FLO

Interesting. Are the reviews posted by owners? Steve

I assume they are but I wasn’t aware they previously were not. Did the design include some kind of sub-aperture mask? Steve

You are not comparing like-for-like but it is true that the Maksuov’s success can be largely attributed to its long focal ratio and use of spherical surfaces (all optical surfaces in a Maksutov are spherical). This is not because spherical surfaces are ‘better’ but because they are easier to manufacture to a high surface accuracy, at an affordable price. Steve

It certainly is! My best view to date of Jupiter was achieved one night at Kelling, a few years ago. We had decided the Skymax 180 would be FLO’s ‘planet killer’ but we had arrived late so we’re still unpacking when Jupiter appeared between rain showers. The Mak’ hadn’t had long enough to cool so we quickly setup our old and battered Sky-Watcher 100ED doublet. The view was astounding but it was more a result of unusually good (even for Kelling) seeing conditions than telescope optics. Unfortunately when the Mak was ready to go seeing had deteriorated. Steve

Grant is on holiday this week but I will ask him when he returns. Not sure about your focuser question because, currently, the iOptron telescope shown here is the only RC scope we stock. We can source anything iOptron. Is their Maksutov highly regarded? Steve

So too is the DayStar Quark Gemini 🙂

The DayStar Quark Combo is now in stock for overnight delivery 🙂

Power is back and all hands are on deck 🙂

I have edited my post after discovering we can complete an end-of-day Royal Mail Manifest remotely. Thank-you Grant 👍 So, if you have received an auto-email today saying your order was dispatched then it will be (means we packed it before the power cut). Orders scheduled for dispatch this afternoon will now leave us Monday.

There is currently a power cut affecting a number of businesses on the industrial estate here in Exeter. Unfortunately FLO is one of them! It began earlier this afternoon. They are estimating power will return around 3:30pm. If you have today received an auto-email from FLO saying your delivery was dispatched then it will dispatch as normal when the couriers and Royal Mail collect later this afternoon. Our apologies to everyone affected 🙁 Similarly, if you have emailed us today our response will be delayed. Fortunately I boiled the kettle only minutes before the power went down so we have warm coffee in thermal mugs! ☕️🙂 Steve

There is a certain resemblance... Possibly the receding hairline 🙂 Steve

The discussions went well so I can confirm we (with Ian King) will be at the International Astronomy Show 15th – 16th November 🙂 We will post details in a separate discussion soon. Steve

If not then we have more CEM60 arriving end-of-month 🙂

Will do 🙂

Our first customer-return iOptron mount (a noisy CEM60) should be with us soon. Rob is delighted... 😏

Thank-you for your order 🙂 All the CEM60 mounts from our latest delivery have sold but we have more arriving around the end of this month. HTH, Steve

It is good to hear the mounts are being delivered safely 🙂

Yes 🙂 We saw your note requesting delivery on Monday. Steve

Ian must have heard you! http://www.iankingimaging.com/show_product.php?id=1866

No problem, Ron. I only wondered why you asked 🙂 Steve

I am not familiar with American and US retailers so cannot (and should not) discuss their behaviour 😇 Regarding pre-dispatch checks. We can offer pre-dispatch checks (at FLO we have an in-house workshop manned by my colleague, Rob, who services and repairs mounts) but nobody has requested it and our experience so far (we became an iOptron dealer March 2019) suggests it is not necessary. Rob is looking forward to someone returning an iOptron mount! He is itching to get inside one 🤗 HTH, Steve

We don't and I don't think anyone has requested one. Also, so far, we haven't experienced a single customer return. (It is inevitable we will, sooner or later, but so far there have been none). Why do you ask? Do you know of a retailer claiming to check iOptron mounts prior to dispatch? Steve

Work in progress...

All hands on deck! 😀 One of the two pallets being unloaded. They have only just arrived so the majority of orders will be processed and dispatched tomorrow for delivery to customers Friday. Thank-you for your patience.

We don't know. It is Ian's clearance sale. If you drop him a quick email I am sure he'll let you know Steve