Startravel 80

[Kevdan]

Hi All,

does anyone know wether any extras come with the startravel 80 OTA, The tabletop or the EQ1 version come with a barlow and 2 eyepieces, and does it come with a finder, if so is it the red dot finder or the 6x24 finder?

Kev

[Capricorn]

I do not believe that it comes with anything.

May seem extreme but you are buying an OTA not a telescope in strict terms.

From the FLO site it comes with a 45 degree eresting diagonal which you may want to throw away, seems extreme but it is not great and isn't a "standard" astronomy item.

If you look at the AR80 on Opticstar I think that OTA doesn't come with the diagonal.

Because of the extra bits the table top version may be a better buy, as it is £13 more, and you get a couple of eyepieces (basic), a barlow and a right angle diagonal.

[Kevdan]

Because of the extra bits the table top version may be a better buy, as it is £13 more, and you get a couple of eyepieces (basic), a barlow and a right angle diagonal.

I may even go for the EQ1 it will be a good holiday grab and go scope for the granskids.

Kev.

[JamesF]

Shame it doesn't come on an AZ3. I think that would make more sense than an EQ1 for most people.

James

[Kevdan]

Yeah but I dont think theyd sell a AZ3 worth £98 with a scope worth £90 for £125

Kev.

[JamesF]

True, but just because those are the prices that you can buy them for individually doesn't mean you should judge their packaged prices the same way. Comparing the EQ1 and AZ3 (I have both) I struggle to see that the AZ3 can cost more to make, ship or sell than the EQ1. If the EQ1 and tripod could be bought without a scope I'd hazard a guess that the price would be similar to the AZ3 if not a little more. Perhaps the reason it isn't available is that no-one would buy it I'm aware there's the table-top version. You'll need to do a lot of convincing to persuade me that's flying off the shelves...

Since I'm out on a limb already I'll risk a further guess that the EQ1, AZ3 and ST80 each cost OVL somewhere around the £45 mark. They could probably ship the ST80 with either mount for a £25 markup leaving £10 for the likes of FLO. If they sell them individually then the markup is a lot more, partly because the likelihood is that the purchaser is after a specific product and can be relied upon to pay a bit more. An ST80 on a mount might be considered a beginner's scope and priced at a low margin to hook people in, whereas a mount or OTA sold individually is where you make the money back.

James

[JamesF]

Hmmm. The thought also occurs to me that perhaps OVL's sales/marketing department *want* a £125 "beginner's package" and prefer to sell it with the EQ1 over the AZ3 because it looks like you're getting more for the money.

James

[Peter_A]

I bought an ST80 OTA last year, it came with: finderscope, 45deg erecting prism, 10mm, 25mm, x2 Barlow, tube rings and camera style tripod adaptor all for 99 pounds from an astronomy shop in Frome.

[brantuk]

Yup - I got exactly the same OTA and extras as Peter_A for the same price - from Ace Astronomy in Bristol.