buying quality telescope

Went onto astromart website , found it hard to locate 2nd hand scopes, maybe there were very little on sale at the time. If you are familiar with the site I would be delighted to get some directions as to locate the right page for the 2nd hand scopes, many thanks,Eamonn.

Eamonn,
Just go into the Classifieds and click on Telescopes- reflector, refractor or catadipotric (SCT/MCT). Over 250 ads, nearly all 2nd hand except for a few dealer sponsors. You have to open an account and log in to get access to ratings. The problem with Astromart is that the vast majority of users are in North America and you will find it quite difficult to get any of the NA sellers to deal with a prospective European buyer. Also, since SDS lost the franchise, virtually nothing (new or 2nd hand) gets in to Ireland from the US without attracting VAT and taxes. If you do manage to get a deal, be sure to insure it in transit.

Gordon

Hi Eamonn,
I've bought eyepieces and other bits and pieces from people on astromart, counting up 7 purchaces here and the sellers didnt mind selling to a european.
Right now, I'm waiting for a 2" borg helical focuser to arrive, the price including post was cheaper then what you could get on this side of the atlantic.
BUT, I never bought a scope or anyhting physically big, the biggest thing I got there was a losmandy dovetail, which is abour 2.5feet long (give or take).
A number of telescope sellers state that they will not ship outside the US.

Its great for buying smaller scopes such as something in the ETX range, but getting a big SCT there might be awkward, but I'm sure its possible.
Just make sure that the seller states its working condition and that the packaging is the original boxes.
Personally, I'll never buy anything new on this side of the atlantic again, given the dollar/euro conversion rate.
I've saved a small fortune using astromart.

Hi Eamonn, That 9.25 inch SCT looks like a good deal, at €1910 it is a good price. I paid €2731 for my 8 inch SCT a few years ago

If you don't mind the weight, 27kg is a bit heavy, but damn sturdy. The eyepice kit is good value too, lots of eyepices to keep you happy.

Let me know how you get on
Keith..

Hi guys,
I am relatively new to astronomy, but i presume ye all know about Astromony Ireland's shop in Artane? I've no idea if they are too expensive or what, but from what i can gather from all the posts on this website, Astronomy ireland is not very popular among the members. Just wondering why that is...
I visited their shop recently and they seem to have a big selection of telescopes.
I love the site by the way, very informative and lots to keep me occupied, especially on the cloudy nights, which seems to be every night!

Regards,

Ray

Check here and you might get an idea about "some" prices in Ireland
www.irishastronomy.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=15
www.irishastronomy.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=23
Charles

Hi Ray,
Glad you finding the boards ùseful
The issue I have is the prices, they are just too high.
If you buy abroad and pay duty and shipping, it works out cheaper.