questar for £400?What do you think.grab&go

[inspectapart]

Well..... it`s not to be mine after all! The seller was genuine. so much so that she honoured the highest bid regardless of the fact that she didn`t want to post to italy.She contacted ebay for advice and was told to accept payment by 12.00 today or she could cancel the bid. The Italian paid up.

I knew the scope was a good buy but there are a lot of good grab and go scopes out there for £400 quid. Its just that I would have really liked to own a Questar

[Adrian Condon]

Hi,

Glad to hear that the deal was genuine, sorry you did not get the scope. However, you have gained more experience of eBay and what to look out for.

I once looked through an astro version of a Questar, it was clear, the image was right way up, but reversed and difficult to follow birds.... but that would not be a problem viewing the stars.

Cheers

Adrian

[inspectapart]

I`m missing this scope even though I never owned it

Better luck next time I suppose.

I waited for two years to find my dream classic scope; a Vixen 102s fluorite! Thought I`d never get one.Then my luck changed and one popped up at the best possible price and I bought it. I dare say another questar will pop up again, but not at that price I don`t suppose!

Bob

[swamp thing]

Unlucky Bob.

Some you win.....

Better luck next time. Fingers crossed.

Regards Steve

[John]

Bad luck Bob

If it's any consolation I found a short review of a Questar 3.5" model that gave the opinion that it was a bit compromised in some ways when it came to astro use:

Questar 3.5 Maksutov Telescope - Review

I wonder if the Italian buyer will sell it on and try an make a few Euros

[cotterless45]

Yo, some goodies still out there.

Picked up an as new Vixen 90M still in original box for £112 on fleabay. Sweet.

[MacRoy]

I gave up the Questar thing a while back as only 1 of the many adverts I answered was genuine. It was a reply to an ad I put in Preloved (I think) , a really nice old guy but the price was way too high. There are a few scammers out there who are feeding off the lust for a Questar. They do seem to have a fatal fascination for stargazers. Who knows, perhaps some day...

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Bad luck Bob

If it's any consolation I found a short review of a Questar 3.5" model that gave the opinion that it was a bit compromised in some ways when it came to astro use:

Questar 3.5 Maksutov Telescope - Review

I wonder if the Italian buyer will sell it on and try an make a few Euros

I just read that review. The points raised are very valid, on the whole. I had all but forgotten about the coaxial finder (serious yech!!) and the non-standard EP fitting. The Brandon EPs were pretty good, but did not give a very wide FOV by modern standards. Not being able to use standard filters is a serious drawback, as I find UHC and LPR filters indispensable. The optics were very good, but I doubt it would beat the APM 80mm F/6 I have by a large margin (if at all). The view in the APM 80mm with Nagler EPs in wide field is just breathtaking, especially with the 31mm, at 5.3 deg TFoV. That is something the much more expensive Questar cannot do.

[inspectapart]

I just read that review. The points raised are very valid, on the whole. I had all but forgotten about the coaxial finder (serious yech!!) and the non-standard EP fitting. The Brandon EPs were pretty good, but did not give a very wide FOV by modern standards. Not being able to use standard filters is a serious drawback, as I find UHC and LPR filters indispensable. The optics were very good, but I doubt it would beat the APM 80mm F/6 I have by a large margin (if at all). The view in the APM 80mm with Nagler EPs in wide field is just breathtaking, especially with the 31mm, at 5.3 deg TFoV. That is something the much more expensive Questar cannot do.

Now I really should feel a bit better after that review. But I can`t escape the feeling that paying £400. would have made up for the questars short comings by a long long way. Sob! Sob !

[syd_malicious]

Well if I was the seller I wouldn't under any circumstances sell abroad, especially Italy. Ebay is so stacked up against the seller that it is a scammers paradise.

I have no direct info about the Italian postal system but there are so many ads on Ebay that will not sell to Italy I would be very nervous about it. I did ask an Italian collaeague and confirmed the Italian postal system is completely unreliable.

Even if it is delivered all the buyer has to do is claim it didn't arrive and he'd probably get a refund. Scary but entirely possible.

[inspectapart]

Well if I was the seller I wouldn't under any circumstances sell abroad, especially Italy. Ebay is so stacked up against the seller that it is a scammers paradise.

I have no direct info about the Italian postal system but there are so many ads on Ebay that will not sell to Italy I would be very nervous about it. I did ask an Italian collaeague and confirmed the Italian postal system is completely unreliable.

Even if it is delivered all the buyer has to do is claim it didn't arrive and he'd probably get a refund. Scary but entirely possible.

I agree, and this does happen which is what I said to the lady selling the questar........to be wary. Anyway, I hope all goes well for both parrties.

[Peter Drew]

To hopefully make you feel better, I've also just read the posted report on the Questar, I could have written it word for word myself. I have had the chance to use several Questars over the years as I used to modify them to take standard eyepieces mainly for birders who wanted a better choice than offered by the Brandons. In the early days, the Questar was the only high quality compact and versatile telescope available untill I introduced commercial 90mm Maksutovs of which I made over 100, they came to be known as the "poor man's" Questar costing hundreds rather than thousands. Side by side comparisons were very favourable, the Questar winning out at the highest magnifications, fit and finish was of course superior to mine. The Questar uniqueness was further diluted by the introduction of the Celestron C90 and the Meade ETX 90. I have a ETX 90 with optics that I rate equal to a Questar at magnifications that are most commonly useable, the fit and finish on the OTA is as good as the birder version of the Questar, the quality of the mount, however, bears no comparison. My 2nd hand ETX 90 cost me £220!

[inspectapart]

Hi everyone, I posted this thread before christmas and the seller of the questar has now given me a second chance to buy through Ebay. The problem is that the scope which is in a foam lined alluminium case has travelled all the way to Italy and back via courier. I don`t know what condition the scope is in now, but the seller will deliver it to me in person (half way), and has agreed to refund if there is a problem with it after testing . The "second chance" offer came from ebay direct. It seems that the original buyer could not be located in Italy so it was returned to the U/K.

I wont be able to test the scope on the road, I dont think, so I`ll have to trust to luck if I`m to proceed. What do you all think?

Is it a collimatable scope? or would it have to go to Questar for sevice?

Bob.

[Odd Thomas]

BUY IT MAN!

[Odd Thomas]

or pass on the sellers contact details...........

[inspectapart]

Could be out of wack tho`

And only one ep, 24mm