and will certainly use IO Astronomy again. 

[chops]

David was helpful, enthusiastic and flexible: I assumed I was going to be too late to drop in on my way past one Sat evening (about 5:30), so phoned to ask if he was open the next day (Sunday). Although he was, he simply said - just come this evening, I operate from home so it's no problem. I arrived later and was made to feel very welcome; he's an interesting guy too.

Great service from IoAstro and I got precisely what I was after.