Another maker won't ship outside the US

John,

I wonder how destructive the 20% VAT is in the whole scheme of things. Surely it does not help. Furthermore, a law was passed in Greece where taxation is a minimum of 34% on gross sales so that every dealer must now pay taxes and thereby catch those who, by hook or by crook, managed to show nominal profits in their bottom line and thereby avoid taxation.

As a result, we have the effective addition of 54% just due to taxes alone (in Greece).

It is scarry how the competitive spirit has been lost and which thrives in the US.

As you guys are mentioning about European/Asian manufacturers, and how Mead/Celestron - American manufacturers got the lerger market share, don't you find it bemusing that the Russian manufacturers (such as Tal, among the oldest), are not so 'in your face' as their American counterparts? Shame to see that they are being beaten by competition 12 time-zones away on their own home turf.

Good point. The mainland Chinese are natural volume manufacturers so their best fit is in the mid-range down to the budget market. The Russians optics industry has a long tradition of producing high spec optics so they are better suited to the high-end and upper part of the mid-range where they won't have to compete as hard against the Chinese.

And let's not forget the Japanese and Taiwanese companies, provided they distribute directly to the Eurozone (the Sterling area distribution industry is another darn money pit).

I agree about Russian companies, I had a Tal refractor and the mechanical and optical workmanship was first rate. I can't help but think that if they gave their products a serious advertising push in the European market they would find that many buyers would come over to them. And of course the more they sell the more they will manufacture and the more they will diversify into different telescope lines.

Companies such as Tal have the potential to find a niche and push the likes of Meade and Celestron out.

Paul

Link to a list of Irish telescope makers now confined to the history books:

www.europa.com/~telscope/tsireland.txt

(Not mentioned in the list is David Moore and his "Dublin Telescope Group".DTG no longer make telescopes.They sell Celestron Dobs, as a direct replacement they told me.)

Peter.

A wise decision by DTG. I looked at their products a couple of times but was unwilling to buy a Dob with a mere 1.25" focuser.