Brand loyalty

[Peter Drew]

I don't buy much really high end stuff but what I do buy from the likes of "quality" manufacturers like Vixen, Baader, TV etc I buy with confidence and positive expectations.  For less popular brands, for me, seeing is believing.  To be honest,  although by no means perfect, I get the most pleasure from using equipment made by myself.    🙂

[Mr Spock]

Sometimes it's difficult to separate where brand loyalty ends and fanboyism begins. Hopefully we are balanced enough to recognise when that happens and continue to be diverse in our choice of equipment 

[JeremyS]

34 minutes ago, paulastro said:

I must admit, I have a soft spot for Baader.  The Baader items I have, are well- made and thought out and do what they are supposed to do very well.  Their catalogue is astonishing in its breadth.

True. Baader is generally very good. I have a lot of their superb kit like BBHS diagonals, umpteen click locks, filters, optical path correctors. Which is why I’m staggered they release something  of such poor quality as the SkySurfer III RDF. Ok, I don’t think it’s manufactured by them, but it’s still branded. (Their SS V is in a different category: very nice piece of kit)

[Franklin]

23 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

release something  of such poor quality as the SkySurfer III RDF

In defence of the SkySurfer III RDF it is a budget option and to be fair, with it's increased aperture, does outperform some of the other budget options. I was particularly unimpressed with the TeleVue Qwikpoint. All souced in China and just labeled up so they are not really Brand products

Edited March 13, 2022 by Franklin
spelling

[JeremyS]

10 minutes ago, Franklin said:

In defence of the SkySurfer III RDF it is a budget option and to be fair, with it's increased aperture, does outperform some of the other budget options. I was particularly unimpressed with the TeleVue Qwikpoint. All souced in China and just labeled up so they are not really Brand products

Yes it’s optically a bit better than some. But construction wise it is poor. Plastic base came apart. Probably not glued properly. But UHU came to the rescue 

[mikeDnight]

3 hours ago, Macavity said:

Did anyone actively try to find alternatives to popular brands... "on principal"? 🤣
Baader (Hyperions) are an case in point. Notwithstanding the known limitations
it was a BRAVE person who recommended them on certain forums in early days?
(Actually, one might miss out on genuinely good... Albeit more expensive TVs).

 I have to admit I'm not a TV fan, and have voiced my view on numerous occasions. Baader offer some outstanding eyepieces at a fraction of TV prices and that perform stunningly, even in short F ratio scopes. For on axis performance, where it really counts, you really can't beat a quality ortho or plossl, if you're willing to forfeit a wider field. I wouldn't swap my old Parks Gold and Celestron Ultima's for anything that's currently on the market, especially those from 10mm and longer.

 As for apo's, I think there are so many great alternatives available today, that I'd have to question the sense in buying a premium brand if finances were an issue, which they often are. Technosky and Starfield refractors look awesome and are a fraction of the price of a Tak. But I can't help but love Tak optics.🥰

 

[Froeng]

Vixen - had my SP-DX since 1989 (I think), from new. It is still working as advertised! Being able to source an original, new Vixen replacement reticule for the polar finder with markings to 2025 for a 30+ year old mount is what I call caring for your customers! Apparently there is a new reticule to 2040 being released soon…

 

[Froeng]

Forgot eyepieces - also Vixen. I love the original LV series! Small, light, optically excellent in my SCT and very well made. Perfect if you wear glasses. Some of the old Celestron eyepieces are also excellent. I have an old Celestron Axiom 40mm 70deg 2”, which sits brilliantly between my equally good Vixen NLV50 and NLVW30…

[mikeDnight]

15 hours ago, paulastro said:

I'm not trying to be contradictory Mike, but you did have  trouble with the focuser on your 100DC.  I know you managed to take it apart and fettle it, but only after contacting the supplier to get advice on how to fix it, if I remember correctly.  My memory is that out of the box it was pretty awful.  

Also, if you recall, I bought a new Tak DF,  and out of the box there were deep scratches in the first baffle when you looked into the lens!  Absolutely astonishing, and I wonder to this day how it ever got through quality control.  The supplier couldn't believe it until I sent some photos, but they quickly sent aa refund.

I'm no Tak hater, and believe their fluorite doublets are the best of their type.  I do think though, that we shouldn't look through rose tinted glasses however besotted we are by a particular make.  They can all have a bad day.

The DC focuser was too stiff for my liking, so I dismantled it and struggled to then get rid of image shift. And so i phoned good old Nick Hudson of TrueTech who told me I'd 🤬 it. He then told me how to eradicate the image shift, and all was well from there on. It took me a while to get it right. The only thing I really didn't like about the DC focuser was the limited travel.

I remember the chewed up baffle in your DF Paul, and think it was probably a one off made especially for you. 😂

Edited March 14, 2022 by mikeDnight

[dweller25]

8 hours ago, ollypenrice said:

 Hardly. I've done literally thousands of hours of happy imaging with Taks but the fact remains that they struggle for consistency with the FSQ range.

Olly

Yes, there will be some good ones but It’s the one Tak I would steer clear of 👍

Edited March 13, 2022 by dweller25

[Guest]

I guess I am brand loyal as every piece of kit I have had Orion's name on it.  So far I have no regrets with anything from them.

[Paz]

7 hours ago, F15Rules said:

Sorry Chris, this thread seems to have drifted from your original topic..

Not at all it's a very interesting conversation with lots of insights.

Takahashi is a good example, I look on in awe of Tak owners and in my head I think "...when I grow up, I want a Tak...". 

...but the reality is there's good and not so good in most things in life, and so I'm  probably best off keeping an open mind on all things.

[ollypenrice]

2 hours ago, dweller25 said:

Yes, there will be some good ones but It’s the one Tak I would steer clear of 👍

The trouble is that, if you want to image at F5 without diffraction spikes and with a full frame chip, where do you go? As far as I know, it's a good FSQ106 or nowt. How do you buy a good one? Buy second hand and ask to see results before you do. Or buy from a very good retailer.

Olly

[F15Rules]

21 hours ago, dweller25 said:

AND I replaced all the refractor clamshells with tube rings - one securing bolt is not enough for me

..and not a tube ring in sight..😋

Dave

[JeremyS]

7 minutes ago, F15Rules said:

 

 

..and not a tube ring in sight..😋

Dave

God is in his heaven, all is right with the world 👍🏻

[cajen2]

I just knew this thread would become a Takahashi lovefest.......😉😄

 

 

[F15Rules]

14 minutes ago, cajen2 said:

I just knew this thread would become a Takahashi lovefest.......😉😄

 

 

Aah, but I never said I was loyal to Takahashi though😇..

[cajen2]

As someone who hasn't got a Tak (and is very unlikely to get one, as thousands of pounds for a miniscule telescope doesn't float my boat 🤣) I would still ask if anyone going to the Brecon Beacons star party is taking a Tak and is willing to let me take a peek.....I'd like to know what the fuss is about! 😄

As to brand loyalty, I have scopes by Skywatcher and StellaLyra, EPs by Pentax, Svbony, BT Starguider, StellaLyra, OVL and Vixen and other accessories by Baader and Celestron......so brand loyalty? I don't think so.

I do like Vixen, SL, Baader and Pentax, though.

 

Edited March 14, 2022 by cajen2

[mikeDnight]

2 hours ago, Paz said:

Takahashi is a good example, I look on in awe of Tak owners and in my head I think "...when I grow up, I want a Tak...". 

Sadly Paz, if you're waiting until you grow up, it isn't going to happen.  👶

[MalcolmM]

1 hour ago, F15Rules said:

..and not a tube ring in sight

The only time (so far) my heart has stopped was not the clam shell to OTA, but the dovetail bar in the saddle (if that's the right word). I hadn't tightened the dovetail enough in the saddle and only for the finder coming up against the saddle dovetail locking knob (hard!) my 100DC would have hit the concrete from 4 or 5 feet up! A small nick in the finder was luckily the only damage!

My Manfrotto equivalent (video fluid head) has a built in stop that prevents the plate sliding too far. I'd love something similar on the dovetail/saddle.

Apologies, I'm straying from the original topic!

Malcolm

[Stu]

5 minutes ago, MalcolmM said:

I'd love something similar on the dovetail/saddle.

A bolt in the top end of the dovetail, with the bolt head protruding downwards is the usual solution to this.

[MalcolmM]

2 minutes ago, Stu said:

A bolt in the top end of the dovetail, with the bolt head protruding downwards is the usual solution to this.

Thanks, I'll shall try that soonest!

Malcolm

[Stu]

9 minutes ago, MalcolmM said:

Thanks, I'll shall try that soonest!

Malcolm

Best pic I could find as an example.

[JeremyS]

[Stu]

35 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

Stop teasing us Jeremy, what’s in the boxes?? 😀