Re: What telescope vendors and companies will close in 2009?

On Jan 25, 4:42 pm, Anthony Ayiomamitis <anth...@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On 24 Éáí, 23:35, "M104gal...@xxxxxxxxx" <M104gal...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:





On Jan 24, 2:57 pm, Too_Many_Tools <too_many_to...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On Jan 23, 5:46 pm, chris1...@xxxxxxx wrote:

On Jan 23, 4:40 pm, Too_Many_Tools <too_many_to...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On Jan 23, 3:40 pm, chris1...@xxxxxxx wrote:

On Jan 23, 3:25 pm, Too_Many_Tools <too_many_to...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On Jan 23, 12:56 pm, chris1...@xxxxxxx wrote:

On Jan 23, 12:12 pm, Too_Many_Tools <too_many_to...@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

The wait on your lists is legendary. ;<)

Care to give the average wait time for a customer?

Not sure what that has to do with anything, but here goes: for the
products we make now, the average wait time is anywhere from zero to
about 1 year. The average delivery time from accepting an order to
delivery of the order is about 2 months, but that can vary a bit plus
or minus depending on the season. That's for mountings and accessories
which is our main product. We have expanded our operation over the
last couple of years and are working to capacity. Probably need to
expand some more. Our optical production is basically myself, so that
will always be limited, but again, the average time from accepting of
the order to delivery is also about 2 - 3 months.

For scopes  the wait time to accepting an order is very long, and for
those scopes that are discontinued, the wait will be forever. I do not
need to make scopes, since there is now a plethora of refractors
available in all shapes, sizes and correction levels. I make scopes
because I still enjoy working with optics, and I think I can still
contribute to the leading edge (but maybe I am kidding myself here).

When I first started making triplet refractors, there were only a very
few available at exorbitant cost. It was my intention to help to re-
introduce the refractor to the amateur public as a viable instrument,
at a time when Newts and SCTs ruled supreme. I felt that there was a
need for this, and now that so many other companies have stepped up
and are producing them in quantities (which I can never hope to
achieve with my hand-made processes), I feel I have done my job. And I
don't need to apologize to anyone for wait lists, and that includes
yourself. We do not take orders from anyone for any product that we
cannot deliver fairly quickly, and never will.

Rolando

So all those stories of people waiting YEARS AND YEARS for a product
are untrue? ;<)

Rolando, the length of time people have had to wait for your products
is legendary.

You do realize that the wait time has become so long that you have
lost business?

TMT- Hide quoted text -

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Wait list for what? Mounts, our main business? Not at all. We deliver
quite rapidly now. I have not lost any business. I have all the
business that I can deliver. We accept as much as we can deliver, no
more than that.

Rolando- Hide quoted text -

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You know what I am asking for...provide the data that supports your
claims.

TMT- Hide quoted text -

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I have no responsibility to provide you with anything. I do not know
who you are, and I owe you nothing.

Rolando- Hide quoted text -

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Rolando...you're the one who said times are good while everyone else
is tanking...I am simply asking for evidence to back up your claim.

So provide it.

TMT

I think Rolando may have already answered your question and,
indirectly, mine. He said he was a big factor in getting affordable
apo's into the hands of amateurs and acknowledged that he now has a
lot of competition at similar quality levels, sometimes without the
long wait he requires. Since he is the only one at his company
figuring glass, he controls output and can easily slow down, take a
vacation, whatever, if glass demand slows. He does seem to have almost
a cult following however that I suspect will keep him busy with
glass.

BTW, I still have a hard time believing Tony Hallas paid Rolando over
$25,000 in cash for that one off 8" apo ( or perhaps some third party
financed it, working with Tony and Rolando since such an instrument
could easy be sold even in this market as a one-off ).

I see his mount and accessory business a little differently, again
from his comments. There is essentially no backlog in his machine shop
and since he employs a number here, if demand seriously slacks ( which
I think it will ) he may have to temporarily lay off some machinists.

From what I have personally observed with several members of my astro
club, however, his mounts are superior to the competition and the big
1200 GO-TO is truly one man portable--I've set up next to one many
times. His direct competition, like the Paramount, seems far more
cumbersome to take into the field.

 For those who have the free money, now would seem to be a great time
to grab one of these 1200 mounts with virtually no wait.

M104,

I am a proud owner of the AP1200GTO and I cherish it as much as my
AP160. In fact, don't ask me to choose between the two since I will
not be able to prefer one over the other.

As for the downturn in the economy, I have no problem with Rolando's
comments for two reasons: (1) the notification lists are so deep, that
he will easily be able to contact enough people for a new production
run and also keep the notification list in tact (ie. long, deep or
whatever one wants to call it) and (2) he is in the process of a
massive AP130 run right now and in spite of any economic woes.

I also agree with Davoud that debt is the key buzz-word. For someone
debt free, it is very easy to live comfortably with a nominal income
be it work-related, interest-related etc. I also agree with Davoud and
his comment about the buying opportunities which exist for quality
stocks provided, again, one is debt-free.

As for Astromart, indeed AP scopes are surfacing more and more
frequently and at more attractive prices.

One lesson that should be learned by all thanks to the existing crisis
is the value of being debt-free. Yes, the American economy may be
driven on the principle of consumption but this should be done with
the proviso of having the funds available. Once someone goes into
debt, they are game for many misfortunes that bad luck or fate may
thrown upon them (illness, divorce, death in the family, loss of job
etc).

Anthony.- Hide quoted text -

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Well said Anthony.

Can you guarantee that you will not have one of those misfortunes
occur to you in the next year?

The last I looked illiness, divorce, death in the family, loss of job
are equal opportunity enablers.

Overextend yourself in this recession and have one of the "horsemen"
befall you and you will be in a world of hurt overnight.

The fact is that Ameica has lost 2 trillion dollars in 401Ks, houses
that were being used for ATMs are underwater in debt, 2.5 million jobs
were lost last year and with them health insurance...do I need to go
on?

As I said...discretionary spending has all but stopped.

Did I mention that your ability to borrow money is almost nonexistent?

The only ones who will be buying high products are people with cash on
hand...and there are many fewer of them now compared to last January.

I stand by my comments....2009 will be a very tough year for astro
vendors and companies.

TMT
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