Come join the friendliest, most engaging and inclusive astronomy forum geared for beginners and advanced telescope users, astrophotography devotees, plus check out our "Astro" goods vendors.
Come join the friendliest, most engaging and inclusive astronomy forum geared for beginners and advanced telescope users, astrophotography devotees, plus check out our "Astro" goods vendors.
Now I declare two interests here, firstly I would like to see what a low cost non-mainstream setup can do (I am a follower of Astrobiscuit on YouTube), and secondly I am a supporter of Hong Kong who are going through a rough time currently.
Erring on the side of caution, I have just splashed out £29.99 for their 0.5mm Helical focuser (coming tomorrow) to judge one of their products.
I will post a small review of it this weekend.
Hope you have clear; skies us UK guys have none for the foreseeable.
If this was a actual S-FPL-51 lens the cost of Grade 1 glass would be higher than what they are selling the telescope for.
This makes me think that they are buying what is called seconds or thirds.
What this means is a purchaser has returned/ rejected lenses as not meeting their QC level so the manufacturer sells them to others at a lower cost to cover manufacturing.
The fact that SVBony (according to the review) happened to have a refractor in UK (no outlet shop) tends to make me think that the company has picked a few good ones from their stock just for reviews.
Pretty much all of the equipment they sell can be found on more mainstream astro websites, for example the helical focusers are available at Orion, Woodland Hills and Teleskop-Service.
(I only checked the three)
Eyepieces are all standard fare the same as many other mainstream retailers but at reduced prices so again, most likely seconds.
One I find amusing is the 66° AFOV eyepiece for $33USD and just down the page they are listed again with a colourful barrel and sell for $35USD but are called 68° AFOV.
Personally it is a company I would avoid at present, if they begin to sell original product I will consider in the future.
Gabrielle See Far Sticks: Elita 103/1575, AOM FLT 105/1000, Bresser 127/1200 BV, Nočný stopár 152/1200, Vyrobené doma 70/700, Stellarvue NHNG DX 80/552, TAL RS 100/1000, Vixen SD115s/885 EQ: TAL MT-1, Vixen SXP, SXP2, AXJ, AXD Az/Alt: AYO Digi II, Stellarvue M2C, Argo Navis encoders on both Tripods: Berlebach Planet (2), Uni 28 Astro, Report 372, TAL factory maple, Vixen ASG-CB90, Vixen AXD-TR102 Diagonals: Astro-Physics, Baader Amici, Baader Herschel, iStar Blue, Stellarvue DX, Tak prism, TAL, Vixen Eyepieces: Antares to Zeiss (1011110) The only culture I have is from yogurt
In regards to what Ladyfraktor said in post #2, I read that Stellarvue sends a third of their glass back to the manufacturer. I could be wrong, but I think I read that some place. People don't go into business to go out of business. I am certain Svbony has a return policy. I would buy it anyway, and test it against another same style/size scope.
You can get essentially the same scope from Astronomics ... Astro-Tech AT80ED 3.1" f/7 ED Refractor ... for the same price. It uses FK-61 glass (Abbe #81.6) instead of S-FPL51 glass (Abbe # 81.54 ), however both types of glass will have basically the same optical performance.
Refractordude wrote: ↑Thu Oct 01, 2020 7:28 pm
In regards to what Ladyfraktor said in post #2, I read that Stellarvue sends a third of their glass back to the manufacturer. I could be wrong, but I think I read that some place. People don't go into business to go out of business. I am certain Svbony has a return policy. I would buy it anyway, and test it against another same style/size scope.
This was partially true from 2000 to around 2012.
During that time they would buy completed lens sets for certain models of their telescopes and cherry pick the sets, sending the sets that did not meet Vics 0.95 Strehl minimum back to the manufacturer.
Their higher end telescopes they bought from premium optical companies such as APM, TMB, LZOS and LOMO.
Stellarvue would take all telescopes regardless of cost and tweak the focusers and alignment, include tube clamps made on site and check the alignment of the lens set and focuser.
Telescopes and diagonals were also star tested before being sent out to the customer.
Now with the SVX line all telescopes made by Stellarvue are figured in house.
They order rough ground lens sets in size and then figure and polish and instal in their own made lens cell in California.
This is why you pay the extra money for the hand figured and polished for your telescope lens.
From reading some reviews online today, their customer service (SVBony) seems to be lacking in a number of areas.
Last edited by Lady Fraktor on Thu Oct 01, 2020 10:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Gabrielle See Far Sticks: Elita 103/1575, AOM FLT 105/1000, Bresser 127/1200 BV, Nočný stopár 152/1200, Vyrobené doma 70/700, Stellarvue NHNG DX 80/552, TAL RS 100/1000, Vixen SD115s/885 EQ: TAL MT-1, Vixen SXP, SXP2, AXJ, AXD Az/Alt: AYO Digi II, Stellarvue M2C, Argo Navis encoders on both Tripods: Berlebach Planet (2), Uni 28 Astro, Report 372, TAL factory maple, Vixen ASG-CB90, Vixen AXD-TR102 Diagonals: Astro-Physics, Baader Amici, Baader Herschel, iStar Blue, Stellarvue DX, Tak prism, TAL, Vixen Eyepieces: Antares to Zeiss (1011110) The only culture I have is from yogurt
Sky wrote: ↑Thu Oct 01, 2020 9:36 pm
You can get essentially the same scope from Astronomics ... Astro-Tech AT80ED 3.1" f/7 ED Refractor ... for the same price. It uses FK-61 glass (Abbe #81.6) instead of S-FPL51 glass (Abbe # 81.54 ), however both types of glass will have basically the same optical performance.
I'd rather buy from Astronomics since you are assured of great after-sale support ... SVbony, who knows.
Looking from an economical point of view the Astro-Tech price point is correct for a refractor made from Grade 1 FK-61 which is about 4x cheaper to manufacture than FPL-51.
At the same price Grade 1 FPL-51 is not a likely option.
To put it in perspective a bit, glass manufacturers base their costs on what the cost of their cheapest glass is.
Normally when you look in the catalouges it is based on the cost of BK7
If the cost of BK7 is 1, then FPL-53 is 18x more, FPL-51 is 11x more and FK-61 is 7x more.
This is why I say that it is not really possible to make the SVBony refractor using Grade 1 glass.
There are 4 grade levels as well as 4 different scratch/ dig ratios that all affect cost of the lens.
I fully expect that the SVBony would put up nice views to a certain point but if used in a side by side comparison with a properly made refractor using Grade 1 FPL-51 the difference would be easy to see.
Gabrielle See Far Sticks: Elita 103/1575, AOM FLT 105/1000, Bresser 127/1200 BV, Nočný stopár 152/1200, Vyrobené doma 70/700, Stellarvue NHNG DX 80/552, TAL RS 100/1000, Vixen SD115s/885 EQ: TAL MT-1, Vixen SXP, SXP2, AXJ, AXD Az/Alt: AYO Digi II, Stellarvue M2C, Argo Navis encoders on both Tripods: Berlebach Planet (2), Uni 28 Astro, Report 372, TAL factory maple, Vixen ASG-CB90, Vixen AXD-TR102 Diagonals: Astro-Physics, Baader Amici, Baader Herschel, iStar Blue, Stellarvue DX, Tak prism, TAL, Vixen Eyepieces: Antares to Zeiss (1011110) The only culture I have is from yogurt
I agree the website does make you wonder, and much of the content is hyperbole. It’s interesting to learn more about the industry. I suppose curiosity drives my interest a bit. But I will be circumspect, besides anything else it’s not a insignificant sum even if it looks cheap, and in particular, is cheap for a good reason.
I’m going to dig around a bit, for the hell of it :veryconfused:
I am looking forward to your review of the helical focuser, they are quite handy for very fine focus and I really should get another one some day.
Gabrielle See Far Sticks: Elita 103/1575, AOM FLT 105/1000, Bresser 127/1200 BV, Nočný stopár 152/1200, Vyrobené doma 70/700, Stellarvue NHNG DX 80/552, TAL RS 100/1000, Vixen SD115s/885 EQ: TAL MT-1, Vixen SXP, SXP2, AXJ, AXD Az/Alt: AYO Digi II, Stellarvue M2C, Argo Navis encoders on both Tripods: Berlebach Planet (2), Uni 28 Astro, Report 372, TAL factory maple, Vixen ASG-CB90, Vixen AXD-TR102 Diagonals: Astro-Physics, Baader Amici, Baader Herschel, iStar Blue, Stellarvue DX, Tak prism, TAL, Vixen Eyepieces: Antares to Zeiss (1011110) The only culture I have is from yogurt
SVBony outsources scope manufacturing like most of other vendors. So, they could sell quality scopes, it comes down to QC at the end. If the company offers a good return policy which gives you enough time to test the scope, why not?
It's interesting to note the SVBony scope uses glass from the well known, very respected Ohara factory in Japan, while the Astro-Tech scope uses glass from the CDGM factory in China. Both types of glass have similar optical properties. It would be very interesting to do some side-by-side testing.
CDGM is a well respected company as well.
They have been producing glass for the world market for over 60 years.
We know them best for their H-FK61 but they also produce a FPL-53 equivalent of H-FK95N
Gabrielle See Far Sticks: Elita 103/1575, AOM FLT 105/1000, Bresser 127/1200 BV, Nočný stopár 152/1200, Vyrobené doma 70/700, Stellarvue NHNG DX 80/552, TAL RS 100/1000, Vixen SD115s/885 EQ: TAL MT-1, Vixen SXP, SXP2, AXJ, AXD Az/Alt: AYO Digi II, Stellarvue M2C, Argo Navis encoders on both Tripods: Berlebach Planet (2), Uni 28 Astro, Report 372, TAL factory maple, Vixen ASG-CB90, Vixen AXD-TR102 Diagonals: Astro-Physics, Baader Amici, Baader Herschel, iStar Blue, Stellarvue DX, Tak prism, TAL, Vixen Eyepieces: Antares to Zeiss (1011110) The only culture I have is from yogurt
Sky wrote: ↑Thu Oct 01, 2020 9:36 pm
You can get essentially the same scope from Astronomics ... Astro-Tech AT80ED 3.1" f/7 ED Refractor ... for the same price. It uses FK-61 glass (Abbe #81.6) instead of S-FPL51 glass (Abbe # 81.54 ), however both types of glass will have basically the same optical performance.
I'd rather buy from Astronomics since you are assured of great after-sale support ... SVbony, who knows.
Looking from an economical point of view the Astro-Tech price point is correct for a refractor made from Grade 1 FK-61 which is about 4x cheaper to manufacture than FPL-51.
At the same price Grade 1 FPL-51 is not a likely option.
To put it in perspective a bit, glass manufacturers base their costs on what the cost of their cheapest glass is.
Normally when you look in the catalouges it is based on the cost of BK7
If the cost of BK7 is 1, then FPL-53 is 18x more, FPL-51 is 11x more and FK-61 is 7x more.
This is why I say that it is not really possible to make the SVBony refractor using Grade 1 glass.
There are 4 grade levels as well as 4 different scratch/ dig ratios that all affect cost of the lens.
I fully expect that the SVBony would put up nice views to a certain point but if used in a side by side comparison with a properly made refractor using Grade 1 FPL-51 the difference would be easy to see.
It depends how greedy these companys are with their profit margin, their overhead costs etc., etc. maybe Svbony operate much lower in ......... ?
I will say I have several each of their filters, eyepieces and zooms and they are great performers. Their build quality and function are next to none that I have owned at a lot less cost. Try em before you knock em, I think they are an up and coming company, they have only been around since 2014. If I didn’t already have 10 scopes I would buy one of their scopes in an instant. This is just my experience with Svbony !
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