I'd ask for either a totaly refund and THEY pay return shipping or demand a
clean replacement and they pay shipping for BOTH scopes both ways.
--
The Lone Sidewalk Astronomer of Rosamond
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"Paul Murphy" wrote in message
.. .
About 5 years ago I bought a TV Pronto and I bought a TV 102 a couple of
years ago. In both cases the optics and the fit and finish were absolutely
perfect, which may have led me to be a bit more critical about optical and
mechanical fit and finish standards. I was looking for a very, very
portable 8in SCT and I thought the NexStar 8i XLT would be perfect for me
for use going up and down the stairs in my apartment (no elevator).
Well it arrived and I can't decide if I should pack it up for a refund or
give it a chance. I've only had 3 clear nights since the end of November,
so I'm not sure how soon I can test it under the stars.
Here's the letter I sent Celestron support and I'm wondering if I'm
over-reacting and most SCTs ship in such a state or if I really got an
unreasonably bad example. How clean should I expect an SCT to be?
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"I bought the NexStar 8i for two main reasons...it's a very portable 8in
SCT and I thought Celestron took pride in their craftsmanship and
attention to detail given the "hand figuring" of the optics.
When I unpacked the telescope, it was literally covered in glass dust. On
the base it was as if someone poured half of a salt shaker out on it.
After cleaning that, I proceeded to check the optics with a flashlight.
1. There is a large grease or paint smear inside the baffle tube.
2. There is dust and small pieces of hair on the inside of the corrector
plate and on the mirror in addition to the moderate amount of dust on the
outside of the corrector plate.
3. There are multiple circular streaks and a horizontal streak where
someone rubbed the mirror with (I assume) a cloth. The mirror does not
appear to be scratched and I don't know how much performance will be lost
due to this utter lack of professionalism in letting the scope leave your
factory in such a condition.
How did this telescope make it out of your factory in such a condition and
what is your explanation for the total lack of quality control?
I await your response before I pack it up and send it back to Astronomics
for a full refund and move on to Meade."
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Any input would be appreciated. I fear that if I spend more money on an
LX90 I will lose out on the extreme portability and may end up with the
same fit and finish problems. Thanks!
--
Clear Skies,
Paul Murphy
(remove gemini to email me)