Buying a scope from USA

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shetowl2020
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Buying a scope from USA

Post by shetowl2020 »

I am in the uk but cannot get the scope I want, has anyone had an experience of buying direct from Lunt USA. How do costs, service compare and do you have to pay import tax - thanks


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Re: Buying a scope from USA

Post by marktownley »

What scope do you want?


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Re: Buying a scope from USA

Post by shetowl2020 »

Still looking at the Lunt LS60, DS60, B1200, Feather touch but not the pressure tuned version


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Re: Buying a scope from USA

Post by marktownley »

shetowl2020 wrote: Mon Apr 27, 2020 10:09 pm Still looking at the Lunt LS60, DS60, B1200, Feather touch but not the pressure tuned version
Unusual choice, any particular reason?


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Re: Buying a scope from USA

Post by shetowl2020 »

Cost, recommendations and I want to photograph the sun


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Re: Buying a scope from USA

Post by Rusted »

Buying an expensive telescope from the USA is very costly even if they will sell to you at normal US retail.

On top of the retail price you will pay international freight charges, customs clearance charges and import taxes.
Possible currency exchange charges too.

VAT IS PAYABLE ON TOP OF LITERALLY EVERYTHING ELSE. 20% in the UK? 25% in Denmark.
This can make any US purchase 1/3 more expensive than the retail price you paid for it.

Many "manufacturers" have selected retailers in the UK [and elsewhere of course.]
[Even Chinese goods re-labellers in many cases only pretending to be "manufacturers."]

These official dealers will have sole rights to all sales within a particular geographical boundary.
It helps to avoid price competition between independent dealers.
Or online [box shifting] dealers flogging off grey imports at a discount.
Which all helps to hold retail prices artificially high without being officially accused of illegal price fixing.

I'd try discussing with a UK LUNT main dealer to see what can be done to satisfy your craving.
The alternative is to snap up the secondhand items you want to put together.
There are always enthusiasts losing interest during a Solar Minimum or upgrading.

Have you looked at the European astro dealers for what you want?


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Re: Buying a scope from USA

Post by marktownley »

shetowl2020 wrote: Tue Apr 28, 2020 8:44 am Cost, recommendations and I want to photograph the sun
Totally get the cost thing - etalons are expensive and fragile pieces of kit. Have you thought about if it decontacts on its way to you - you will have to pay the import duty, then, ship it back to the USA and then pay for the import duty when it comes back to the UK fixed. The scope may well work just fine in the location it was bought from then in UK, different conditions and it doesn't work as expected. Sure they might exchange but there is that sting of the import duty, again, when it comes back into the UK. Ofcourse everything may be perfect first time in which case the gamble pays off.

Why have people recommended this scope over others? Even the scope manufacturer moved away from this technology in favour of better.

There's nothing that makes that scope better for imaging, infact the tilt tune etalon on the scope itself probably makes it worse.

Mark


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Re: Buying a scope from USA

Post by Solar B »

As Mark suggests I wouldnt wish to import an air spaced etalon from the states ect

as de contacting is a real threat , having said that how do they all get to the UK in the first place !!

however thats at the vendors / manufacturers risk ... I have imported BFs previously though.

As for solid etalons there is virtually no risk / apart from all the other associated costs.

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Re: Buying a scope from USA

Post by marktownley »

Rupert at Astrograph, here in the UK has the scope you are on about http://astrograph.net/epages/www_astrog ... S60THaB12C and the double stack filter and knowing Rupert he will easily be able to get it configured with the double stack and the Feathertouch.


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Re: Buying a scope from USA

Post by Astrograph »

OK, so as a Lunt Dealer I can tell you that the non PT LS60 with an FT is available on its own. The DS60 DS is not although the DS50 is.

As a system its a bad idea so whoever recommended it does not know what they are talking about. The non PT version of the LS60 cannot be used with a front DS module unless it is specially ordered and matched. If you just add a DS module to it the uniformity is terrible. As such it is better to order it as a system.

The basic non PT LS60 has a mechanical tilt system. When you tilt an etalon it moves off band. You might improve visibility of an object like a sunspot but you will lose contrast. The PT system does not affect bandpass and an off the shelf front etalon can be added without matching. In terms of money, spending it on the PT element as opposed to an FT focuser is a better idea.

The LS60THADS60/B1200FTPT and most other LS60 double stack systems are out of stock. I do however have a customer who has an LS60 PT with stack for sale if you are interested.

As has been suggested, there are a number of pitfalls buying from overseas and the EU. As a dealer I import from all over the place and if you import a Lunt scope you will;

- Pay the basic US$ cost but converted at a poor rate unless you use a Forex service.
- On top, unless you organise your own shipping on a collect basis you will pay more for that than you might expect
- The cost of the items plus the shipping are the actual cost of the item as far as HMRC is concerned.
- That cost will have 4.7% added to it as import duty
- On top of that 20% VAT will be added
- On top of that a courier will normally charge a handling fee

Assuming this was all still cheaper you will have no support from anyone in europe as its a grey import. Ignore the value of support at your peril.

You should also consider that distance selling rules that apply in the EU do not apply in the US so if you don't like what you get then you cannot return it as you might be able to in the UK.


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Re: Buying a scope from USA

Post by shetowl2020 »

Astrograph thanks for the information, I have spoken to several shops and they have al said the DS60 doesn't have to be matched. Can you recall where your information comes from then I can quote it. I gather that the next batch of DS60's is due to be dispatched to UK next week. Which is your shop? thanks


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Re: Buying a scope from USA

Post by marktownley »

shetowl2020 wrote: Wed Apr 29, 2020 3:46 pm I have spoken to several shops and they have al said the DS60 doesn't have to be matched.
That will be for the PT model. Trust me, getting 2 tilt tuned etalons to work properly requires a number of samples to find the right one, been there, got the t-shirt.

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Re: Buying a scope from USA

Post by shetowl2020 »

How do they match the etalons?


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Re: Buying a scope from USA

Post by rsfoto »

shetowl2020 wrote: Wed Apr 29, 2020 4:10 pm How do they match the etalons?
Hi,

As far as it was explained to me and was done with my original Coronado 12 years ago (yes, I started with Sun during a Solar minimum :-) ) , they sit in the Sun with a telescope adn then use one etalon and so on, add another one until they find the best view

:mrgreen:

I do not know if there is an easier way or if it can be done in a Lab.


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Re: Buying a scope from USA

Post by Astrograph »

My business is Astrograph.net. We list the common Lunt models on line but rarely does anyone buy a model online without consulting us first so typically something different is ordered. As this thread suggests, its not so simple to get the right advice!

I can assure you that the non PT model will not deliver the results you expect if you buy one and just add a DS module. Those other dealers are incorrect but most dealers don't ask questions, they just take the money. If you order it as a set then the DS module is matched. The PT version is less affected by the problems.

I would have to dig out the Lunt advice that states this.

As far as stock is concerned. Lunt stock is held in Germany. They have no 60 DS scopes. If you go to bresser.de and search the Solar Scopes that will show you a live stock status.


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Re: Buying a scope from USA

Post by shetowl2020 »

Astrograph wrote: Wed Apr 29, 2020 4:29 pm My business is Astrograph.net. We list the common Lunt models on line but rarely does anyone buy a model online without consulting us first so typically something different is ordered. As this thread suggests, its not so simple to get the right advice!

I can assure you that the non PT model will not deliver the results you expect if you buy one and just add a DS module. Those other dealers are incorrect but most dealers don't ask questions, they just take the money. If you order it as a set then the DS module is matched. The PT version is less affected by the problems.

I would have to dig out the Lunt advice that states this.

As far as stock is concerned. Lunt stock is held in Germany. They have no 60 DS scopes. If you go to bresser.de and search the Solar Scopes that will show you a live stock status.
so less affected by the match but what problems generally does the pressure tuned version have compared to the tilted- thanks


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Re: Buying a scope from USA

Post by Astrograph »

The pressure tuned version does not really suffer from any problems. The only one I have seen is where users have unscrewed the tuner completely!

Basically the pressure tuner lets you adjust wavelength without sacrificing the bandpass. With a tilt system that is a by product of tilting the etalon. There is also a change to image sharpness as you are angling a fairly thick piece of glass. In fact two pieces with a DS and at different angles to each other.

The 60DS with PT is a hybrid so a PT adjusts the etalon in the scope but the front stack is still a tilt. With the 80 and up the stacking is done with dual PT modules.


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Re: Buying a scope from USA

Post by DeepSolar64 »

I would have to go through all of this if I ordered a Solarscope product from the Isle of Man. I don't know of a dealer for Solarscope in the US.


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Re: Buying a scope from USA

Post by PDB »

Company 7, Opt, Hutech

see https://solarscope.co.uk/dealers/


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Re: Buying a scope from USA

Post by DeepSolar64 »

OPT carries em'! That is where I bought my Coronado 60 from.


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