OVL - Skywatcher
When you next look at telescopes either when using your own or looking to buy one, and you see Patricks photograph and comments along side of the Skywatcher range within an astronomy magazine, ask yourself two questions, how does someone become associated with a brand and who arranges it.
The answer is WE DID IT, STAR Distribution.
The Skywatcher range of scopes are good, and Patrick and I considered his endorsement on a range of scopes, we chose these.
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Because of the time restraints associated with scope testing and the restrictions, we only had them for three days and you need CLEAR and DRY conditions, we set aside one weekend.
The scopes arrived from OVL and there were two of us and Patrick to undertake the work, the lorry came and delivered a few! boxes to be unpacked.
As can be seen from Patricks SLIDE room there were a few to unpack after unloading them from the lorry.
The worst part about the test was remembering what order and with what specific equipment the work was to be done, what diagonal and mount went with what scope, and after that the same mount with a different scope and eyepieces would be used with, oh well, you get the picture.
What we had NOT counted on was Murphy's law, and yes, you guessed it, we had THREE days, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, guess which day was the ONLY dry and clear one, Sunday.
It rained Friday and Saturday.
Oh well.
Come Sunday, there was still cloud cover but fortunately it was not total, in fact about 30%
So we began setting up the scopes and mounts.
Now when you have limited space caused by copious quantities of packing material, I am sure you can appreciate the problem.
Anyone who has received a scope in the post appreciates how many smaller boxes come in the large box, and how much packing material is involved.
None the less we finally managed to get most of the scopes set up and one by one Patrick tested them in all sorts of ways, was the mount stable, was the scope well made, how did the scope cope with different
magnifications, would the mount settle soon after a knock, how quickly could it be set up and used because most people do not have the luxury of an observatory.
There were mounts and scopes in the Study
below left is the Dining room !, and right the Hall.
Worst of all when the testing was over they all had to be packed away.
I feel sorry for the staff at OVL, unfortunately, six hours, countless scope tests and half a bottle of Gin later I found it best simply to place the smaller boxes in whatever large box had an appropriate gap.
Even then we had three boxes left over !, that's life.
So the next time you go to but a Skywatcher telescope spare a thought for the work that went into not only discussing with the company what was to be tested, having them arrange to and from transport, but the time spent unpacking and re packing let alone the testing.
And will someone please tell Ptolemy (Patrick's cat) I need that box for an EQ head.
Was it worth it, yes, as can be seen from the adverts for OVL in the Astronomy magazines, it was well worth the experience.
Simon T A Rundle.
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