Terrible advertising and false claims, nothing new.

[bomberbaz]

Yes we have all seen them before, adverts making false claims of scope capabilities but came across this whilst looking for something else entirely unrelated.

You know the this telescope is capable of "huge overstated magnifications" and "impossible images using a smartphone", that's right folks, it's a incrediscope! Buy now, regret later.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B087QF46HP/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?pd_rd_i=B087QF46HP&pd_rd_w=S7SeA&pf_rd_p=828203ef-618e-4303-a028-460d6b615038&pd_rd_wg=uGXHM&pf_rd_r=2VB8Q9V8XBEG8117YGV5&pd_rd_r=641a1ece-9e4a-4366-80c6-6cd45ff1b054&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExTjlWWFE2VFIyUzBFJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMTEyNDMzMUJWN0ZKS1MwSjFQSiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNjkwNDI2Mzg1TDgwUjVKVVBMRCZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2RldGFpbCZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU&th=1

Advert full of contradictions and false promises for an 80mm F5 refractor.

That said, there seems to be a fair number of satisfied buyers so they are filling in a market and at least getting people interested. However, it is all the false claims that really annoys me. 

[johninderby]

An obvious mistake on the price. Surely they meant £19.95 🤔       😁😁

Edited December 28, 2021 by johninderby

[John]

That advert reminds me of the bad old days of Tasco advertising !

Sky & Telescope produced this fake advert for an article on avoiding these sorts of scopes a couple of years back. Quite funny except when you find a real one that is still trying it on

[bomberbaz]

33 minutes ago, John said:

That advert reminds me of the bad old days of Tasco advertising !

Sky & Telescope produced this fake advert for an article on avoiding these sorts of scopes a couple of years back. Quite funny except when you find a real one that is still trying it on

There is humour and disbelief all wrapped up in one.

Slap that on a box with a 40mm frac mounted on three garden canes and it would sell. 

[Dave scutt]

8 hours ago, John said:

That advert reminds me of the bad old days of Tasco advertising !

Sky & Telescope produced this fake advert for an article on avoiding these sorts of scopes a couple of years back. Quite funny except when you find a real one that is still trying it on

Do they still sale them, I need to get one I've never seen a black hole

[Jonny_H]

I feel cheated!!

I've spent thousands over a few years and I could have just purchased one of these!

The advertised images are much better than anything I have been able to capture...... 😉

[PaulB]

Oh dear. Here we go again 🙄

[johninderby]

When will FLO be getting them in stock. 🤔.     😁😁😁😁

[JeremyS]

I like the “temporarily suspends the laws of optics” claim.

I thought only Takahashi knew how to do that.

[Mr Spock]

Only x675? I want x950 minimum!

[7170]

When I just looked the website says it is the number one seller in the telescopes category - that alone is a bit worrying!

[Mr Spock]

Strange how a lot of people seem happy with it. 

[teoria_del_big_bang]

But all those 5 star reviews, surely must be one  of the best scopes ever for under £200 🙂 

I think reading those reviews (if that's what you can call them) demonstrates why you should not even bother believing any review on Amazon.

What really annoys me about things like this is that as a complete newbie, without further research, or help such as this forum, claims like below are perfectly believable, so on receiving your wonder-scope, in one fell swoop you are put off astronomy for life. 

And then this reply to a question says it all and is maybe the only slight bit of truth in the whole listing that starts to contradict the initial claims.

Steve

[teoria_del_big_bang]

14 minutes ago, Mr Spock said:

Strange how a lot of people seem happy with it. 

Odd isn't it ?
But of course must be True, Amazon would not allow anything but genuine reviews.

Steve

[Rusted]

Woah! I'd have given several spare arms to own such a telescope "when I were a lad."

My first telescope was a 30x30 draw tube terrestrial which couldn't even hold 30x on the moon.
I had to remove the erector lens assembly to get a tiny magnification and some sharpness.
Enough to actually see stars.

Hanging it from Mechano mountings with wormwheel slow motion drives started a lifetime obsession.
I carried that tiny telescope with me everywhere and even used the eyepiece unit as a microscope.
White light solar projection onto a card. The objective was used in my first, home-made spectroscope.
I learned about mechanics, woodworking, optics and balance.
All of which found me work and saved a fortune on home repairs and all my other hobbies.

We all love to trash these sorts of instruments based on our experience of using far more expensive kit.
Much of which leaves a great deal to be desired given the retail price!

We should also consider the feelings of those who have bought the advertising hype and invested.
How do you think they would feel at being trashed? No doubt some of them will upgrade.
Or use the instrument in ways you will never imagine. Perhaps going onto careers or disrupting established industries.
It would make a decent finder or guide scope for a larger telescope when the piggy bank has been smashed.

Are there any "expert" reviews? Colour correction? Sharpness. Maximum [average] useful power?

My Celestron CR150HD 6" f/8 wouldn't hold 120x most nights! Mounting such a nose heavy instrument was a pig!
Most people complain about the Chinese "trash" mountings until they are fixed up or get a lucky one.
Mountings costing many thousands struggle to perform as promised.
Solar telescopes, filters and equipment are regularly returned to the dealer and bad mouthed on the forums.
Is there a single instrument, or mounting, under £10K [each] which actually performs adequately out of the box?

 

 

[Dave Lloyd]

54 minutes ago, Mr Spock said:

Only x675? I want x950 minimum!

Stick another Barlow on.

[cajen2]

I should completely agree with all the comments, but in fact the Slokey scope claims are not the worst on Amazon! This sort of hyperbole is standard on all scopes of this kind advertised there.

[Peter Drew]

I share similar feelings but always remind myself as to how thrilled Galileo would have been with one.      🙂

[refractor2345]

11 hours ago, John said:

That advert reminds me of the bad old days of Tasco advertising !

Sky & Telescope produced this fake advert for an article on avoiding these sorts of scopes a couple of years back. Quite funny except when you find a real one that is still trying it on

Woah! Can this telescope match the power of a old celestron/vixen fluorite refractor, for 100 dollars? Jokes aside, I love this ad!

[johninderby]

If you need more magnification. 😁

 

Edited December 29, 2021 by johninderby

[refractor2345]

1 hour ago, teoria_del_big_bang said:

Odd isn't it ?
But of course must be True, Amazon would not allow anything but genuine reviews.

Steve

It's just the fact most people haven't saw through a real telescope (6 inch Dobsonian) and they watch moon and they are in the review section "OMG!!!! I love this scope!! It shows moon super clearly!!!" After they actually get to know a real telescope, they will be wondering "Wait....I thought that scope was good..."

[refractor2345]

On 29/12/2021 at 16:06, Peter Drew said:

I share similar feelings but always remind myself as to how thrilled Galileo would have been with one.      🙂

Yeah, I remember reading in a book "No telescope is trash, They are still better than Galileo's telescope

Edited January 20, 2022 by refractor2345

[bomberbaz]

1 hour ago, johninderby said:

If you need more magnification. 😁

 

I hope that isn't real, seriously.

Any right minded person will note the poor grammar re: 2021 parents choose (choice)

[johninderby]

Sadly it is all to real. 🙀🙀🙀

https://www.joom.com/en/products/604719509b5ed30106d9a943

[Wiu-Wiu]

2 hours ago, teoria_del_big_bang said:

Steve

Team See Less.

 

That is about the closest to the truth as can bee.