FLO

Regarding the Es Reid optical bench test. To keep the price low we ask only that Es' confirms the telescope is a good example and performs as it should. He checks the optics are well figured and properly aligned. I.e. he checks for star-shape, colour, spherical aberrations and astigmatism. If he finds a misalignment/aberration he corrects it on the bench. If this is not possible the telescope is rejected. Es doesn't provide a test report or certificate. Think of it as an extra layer of quality control. For more info regarding the Es Reid test please see here: Some time after that post we made the Es Reid test available for Esprit telescopes. Then about a month ago we decided to Es Reid test ‘all’ our Esprit telescopes. Our customer receipts make this clear but perhaps we should also consider adding a holo-sticker or similar to the telescopes, so they are easily identifiable. Will give that some thought. It is Sunday and my lunch is on the table so will log off now 🙂 Steve

Hi Jaxson, Delays during the pandemic are due only to the pandemic. Manufacturers continue to struggle with high demand, materials shortages and reduced shipping channels. More info can be found at our website. We close for weekends but myself or a colleague will see your email then respond when we reopen tomorrow/Monday. Enjoy your weekend 🙂 Steve

No problem and no need for a snip 🙂 Reviews on other forums are interesting but we are more interested in new reviews of StellaLyra telescopes. Reviews posted by owners here at SGL. Sales are good so I don't think it will be long. At FLO our understanding of these designs comes largely from Ian King. Ian is a colleague but prior to him joining FLO he sold (through his website, Ian King Imaging) these designs for around a decade so has plenty of knowledge and experience. Steve

For visual use we recommend one of the the Classical Cassegrain models. They have a hyperbolic secondary and parabolic primary. Their high contrast and long focal ratios make them especially good for lunar and planetary observing, and imaging. They don't need a large glass corrector so are less prone to dew than a SCT or Maksutov. The open tube design also cools quicker and the fixed primary means no mirror flop. They are also less collimation sensitive than the Ritchey-Chrétien models. There is a lot to like 🙂 They don't include a case. We will look at making cases available separately. HTH, Steve

Don’t worry, we can’t hear you over the till’s ‘ker-ching’ 🎶 🙂

Also available here 🙂 StellaLyra 10" f/8 M-LRC Ritchey-Chrétien Carbon Truss Telescope OTA

No problem 🙂 Would you mind if we loan you one of our reducers (it is made by GSO, like the telescope)? It will be good to know how it compares. Please PM me if you are willing. Steve

^ What he said 🙂 Perhaps when Johninderby posted a link to the same telescope at 365astronomy it was to demonstrate what we said in our original post is true. “Manufactured by Guan Sheng Optical in Taiwan”. You can of course buy these same designs wearing other brand names like Orion, TS, Omegon, etc. We have always been transparent regarding who manufacturers our telescopes (retailers do not manufacture telescopes). GSO enables retailers who meet their criteria and are able to order in sufficient quantity to brand their designs. Some simply use their own company name or logo. Others, like us, launch unique brand names. Having our own brand enables us to identify telescopes sourced and sold by us and support them (FLO is the only UK astronomy retailer with a fully equipped/staffed workshop and Es Reid handles optical work if necessary). You can buy with confidence. HTH, Steve

We don't have a x0.5 or x0.33 but we do have a 0.75x Reducer for StellaLyra / GSO Ritchey Chretien OTAs.

Oops. Sorry. The text now says 3.25" focuser top and bottom 🙂 Currently we don't think that is necessary but will monitor and review our decision over time. We have had our eye on these models for some but waited until the designs had matured. A good example ^ Collimation has improved too 😎 Steve

Thank-you 🙂 Will find and correct the typos ASAP. If you notice any others please say.

We don't know. It is too soon to say. They might... 😁 Steve

No, our StellaMira ED and ED2 triplets are manufactured for us by Long Perng. Also in Taiwan. StellaMira for ED refractors, StellaLyra for reflector telescopes. We have more from both manufacturers in the pipeline... 🙂

Thank-you for noticing 🙂

You can now buy Classical Cassegrain & Ritchey-Chrétien telescopes at FLO 🙂 StellaLyra Classical Cassegrain & Ritchey-Chrétien telescopes Manufactured by Guan Sheng Optical in Taiwan. All models in stock!

We are not sure but think mid-late November. Currently we are expecting enough stock to fulfil all existing backorders. BST StarGuider eyepieces are 'very' difficult to source. The factory appears always to be 2-3x weeks away from dispatching, but often don't. Regarding Sky-Watcher UWA Planetary eyepieces, the distributor says December. We have a large Sky-Watcher delivery arriving in 1-2x weeks, there might be some in that. We don't know. They haven't mentioned anything. But if someone were to buy a ZWO camera from FLO then find it 10% cheaper within 30-days, we would refund the difference in FLO Gift Vouchers 😇 Steve

When we spoke with them they said late-Sep / early-Oct for the 8" and November for the 10". HTH

Thank-you 🤗

Yes 🙂

Sales of astronomy equipment during the pandemic continue to be significantly higher than normal while manufactures struggle with materials shortages and fewer shipping channels. Obtaining reliable ETAs from manufacturers and distributors is understandably very difficult. Even when they do have an ETA, it often changes overnight and it is not unusual for entire shipments to sell out before they dock. We believe this perfect storm will continue at least until a vaccine is found and made readily available so, with this in mind, we have made some changes at FLO that we want to share with you: We have employed five additional staff (two in the warehouse, two at the Helpdesk and one in the workshop). You might already know one of our new staff, Dave Eagle 😎 We have invested significantly in stock. When stock is available, we buy it. Lots of it! So whilst stock is scarce our warehouse has never been so full. We have also made a significant change to our website's stock availability information. We now share precisely how many of each item is in stock at our warehouse. (Over 95% of products sold at FLO are dispatched from our warehouse. We rarely drop-ship). Thank-you sincerely for your continued support 🤗 Alex, Andy, Annette, Ann, Cody, Dave, Grant, Ian, James, Katie, Lisa, Martin, Matt, Rob & Steve.

I have removed the Vixen link from my post 🙂 Thank-you for your order.

That is 24x 🙂

Not sure where you are looking. We have plenty of stock 🙂

If you have ever wanted a Japanese-made Vixen SG 2.1x42 widefield binocular but didn't like the price, you will like this 🙂 Helios have released a very similar product at a significantly lower price. Only £89! Helios 2x40 Star Field Binoculars The low 2x magnification and multicoated optics provide huge, bright, high contrast views of the night sky. Perfect for observing the Milky Way and star fields. I like them, but binoculars like these are undeniably a Marmite product. They are not like regular binoculars. They use a modified Galilean optical system so do not have a clearly defined circular field and the viewing area is not sharp and flat to the edge. That is not what they are designed for. Indeed I am not sure they should even be called a binocular. They occupy ground somewhere between spectacles and binocular. Perhaps they are best described as a visual aid. They do however provide wonderful views of the night sky. Everything is easier to see and appreciate vs naked eye, whether you view from a city or under a dark sky, and they cost only around the same as a decent eyepiece. So we recommend them 🙂 Steve

PS: Synta have also released a 6" Newtonian with a non-collimatable primary mirror. Sky-Watcher Star Discovery 150i WiFi