medinabrit
professor emeritus
Reged: 10/27/04
Posts: 535
Loc: medina ohio USA.
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Does anyone know if Apogee is still in business ?
I tried to e mail them with no luck . The 1/4" thread on the base for the tripod is stripped & i need another one.
Thanks Brian.
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Glassthrower
Vendor - Galactic Stone & Ironworks
Reged: 04/07/05
Posts: 14686
Loc: Hurricane Alley
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This question keeps coming up in different forums. I tried to order an eyepiece on their clearance page months ago. I emailed three times and got no response.
Regards and clear skies,
MikeG
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Michael Gilmer - Member of the Meteoritical Society & Collector of Falling Stars.
Galactic Stone & Ironworks - Buy/Sell/Trade Meteorites, Moon Rocks, Mars Rocks, & 35 different falls and types!
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pcad
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/17/05
Posts: 1501
Loc: Connecticut
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Although this thread will likely end up in the vender forum, I have bought several items from them including the RA-88 and a certain 90mm refractor. Even back then they were difficult to contact by email. I found that calling them was always more sucessful. Have you tried the numbers listed on their site?
Oops, I see that would require an overseas call for you. Never mind.
Double oops, I can't find their site anymore. Just a blank page at www.apogeeinc.com . Sorry.
Peter
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Peter
Telescopes 25 - 318 mm
Binoculars 15 - 88 mm
Microscope 50x - 1000x
Edited by pcad (01/31/07 05:52 PM)
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Glassthrower
Vendor - Galactic Stone & Ironworks
Reged: 04/07/05
Posts: 14686
Loc: Hurricane Alley
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Quote:
...and a certain 90mm refractor.
MikeG
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Michael Gilmer - Member of the Meteoritical Society & Collector of Falling Stars.
Galactic Stone & Ironworks - Buy/Sell/Trade Meteorites, Moon Rocks, Mars Rocks, & 35 different falls and types!
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KennyJ
Reged: 04/27/03
Posts: 10146
Loc: Lancashire UK
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Peter ,
Where WAS Apogee based then , for it to have meant an overseas call from Brian in Ohio , in the hypothetical scenario of the company still being in existence ?
Just curious !
Regards , Kenny
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If everyone is thinking the same thing , no-one is thinking - General George S.Patton
Zeiss 7 x 42 BGAT
Captain's Helmsman 7 x 50
Nikon 10 x 42 Superior E
Swift Audubon Kestrel 10 x 50
Helios 15 x 70 Observation
Strathspey 20 x 90
Televue 76 APO
Zeiss 85 Diascope
Helios 102 f5 refractor
Various eyepieces barlows tripods mounts etc.
Panasonic Lumix DMC - TZ5 digital camera
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pcad
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/17/05
Posts: 1501
Loc: Connecticut
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Kenny,
God only knows why I thought Brian was in your neck of the woods. Apogee,inc. was based in the US. Now that the site is gone I don't remember exactly where they were located.
Man, it's tough getting older.
I found old contact info for apogee,inc on the OPT website
http://www.optcorp.com/product.aspx?pid=418-486-472-6046
Illinois sounds right.
Peter
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Peter
Telescopes 25 - 318 mm
Binoculars 15 - 88 mm
Microscope 50x - 1000x
Edited by pcad (01/31/07 08:40 PM)
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Jim7728
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/10/05
Posts: 4009
Loc: Stoop Landing Observatory, NYC
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I thought Apogee was somewhere in the state of Illinois.
Looks like they are no longer in business.
Brian, you might want to try contacting the manufacturer of the tripod head for a replacement part.
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Jim
TV-76 -40mmHa/5mm BF
Vixen NA-140
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Erik D
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 04/28/03
Posts: 2554
Loc: Central New Jersey, USA
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Peter,
Your confusion is understandable. Brian is a Brit who has been living in Medina, OH. You saw Kenny's post in the CD forum about Brian's visit to Lancashire. UK last year.
KJ's story and photo must have made quite an impression....
Nikon 50 ED Fieldscope
You are welcome. ;-))
Erik D
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medinabrit
professor emeritus
Reged: 10/27/04
Posts: 535
Loc: medina ohio USA.
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The bins in question are the apogee RA-88-SA,s, reckon i,ll have to buy a tap & re thread the base of the bins .
Peter i did live in the UK up until 40 yrs & 3 weeks ago.
Brian.
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pcad
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/17/05
Posts: 1501
Loc: Connecticut
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Eric and Brian,
Well, that explains my recent brain cramp. 
Brian,
Looks like you've owned the RA-88 for awhile now. I always felt it was strange that they used a single 1/4x20 to mount a 14 lb binocular. I would have much prefered to mount them using the larger threaded holes on each side of the instrument. If that can be done, then one can remove the base from the central bridge between the tubes and lighten the bino a bit.
Peter
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Peter
Telescopes 25 - 318 mm
Binoculars 15 - 88 mm
Microscope 50x - 1000x
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medinabrit
professor emeritus
Reged: 10/27/04
Posts: 535
Loc: medina ohio USA.
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How right you are Peter .It seems kind of stupid that so many of the new bins & scopes being so hefty still use a flimsy 1/4 thread to support them.
Yes i have had them since Apogee introduced them . But they have had very little use .
Brian.
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djeber2
sage
Reged: 07/02/04
Posts: 493
Loc: Ohio
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Yes Apogee was based in a small town in Illinois, but I cant remember the name of the town.
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Don
1 Dob: Hardin DSH10
4 Small scopes: Celestron ED80, Meade 114NT/500 4.5", Orion 102 Mak, Orion 100mm Astroview
2 Classic Scopes: 4.25" Edmunds reflector, Sears 60mm Discovery
4 Binoculars: 15x70 Celestron skymaster, 10x42 Celestron Regal, 8x40 Nikon Action, 10x50 Orion Binoculars
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John Jarosz
I'm being watched...
Reged: 04/25/04
Posts: 2193
Loc: Chicago area, IL
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Apogee Inc
135 N Sponable St
Marengo, IL 60152
(815) 923-4188
John
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6" F4.6(w/Paracorr) GEM reflector, 8" F11 Dall Relay Scope
6" F5 RFT Refractor, Garrett Gemini 20x80 LW
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chillstar
member
Reged: 01/04/05
Posts: 33
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Hi,I am from china.the RA series produced in one of our biggest optical corporation.but it's not cheap here,but same with the price in US.have read some reviews which are not very positive,I decide not to buy them.recently,the corporation produce 120MM binoculars with 45 angle.someone bought them and gave a very good review.(they are not apogee series,but on basis of 100 binoculars which you could find on Bigbinoculars.)
Edited by chillstar (02/03/07 09:00 PM)
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Glassthrower
Vendor - Galactic Stone & Ironworks
Reged: 04/07/05
Posts: 14686
Loc: Hurricane Alley
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The company, Apogee, is at it's furthest point from us. That is why it is difficult to establish contact.
Everyone should be patient until the company is at Perihelion, then all things should return to normal.
(*insert rimshot graemlin here*)
MikeG
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Michael Gilmer - Member of the Meteoritical Society & Collector of Falling Stars.
Galactic Stone & Ironworks - Buy/Sell/Trade Meteorites, Moon Rocks, Mars Rocks, & 35 different falls and types!
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Robert A.
sage
Reged: 01/21/05
Posts: 218
Loc: Milwaukee, WI Northern USA
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Mike G, Thats a riot! .... words have meaning!... I enjoyed it! --Rob.
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SaberScorpX
Post Laureate
Reged: 01/12/05
Posts: 4121
Loc: illinois, usa
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The rep I got a reply from today says they're still in business.
Try: Sales@apogeeinc.com
Saber Does The Stars at
http://www.astronomyblogs.com/member/saberscorpx/
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Bruce MacDonald
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 01/12/06
Posts: 1019
Loc: Devizes, Wiltshire, UK
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Quote:
Yes Apogee was based in a small town in Illinois, but I cant remember the name of the town.
Not Skokie, Illinois, then? Know of any barbershop quartets there? 
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Bruce MacDonald
Devizes, Wiltshire, UK
Per Mare Per Terras
Viz Top Tip: Don't waste money buying expensive binoculars. Simply stand closer to the object you wish to view.
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later
sage
Reged: 01/16/05
Posts: 446
Loc: Posen, Michigan
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"the corporation produce 120MM binoculars with 45 angle.someone bought them and gave a very good review"
Now there is a teaser................
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Galileo 15 X 70
Oberwerk BT100-45
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chillstar
member
Reged: 01/04/05
Posts: 33
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Hi,later!
maybe you don't understand what I meant.I said the china factory produce new 120MM binoculars like your character pic.many binoculars amateurs in China had bought them and I use them of my friend today.they are produced mainly for oversea market.so,I think you can see them very soon.
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KCN
sage
Reged: 04/12/06
Posts: 395
Loc: Calgary, AB, Canada
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We will surely wait for those binos, they should be cheaper, too.
About the Apogee issue: why does anyone bother to buy from them, if they are renowned for bad quality and bad customer service? 
I was just about to buy a pair of 25x100's from them, as the price was very attractive, but nice fellows on CN knew better and prevented me from making this mistake. Thanks, guys 
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KCN, the Potassium Cyanide
16" Meade Lightbridge Telescope - "personalized" with a hacksaw
GO Gemini 30x100 WP-IF Binoculars
Slik Pro 700DX AMT Tripod
Naglers: 31T5, 13T6, 9T6
2X Powermate
Orion 2" Ultrablock and O III filters
Canon EOS 450D
Half-ton pick-up truck
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pcad
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/17/05
Posts: 1501
Loc: Connecticut
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Hi KCN,
This thread started with Medinabrit/Brian trying to contact Apogee about a stripped threaded mounting hole. Apogee used to be very visable in the magazines and internet. Now they're very low profile. I think that's why they are mentioned as often as they have been recently.
My personal experience with Apogee has been quite positive. My RA88 works fine and I had no problem getting a prompt replacement for the first one I received, no questions asked. I bought a great little LOMO Mak-Newt that cost less than $200 and works very well as a travel scope. I've also bought other small items without any problems.
Most of their binos weren't of the same quality as the Oberwerks and Garretts, but the prices reflected it. If you can live with that compromise, you were happy. People that are active in a forum like this are not the typical apogee customers.
The RA series were the items that generated the most interest in this forum. A Miyauchi clone at a fraction of the price. It's still the least expensive, large, right angle bino available.
Peter
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Peter
Telescopes 25 - 318 mm
Binoculars 15 - 88 mm
Microscope 50x - 1000x
Edited by pcad (02/04/07 10:41 PM)
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KCN
sage
Reged: 04/12/06
Posts: 395
Loc: Calgary, AB, Canada
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Thanks, pcad, for this information. For me the problem was simple: as I live in Canada, paying twice the shipping was paying double the bino, in the Apogee case. And I've heard of some poor guys having to send them back 2 or 3 times to get a good one. I prefered to go with Garrett, since this risk seemed to be lower.
I have never used Apogee-made equipment, and I cannot give an educated opinion, but I'm glad someone had a positivee experience with them!
Clear skies!
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KCN, the Potassium Cyanide
16" Meade Lightbridge Telescope - "personalized" with a hacksaw
GO Gemini 30x100 WP-IF Binoculars
Slik Pro 700DX AMT Tripod
Naglers: 31T5, 13T6, 9T6
2X Powermate
Orion 2" Ultrablock and O III filters
Canon EOS 450D
Half-ton pick-up truck
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Erik D
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 04/28/03
Posts: 2554
Loc: Central New Jersey, USA
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Quote:
The RA series were the items that generated the most interest in this forum. A Miyauchi clone at a fraction of the price. It's still the least expensive, large, right angle bino available.
Peter
Can't argue with that. IIRC, they were one sale with 3 sets of EPs, hard carrying case for ~$600. I looked thru a pair of RA 88 and RA 70 at NEAF 2005. They were bright and had good resolution. Just a bit odd seeing a pair of 14 lb RA-88s mounted on a Bogen 3130 fluid rated for 8.8 lbs.
Erik D
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pcad
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/17/05
Posts: 1501
Loc: Connecticut
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KCN,
Your point about shipping costs makes a lot of sense. Many here wouldn't buy a bino that they haven't actually looked through. That's one way to reduce the risk of expensive returns, but not always practical.
Erik,
If you thought putting a RA88 on a 3130 head was odd, you should have seen me try to use my 88 on a monopod. Not one of my finer moments. Those were desperate times.
Peter
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Peter
Telescopes 25 - 318 mm
Binoculars 15 - 88 mm
Microscope 50x - 1000x
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Glassthrower
Vendor - Galactic Stone & Ironworks
Reged: 04/07/05
Posts: 14686
Loc: Hurricane Alley
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Quote:
If you thought putting a RA88 on a 3130 head was odd, you should have seen me try to use my 88 on a monopod. Not one of my finer moments. Those were desperate times
Photo please!
Clear dark skies,
MikeG
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Michael Gilmer - Member of the Meteoritical Society & Collector of Falling Stars.
Galactic Stone & Ironworks - Buy/Sell/Trade Meteorites, Moon Rocks, Mars Rocks, & 35 different falls and types!
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pcad
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/17/05
Posts: 1501
Loc: Connecticut
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Mike,
Someone once offered to walk me through the photo/internet process, but my mind is blank all of a sudden.
I'd gladly reenact my folly, but it really needs a video to do it justice. When the RA88 flopped over it nearly ripped the head off the monopod.
Peter
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Peter
Telescopes 25 - 318 mm
Binoculars 15 - 88 mm
Microscope 50x - 1000x
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KCN
sage
Reged: 04/12/06
Posts: 395
Loc: Calgary, AB, Canada
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OMG  
--------------------
KCN, the Potassium Cyanide
16" Meade Lightbridge Telescope - "personalized" with a hacksaw
GO Gemini 30x100 WP-IF Binoculars
Slik Pro 700DX AMT Tripod
Naglers: 31T5, 13T6, 9T6
2X Powermate
Orion 2" Ultrablock and O III filters
Canon EOS 450D
Half-ton pick-up truck
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medinabrit
professor emeritus
Reged: 10/27/04
Posts: 535
Loc: medina ohio USA.
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I called 815 923 4188 but the phone has been disconnected .
Looks like i,m out of luck with my Apogee RA 88,s.
Brian.
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Glassthrower
Vendor - Galactic Stone & Ironworks
Reged: 04/07/05
Posts: 14686
Loc: Hurricane Alley
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Quote:
Someone once offered to walk me through the photo/internet process, but my mind is blank all of a sudden.
Holy Cow! I completely forgot! My apologies. I'll be sure to sack the entire wait staff for that!
I'm going to do that tonight, I promise.
Regards and clear skies,
MikeG
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Michael Gilmer - Member of the Meteoritical Society & Collector of Falling Stars.
Galactic Stone & Ironworks - Buy/Sell/Trade Meteorites, Moon Rocks, Mars Rocks, & 35 different falls and types!
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amirab
super member
Reged: 03/03/04
Posts: 193
Loc: Israel
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I think the RA 88 do not deserve the bad review they get.
Mine preforms very well with pinpoint stars and no chromatic aberations (exept bright objects like sirius and venus ). for the price paid it is an exelent deal.
I always set them up beside my telescopes and get great views of open clustars and starfields even comperd to my genesis sdf /panoptic 35 combo.
Amir
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Amir
AT-111 APO TRIPLET
TV Genesis- SDF
MEADE LX90 8' UHTC
MEADE STARFINDER 12.5' DOB.
APOGEE SA-88-RA BINO.
OBERWERK ULTRA 15X70
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