Al,

Noone appreciates "instant gratification" more than I do, believe me!
But I wouldn't mind a wait for an AP.

Currently I own a 20" f/5 Obsession, TV 101 along side a C8 mounted on
a G-11. I have all the scopes I need. J/K! My question was posted
more out of curiousity than anything else. Would I want to own an AP?
Of course! Do I need one? Wouldn't hurt having one, ya know?
Buying one of these instruments is more of an investment than it is
splurging. Even my Televue I picked up used 2 years ago for an even
two grand would sell on Astromart for that much. Essentially, I've
paid nothing for it.
I'd like to go a bit larger in the APO category though, and AP to me,
would be the best option. I've seen these scopes doing what they do
best and you can't deny their quality. They're superb! Everything
about them screams perfection. I'm not knocking other manufacturers,
Im just really impressed with AP.

I was just wondering as to what the wait time is to help me decide if
I want to commit. The longer the wait, the better. I'd like the time
to put aside money for it, that way when the time comes to pay up, it
wouldn't be that much of a financial hit.

As far as GOTO goes, I prefer starhopping the old fashioned way as
well as astrophotography. GOTO wouldn't be right for myself now,
unless it was on an AP1200 in my own personal observatory! But I don't
have either, so that'll have to wait :-)

Thanks for the feedback,
Dragan
Chicago, Il



"Al" wrote in message .net...
"Dragan" wrote in message
om...
How long is the wait for a 130mm or 155mm AP APO? If I put myself on
the list today, how long before I can order one, then how much longer
before delivery?

I realize noone can give me an exact time frame, not even Roland, due
to the demand. I'm sure it constantly changes. I'd be happy with
just an estimate of how long the total wait is. From putting myself on
the list to first light.

What have recent buyers experienced with one of these two scopes?

Clear skies,
Dragan
Chicago Il

I can't give you an answer to your question except to tell you it will be a
long time...probably 3 years, if not more. However, would you pay more for
a similar APO if you needed to wait only weeks or months instead of years?
If yes, why don't you look at a Tak or TMB? How about aperture, does super
seeing power ring your bell? Would a 14" SCT with GOTO and all the bells
and whistles be a good substitute in your mind over a 6" APO? If this gets
a rise out of you, one of these scopes can be purchased for less than half
the cost of a 6" APO OTA alone.

I'm taking the time to post a response to your post because I've waited on
an AP line for almost 3 years before my name came up. When my name finally
came up, I realized that the scope that I signed up for only 3 years ago had
increased in price by a factor of more than 40%. If I had accepted the
increase, I would need to immediately pony up 50% of the scopes value and
then wait another 6 to 9 months before I got my scope. I took a pass on the
scope. I don't know about you, but in my mind there is much to be said for
instant gratification.

Al