Home Observatories UK

[Graham Beamson]

Has anyone been in contact with Home Observatories UK recently ? I've ordered a roll-off observatory from them and need to contact them urgently about the concrete base. However, they don't answer the telephone and seem to have stopped responding to emails.  I'm concerned that they are no longer trading and that fraudsters have somehow intercepted the emails to their website. Can anyone reassure me that they are still in business ?

Thanks, Graham.

[Dougie]

Hi Graham

 Not sure if you saw my reply on the other thread.
Yes they are in business as Nathan personally delivered my pier last week.
But two emails and two texts to him later, he hasn’t replied and I’m still without the pier adapter cnc.
I also emailed the info address from their website last night and no reply.
Not sure if they have just taken on too much work and Nathan is the main person.
But customer service is not a strong point.

Meanwhile, I have a pier supplied by them and the levelling plate has an incorrect size hole for my mount bolt.  I need 12mm and not the 10mm that has been drilled.
Also I’m down £87 as I have now ordered an adapter from a reliable source.
 

You just have to keep badgering them and Nathan will eventually pickup your email.

[Graham Beamson]

Hi Again Doug,

Did you have any luck contacting Nathan on the mobile number I sent you ? My understanding from Nathan, in one of his emails, is that they have a backlog of work from the last lock-down and are working hard to catch up, so maybe that's why they are difficult to get hold of. That's also why they won't be able to complete my observatory until after Christmas. I hope that lock-down 2 doesn't cause them more problems.

I've just been looking at the Altair pier adapter for Skywatcher, Celestron and iOptron piers on their website. Is that the one you used ? I'm looking just in case I have the same problem as you - i.e. Home Observatory unable to deliver their own pier adapter.  Is there any height adjustment on the pier adapter ? I use a biggish refractor - a Skywatcher Esprit 120 (840 mm focal length)  and even with a 42" pier I think I will need to raise the 'scope by a few more inches to get a comfortable zenith viewing position.

Regards, Graham.

[MakeItSo]

Hi there,

I don’t post here in SGL but I saw your thread. Be assured that HOUK are still in business and a top draw set up. They’re almost certainly inundated with work (lock down has amplified interest in AP significantly) and to be honest, they do sometimes get so focused on their projects that communication lines can be sluggish. I have found this on occasion (they built my excellent OB last year). I think you need to just be persistent. 
 

But don’t worry, they are in business and sterling Operators