Es Reid checked telescopes

[alexbb]

How much longer does it usually take to send an Esprit to Es for checking/adjusting?

[FLO]

48 minutes ago, moise212 said:

How much longer does it usually take to send an Esprit to Es for checking/adjusting?

Normally 1-2 weeks, though possibly a little longer at this time of year. 

HTH, 

Steve 

[william123]

I just found this old thread.

Has anyone purchased an Esprit 120 or 150 and had a bench test done by Es Reid?  If so, what did you think?  Any optical, mechanical, or cosmetic problems? 

Thank you.

William

Edited May 6, 2018 by william123

[Whirlwind]

16 hours ago, william123 said:

I just found this old thread.

Has anyone purchased an Esprit 120 or 150 and had a bench test done by Es Reid?  If so, what did you think?  Any optical, mechanical, or cosmetic problems? 

Thank you.

William

If you want some online tests of the 120/150 then here are some.

http://interferometrie.blogspot.co.uk/

Scroll down a bit to get to ESPRITs

[steppenwolf]

On 06/05/2018 at 19:05, william123 said:

Has anyone purchased an Esprit 120 or 150 and had a bench test done by Es Reid?  If so, what did you think?  Any optical, mechanical, or cosmetic problems? 

I purchased the Esprit 150 from FLO about 18 months ago and arranged for it to be bench tested by Es Reid. Es was extremely impressed with the optics and general build as am I!

[FLO]

On 06/05/2018 at 19:05, william123 said:

Any optical, mechanical, or cosmetic problems? 

Optical problems with Esprit telescopes are very rare.

There were some mechanical issues (i.e. the 'capstan wheel' was sometimes fitted too tight). But they appear to have overcome that.

We still see occasional cosmetic issues but nothing unusual for Sky-Watcher (i.e. imperfections in the white powder coat). Nothing that would be considered a 'fault'. 

HTH, 

Steve 

[Stub Mandrel]

You might find the words 'fault' and 'flaw' useful.

Fault affects function, 'flaw' is an imperfection that doesn't stop something doing its job.

[geordie85]

On 08/05/2018 at 11:58, FLO said:

Optical problems with Esprit telescopes are very rare.

There were some mechanical issues (i.e. the 'capstan wheel' was sometimes fitted too tight). But they appear to have overcome that.

We still see occasional cosmetic issues but nothing unusual for Sky-Watcher (i.e. imperfections in the white powder coat). Nothing that would be considered a 'fault'. 

HTH, 

Steve 

Have you ever had an esprit fail the bench test?

[FLO]

1 minute ago, geordie85 said:

Have you ever had an esprit fail the bench test?

A small number have needed tweaking on the bench before they were released but I cannot recall one that was rejected outright for optical reasons. 

We still occasionally reject one for mechanical/cosmetic reasons, though usually before it is sent to Es Reid. 

Overall we, ourselves & Es, are very impressed with the Esprit series. I am not aware of any other range of triplet refractors that perform as well, certainly not at the price Esprits sell at. 

[william123]

Leaving aside the optional Es Reid inspection, does FLO routinely inspect Esprit telescopes before shipment to the buyer, or does FLO ship out Esprit telescopes in unopened boxes?  Either policy is fine, in my humble opinion, PROVIDED that any routine inspection does no harm to the telescopes.  (I would not want to find, for example, a carelessly inflicted scratch on the optical tube or a fingerprint or spot on the lens.)  

Personally, I would not mind at all paying for an Es Reid inspection -- probably money well spent -- but I'm a little worried about carelessly inflicted damage.  I've known and worked with too many incompetent people to have complete confidence in my fellow human beings.    

Thank you.

William

Edited May 9, 2018 by william123

[RayD]

23 minutes ago, william123 said:

Leaving aside the optional Es Reid inspection, does FLO routinely inspect Esprit telescopes before shipment to the buyer, or does FLO ship out Esprit telescopes in unopened boxes?  Either policy is fine, in my humble opinion, PROVIDED that any routine inspection does no harm to the telescopes.  (I would not want to find, for example, a carelessly inflicted scratch on the optical tube or a fingerprint or spot on the lens.)  

Personally, I would not mind at all paying for an Es Reid inspection -- probably money well spent -- but I'm a little worried about carelessly inflicted damage.  I've known and worked with too many incompetent people to have complete confidence in my fellow human beings.    

Thank you.

William

having had a couple of my OTA's inspected by Es, and spoken with him on the phone a couple of times, the one thing I can categorically guarantee is that there would be no carelessly inflicted damage caused by him.  He really does know his stuff, and is meticulous in how he goes about things.

Exactly the same goes for FLO.  I'm sure if there was damage caused, which is highly unlikely, the OTA simply wouldn't be shipped to you as new.

Edited May 9, 2018 by RayD

[william123]

1 minute ago, RayD said:

having had a couple of my OTA's inspected by Es, and spoken with him on the phone a couple of times, the one thing I can categorically guarantee is that there would be no carelessly inflicted damage caused by him.  He really does know his stuff, and is meticulous in how he goes about things.

 

That is really good to know.  Thank you for your post! 

William

[Stu]

13 minutes ago, william123 said:

I've known and worked with too many incompetent people to have complete confidence in my fellow human beings.  

I guess you will have to make a call on whether you think FLO and Es are incompetent or not?

[william123]

6 minutes ago, Stu said:

I guess you will have to make a call on whether you think FLO and Es are incompetent or not?

I certainly did not intend to imply that either FLO or Es Reid was incompetent.  Far from it!  From what I have read, FLO is among the very best telescope dealers anywhere, and I've never had any dealings with Mr. Reid.  No doubt he is a fine person.

My posts should be considered only as prudent inquiries, nothing more.

I am considering purchase of an Esprit 150ED, and, for me, the cost is considerable.  I want to be cautious.

Edited May 9, 2018 by william123

[RayD]

I'm one of the few who has had a scope rejected by Es.  Not for the optics, but for a mechanical issue that meant it was not possible to achieve the required results.  As such I have no hesitation in recommending it as a worthwhile service as I could have been chasing something that simply wasn't achievable. 

[dweller25]

5 minutes ago, william123 said:

I certainly did not intend to imply that either FLO or Es Reid was incompetent.  Far from it!  From what I have read, FLO is among the very best telescope dealers anywhere, and I've never had any dealings with Mr. Reid.  No doubt he is a fine person.

My posts should be considered only as prudent inquiries, nothing more.

To give you peace of mind I have purchased a lot of Astro gear from FLO and received excellent service. I only ever had one issue which FLO dealt with to my complete satisfaction.

Es Reid cleaned, collimated and star tested my 5” Takahashi - I was delighted with the results and his professional approach

HTH

[Stub Mandrel]

Given the excellent condition of the 'seconds' I've bought off FLO, I think any concerns regarding condition of new equipment are unfounded.

[william123]

On 12/5/2017 at 06:15, FLO said:

Normally 1-2 weeks, though possibly a little longer at this time of year. 

HTH, 

Steve 

Has Es Reid ever outright rejected an Esprit optic?

[F15Rules]

On 09/05/2018 at 19:03, dweller25 said:

To give you peace of mind I have purchased a lot of Astro gear from FLO and received excellent service. I only ever had one issue which FLO dealt with to my complete satisfaction.

Es Reid cleaned, collimated and star tested my 5” Takahashi - I was delighted with the results and his professional approach

HTH

Ditto. I have had several objectives checked and most recently my Takahashi FS128 a few months ago. In the latter case I had the pleasure of meeting Es in person, and watching him do his checks. He is a very personable, professional chap who I found generous with his time and knowledge.

I have always found FLO and their service to be first rate and quickly delivered too.

If you are serious about the purchase of a 150 Esprit, I suggest (and I do understand your wish to get it right with a larg outlay of funds), you are in very safe hands, so  get on with it and "press the button"!??.

Dave

[FLO]

8 hours ago, william123 said:

Has Es Reid ever outright rejected an Esprit optic?

We answered that one Wednesday  

Let us recap. 

All our Esprit telescopes are new unopened officially sourced stock. 
We can supply an unopened Esprit telescope though it is of course necessary for us to open the box when someone chooses an Es Reid test. 
We do not believe an Es Reid test is necessary for the majority of Esprit telescopes but after receiving a number of requests we have made it available, as an option. 
A small number of Esprits have benefited from tweaking on the bench but I cannot recall one that was rejected outright for optical reasons. 
We occasionally reject one for mechanical/cosmetic reasons, though usually before it is sent to Es. 
Sky-Watcher's overall fit and finish is more workmanlike than, say, William Optics. I.e. imperfections in the white powder coat are not uncommon and not considered a 'fault'. 

I think you have all the info you need to make a decision.

Neither myself nor Es will be offended if you shop elsewhere. Indeed if you are serious about buying an Esprit-150 then I think it might be better, considering your anxiety and mistrust, if you buy from a retailer more local to you then collect the telescope in person. You will then be able to meet the vendor and check the telescopes's cosmetics yourself. 

HTH, 

Steve 

[william123]

Thank you, Steve!  I know I've been a bit of a nuisance, and you have been more than helpful! I apologize for any inconvenience.

William

Edited May 14, 2018 by william123

[william123]

I placed my order for an Esprit 150 and bench test with FLO last evening.  The telescope will be a gift for my son.  He and I are both very excited!  

William

[tomato]

You won’t be disappointed! An Esprit 150 recently purchased by Tomatobro from FLO with the Es Reid inspection is now coupled with my Mesu 200 and imaging results are living up to expectations??

Just be careful lifting it on your own, it’s a heavy weight in all respects.

[Luter68]

Hi,

I have found this thread while looking for more details on the Es Reid tests on offer with the Esprit scopes.

I have seen the summary description of the procedure on this thread, thank you.

I would have a couple of further questions.

What is in the test report? Is it a declaration (e.g., comformity to certain reference parameters)? does it include images (e.g., from the Ronchi test or of artificial sources)? Interferometric results?

If I buy the scope with the flattener, is there also a test of the telescope with it?

Thanks a lot.

 

[FLO]

The pre-dispatch optical bench test is provided by Es Reid. He checks the telescope's optics are well figured and properly aligned. I.e. he checks for star-shape, colour, spherical aberrations and astigmatism. In short, he ensures the telescope is a good example and performs as it should. If he finds it is not then he will correct the alignment/aberration on the bench. If this is not possible the telescope is rejected. Think of it as an additional layer of quality control. We don’t provide a certificate or report. 

Regarding the flattener, that isn’t normally included but if you want it tested please email us your request and we’ll see what we can do. 

HTH, 

Steve