Not a good buy .....

[John]

I spotted this ad for an 8" F/4 (!) newtonian on e.bay:

Telescope OPTICON 203F800EQ +maps +tripod, WARRANTY on eBay (end time 21-Apr-10 14:06:03 BST)

Much to beware of here I think but it does take the biscuit when they use pictures of Skywatcher scopes in their banner ! (with their brand name applied using Photoshop )

OptiCON indeed !

[Dave Smith]

Indeed if you follow their shop link, they are selling many optiCON scopes - agreed seems very dodgy.

Dave

[yeti monster]

The manufacturers of many scopes and binoculars will also sell to smaller companies the identical item and apply the buyers required brand to them. Perhaps this is the case here.

[Cornelius Varley]

Quote "parallactic mounting with the micromoves", mmm nice.

Quote "I WOULD LIKE TO INDICATE THAT MOST OF CHEAP PRODUCTS PROMOTED ON EBAY ARE EQUIPPED WITH AN OLD FOCUSERS 0,98".

And there are some cheap products promoted on ebay that equipped with 31.7mm focusers.

Peter

[RichieP]

I do love the dodgy translations that go with these adverts, particularly

parallactic mounting with the micromoves

[Astro_Baby]

Oh dear - not good really

[Tony.S]

The address on the ad is about 7 miles from where I live.

It is a private address & I think its in a block of flats, so the seller is proberly a "drop Shipper"

[Macavity]

parallactic mounting with the micromoves

Used to hope (notably in vain) for that every Saturday night.

The Opticon / GFC group does seem to be a "proper entity",

advertising in a number of Eastern EU countries thoughbut.

[astoc]

Opticon - telescope, telescopes, microscope, microscopes - Opticon

New York - Paris - Peckham

John

[yeti monster]

The "chinglish" product descriptions kind of give it away about their Chinese origins, which I believe, is where Skywatcher are produced. Sure the leading brand will proof read all or most of the printed material, where as "Opticon" will rely on the totally nieve translations done by some 12 year old University of Wuhan graduate who has probably never even met a westerner.

That aside, I'm sure that the image and indeed the product are genuine.

[John]

....That aside, I'm sure that the image and indeed the product are genuine.

I've no doubt that the scope advertised is the one being sold. I was suprised to see pictures of what are clearly (to me) Skywatcher products used in the banner. I'd be very suprised if Synta (who make the scopes that are sold under the Skywatcher, Celestron, and Orion USA names) had anything to do with the manufacture of the scope that's being sold - it looks to me like it shares it's origins with Seben.

[yeti monster]

- it looks to me like it shares it's origins with Seben.

Who also buy from Chinese manufacturers.........

as do Bresser, Williams Optics etc. etc. etc............

[Cornelius Varley]

Who also buy from Chinese manufacturers.........

as do Bresser, Williams Optics etc. etc. etc............

I doubt Synta had anything to do with these ebay telescopes.

Peter

[yeti monster]

I doubt Synta had anything to do with these ebay telescopes.

Peter

Clearly you do.

[stev74]

How thick are those spider vanes!!

I've never seen any like that on other 'astronomic instruments' I thought they used 'novel technology, based on the precise computer calculations.'

[Cornelius Varley]

look familar?

Peter

[Astro_Baby]

F 3.9 - ooerr hope it ships with some good quality EPs