Refractors vs reflectors

MMmm. Clearly the person responsible for that load of tosh would not know which end to look in anyway. If they did they probably would see Space Vampires through the reflector. Of course, upon looking at the same thing with the refractor they would then realise they were stars.

I think it is perfectly cool that people buy telescopes without knowing a lot about what to do with them. I also think that goes way beyond the refractor vs reflector decision.

One of these people sold me his never-used, as-new 9.25 inch Nexstar Evolution with a set of eyepieces last week for about half the price he paid nine months ago. When he set it up to demonstrate everything was working, he complained that the telescope had such a tiny field of view he never was able to spot anything - even using the eyepiece with the shortest focal length. It did not help he mounted the red dot finder the wrong way around.

It is a really nice telescope. I always wanted one.

🙂

Your recent 'bargain' purchase highlights a fundamental issue that is all too common among astronomy retailers. This being not offering a customer any advice and not making sure they know how to use what is supplied. I try to make sure all my customers get advice, even if it means we supply something that is less than they were going to spend.

It also highlights that such is the depth of poor service offered by many of the astronomy retailers out there that this poor guy did not feel he could seek advice from the retailer he got the scope from. Had he done that, or had the retailer actually cared the customer was happy with his purchase, he would now be using his new telescope. Instead this guy is now almost certainly lost to our hobby.