Beginning Of The End for TeleVue?

Hello all,

After spending a couple years out of the hobby and now getting back
into it, I'm amazed at the quality you can now purchase and the low,
low, low prices associated with these products. Apos and eyepieces in
particular.

This used to be TeleVue's bread and butter, and boy did they know it
with the prices they charge! But now that we, as consumers, have
options where we get 98% of the ultra high quality performance for 50%
of the cost, what does it mean to the company that has been holding us
over the coals for the past 20 years, wringing every red cent out of us
for a high quality eyepiece? Could this competition be the beginning
of the end for them?? Or will there always be status-seekers in this
hobby that decide on purchases based on the name printed on the
eyepiece, as opposed to the quality/price ratio?

I just don't see this company doing well with the price wars that are
being waged right now. Deservedly so? Maybe. That's up for debate.
I'm just saying that I wouldn't want to be the most expensive company
in astronomy right now....

Out of interest what other brands to you recommend for EPs that are 98%
quality, 50% cost? I can see where you are coming from on APOs in terms
of Orion80ED vs Tele Vue I suppose.

Bill

wrote in message
ups.com...
Hello all,

After spending a couple years out of the hobby and now getting back
into it, I'm amazed at the quality you can now purchase and the low,
low, low prices associated with these products. Apos and eyepieces in
particular.

obviously you are living in the USA :-)

This used to be TeleVue's bread and butter, and boy did they know it
with the prices they charge! But now that we, as consumers, have
options where we get 98% of the ultra high quality performance for 50%
of the cost, what does it mean to the company that has been holding us
over the coals for the past 20 years, wringing every red cent out of us
for a high quality eyepiece? Could this competition be the beginning
of the end for them?? Or will there always be status-seekers in this
hobby that decide on purchases based on the name printed on the
eyepiece, as opposed to the quality/price ratio?

there will always be the status seekers, perhaps not enought to keep televue alive.
--
md
10" LX200GPS-SMT
ETX105
www.xs4all.nl/~martlian

The Televue APOs are competitively priced and offer performance as good
as any other high-end brand out there (at least in my opinion). Yes,
the Chinese APOs are cheaper but I have looked through them and the
views are good but not as good as the other high-end brands. I am sure
that the cheaper chinese APOs have hurt Televue's sales but there will
always be people willing to pay more for the quality of construction &
quality control that they offer.

Jeff

"I'm just saying that I wouldn't want to be the most expensive company
in astronomy right now."

Perhaps you have never considered AstroPhysics, TMB, Ziess as
companies that service the astro market? Each of these companies
has higher dollar scopes, higher dollar eyepieces, and other high
dollar equiptment. TV, to me, is mearly upper mid-range in the
astro cost structure.

Mitch

Good point - TV is really not at the top of the heap. They have some
good products intended primarily for visual use, but IMO the mechanical
engineering and OTA construction lags behind products from AP, Tak, TMB,
and TEC. Now please don't flame me -- I own a TV85, and I like it. It
does a wonderful job at what it was designed for.

wrote:
"I'm just saying that I wouldn't want to be the most expensive company
in astronomy right now."

Perhaps you have never considered AstroPhysics, TMB, Ziess as
companies that service the astro market? Each of these companies
has higher dollar scopes, higher dollar eyepieces, and other high
dollar equiptment. TV, to me, is mearly upper mid-range in the
astro cost structure.

Mitch

wrote:
Hello all,

After spending a couple years out of the hobby and now getting back
into it, I'm amazed at the quality you can now purchase and the low,
low, low prices associated with these products. Apos and eyepieces
in
particular.

This used to be TeleVue's bread and butter, and boy did they know it
with the prices they charge! But now that we, as consumers, have
options where we get 98% of the ultra high quality performance for
50%
of the cost, what does it mean to the company that has been holding
us
over the coals for the past 20 years, wringing every red cent out of
us
for a high quality eyepiece? Could this competition be the beginning
of the end for them?? Or will there always be status-seekers in this
hobby that decide on purchases based on the name printed on the
eyepiece, as opposed to the quality/price ratio?

I just don't see this company doing well with the price wars that are
being waged right now. Deservedly so? Maybe. That's up for debate.
I'm just saying that I wouldn't want to be the most expensive company
in astronomy right now....


Good grief, what a tirade. TeleVue the most expensive company in
astronomy?? Not even close. If you call Al Nagler's long history of
innovation "holding us over the coals", well, so be it, but that's
quite short-sighted. Don't you have anything to say about eyepieces
and scopes that are more expensive that TeleVue's? How about Zeiss or
Pentax eyepieces? Do other brands offer 98% of the performance for 50%
of the price of those as well? Maybe to your eyes, but that's the
qualifier you left out. TeleVue products cost what they cost. If
you don't want them, don't buy them. Same with AP, Zeiss, Pentax,
Takahashi,,etc.

Clyde

When I first saw this, I thought it was way out of character for Tony
Flanders whom we know as the writer for S&T and then I reread the post
and realized this Tony Flanders has been out of the hobby for a while.

Sorry to the real "Tony Flanders" for even thinking you had published
this obvious troll.

Shawn? Are you back as Tony Flanders now?

Randy

Randy Roy wrote:
When I first saw this, I thought it was way out of character for Tony
Flanders whom we know as the writer for S&T and then I reread the
post
and realized this Tony Flanders has been out of the hobby for a
while.

Sorry to the real "Tony Flanders" for even thinking you had published
this obvious troll.

Shawn? Are you back as Tony Flanders now?

Randy


Randy,

Good call. I should have recognized it as a troll, though I don't know
the name Tony Flanders as a writer, either online or at S&T.
Best,
Clyde

Randy Roy wrote:
When I first saw this, I thought it was way out of character for Tony
Flanders whom we know as the writer for S&T and then I reread the post
and realized this Tony Flanders has been out of the hobby for a while.

Sorry to the real "Tony Flanders" for even thinking you had published
this obvious troll.

Shawn? Are you back as Tony Flanders now?

Randy

Yeah I think Shawn Grant's come up with some new MOs and names, still
smells the same.

Shawn (not Grant)