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drollere
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 02/02/10

Loc: sebastopol, california

parks on the ropes
#5454580 - 10/04/12 05:04 AM

i recently attempted to order some ATM parts from parks optical to rebuild an ƒ/4 newtonian. after i did not get an order confirmation after 5 business days i called to check status. the woman who answered took the request and promised to call back.

after two hours she did, and explained that "the company that owns parks optical" has cut back significantly on operations, and the man who could answer my question wasn't there because "we only work here one day a week."

when i asked to cancel the order she actually sounded relieved. "oh YES, no problem!" that can't be good.

Post Extras:

Chucky
sage

Reged: 04/16/10

Loc: Dublin, Ohio

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: drollere]
#5454654 - 10/04/12 07:50 AM

Who owns Parks?

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jgraham
Postmaster

Reged: 12/02/04

Loc: Dayton, Ohio

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: Chucky]
#5454691 - 10/04/12 08:44 AM

Even back in my ATM days I thought that Parks was a bit of an odd company. Somehow I don't think that the owner(s) realize that this isn't 1975 anymore.

P.S.

I just visited their web site. Yep, they seem to be just a tad outa touch.

Post Extras:

Chucky
sage

Reged: 04/16/10

Loc: Dublin, Ohio

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: jgraham]
#5454704 - 10/04/12 08:56 AM

<< I just visited their web site. Yep, they seem to be just a tad outa touch. >>

"Innovate or die" .....per the sticker on a Specialized bicycle I own.

Post Extras:

csrlice12
Postmaster

Reged: 05/22/12

Loc: Denver, CO

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: Chucky]
#5454738 - 10/04/12 09:14 AM

Know of the eyepieces, not so much about the company. But, they're in the optics business, not the computer business. There are a lot of small businesses out there using the same computer equipment and programs they'd use personally at home. These people are not professional web designers, they're optics people; as long as they put out a quality product, they'll have customers. Not saying they shouldn't maybe invest in someone coming in and updating their website for them; but in today's economy, where margins are tight for everyone, it's sometimes a choice between updating the website or a new machine to cut the threading for filters on eyepiece barrels....best to just call with any questions, remember, a lot of these companies are small, and have already cut what they could to preserve their quality.

Post Extras:

tomharri
sage

Reged: 09/19/08

Loc: Arizona

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: csrlice12]
#5454764 - 10/04/12 09:31 AM

Last time I checked, Scope City took over a few years ago when they were about to go under. Them and Lumicon. But now Scope City is having problems so.........the depression continues.

Post Extras:

csrlice12
Postmaster

Reged: 05/22/12

Loc: Denver, CO

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: tomharri]
#5454776 - 10/04/12 09:41 AM

That's the history of this hobby; most all of the best equipment is made by small, usually family, businesses (Teeter, Televue, Lumicon, Parks, and others). There will always be "basic" equipment available from bigger mfgrs, where the quality won't be quite as good due to automation, Quality control, and the amounts of equpment produced. Luckily, even the "mass produced" equipment is now better then what we even had 20-30 years ago because of better material availability and technology improvements in glass and mirror mfging. We don't want to lose these small company's though, as these are the ones who made it possible for us to have the good equipment that is now much more available the in the past.

Post Extras:

amicus sidera
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 10/14/11

Loc: East of the Sun, West of the M...

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: drollere]
#5454892 - 10/04/12 10:56 AM

That's sad news... although quite expensive on some (most?) items, Parks fills a niche in amateur astronomy, and has for some time. I hope that things turn around for them, as well as many of the other small companies who are struggling during this Depression.

Btw, nice to see Fritz back as the avatar, Bruce...

Post Extras:

Jon Isaacs
Postmaster

Reged: 06/16/04

Loc: San Diego and Boulevard, CA

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: amicus sidera]
#5455069 - 10/04/12 01:07 PM

Quote:

Parks fills a niche in amateur astronomy, and has for some time.

I think the niche they filled has continuously dwindled since about 1980. Scope City, the folks who own Parks, had a store about 4 blocks from my house. A dozen years ago, there were no Dobs and it was filled with Equatorial reflectors. The store moved a couple of miles down the road, the last time I went in, it was not a lot different.
The San Diego branch has since closed.

I was not surprised when it closed, it was difficult to figure out how they stayed in business with OPT just 25 miles up the road.. The first time I went into that Scope City, we had just moved into our new house, I wanted a laser collimator... (this would have been about 2000.) The response "We don't believe in Laser Collimators."

Jon

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AlBoning
sage

Reged: 03/06/11

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: Jon Isaacs]
#5455235 - 10/04/12 03:02 PM

I visit Parks' web site on occasion and usually from there I go to Orion Optics UK. The contrast is amazing and always leaves me wishing OOUK was on this side of the Atlantic, or at the very least had a distributor in the CONUS.

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hottr6
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 06/28/09

Loc: 7,500', Magdalena Mtns, NM

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: tomharri]
#5455268 - 10/04/12 03:28 PM

Quote:

But now Scope City is having problems so.........the depression continues.

That explains that after I placed an order with ScopeCity for ADM gear (listed as "in stock"), I waited 3 months before cancelling the order and got the stuff direct from Anthony Davoli. I did call several times during the waiting period, and was always promised "the parts will arrive next week!".

When I ordered direct from ADM, I had the parts 2 days later.

Post Extras:

Mary B
Vendor - Echo Astronomy and Electronics

Reged: 05/21/10

Loc: Minnesota

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: hottr6]
#5455383 - 10/04/12 04:49 PM

I run a small business from home. It is very difficult to make a profit in this economy.

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amicus sidera
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 10/14/11

Loc: East of the Sun, West of the M...

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: Jon Isaacs]
#5455595 - 10/04/12 07:24 PM

Quote:

Quote:

Parks fills a niche in amateur astronomy, and has for some time.

I think the niche they filled has continuously dwindled since about 1980. Scope City, the folks who own Parks, had a store about 4 blocks from my house. A dozen years ago, there were no Dobs and it was filled with Equatorial reflectors. The store moved a couple of miles down the road, the last time I went in, it was not a lot different.
The San Diego branch has since closed.

I was not surprised when it closed, it was difficult to figure out how they stayed in business with OPT just 25 miles up the road.. The first time I went into that Scope City, we had just moved into our new house, I wanted a laser collimator... (this would have been about 2000.) The response "We don't believe in Laser Collimators."

Jon

Granted, it's a small niche, but they filled it well... it's not their fault that so many amateurs became inordinately enamored of alt-az 'scopes...

and as for "We don't believe in laser collimators"... gotta love it! These are my kinda folks, but I can see why they might be having difficulties, seeing as how the multitudes have drunk deep of the the alt-az/laser collimation kool-aid in the past two decades.

Post Extras:

stevew
Now I've done it

Reged: 03/03/06

Loc: British Columbia Canada

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: drollere]
#5455828 - 10/04/12 10:15 PM

From looking at the prices they have on their web site for 60mm refractors, I'd say they don't want to sell telescopes.
http://www.parksoptical.com/index2.php?cPath=21_116&cat=PRT+Refractors

Post Extras:

Jon Isaacs
Postmaster

Reged: 06/16/04

Loc: San Diego and Boulevard, CA

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: amicus sidera]
#5456143 - 10/05/12 07:09 AM

Quote:

Granted, it's a small niche, but they filled it well... it's not their fault that so many amateurs became inordinately enamored of alt-az 'scopes... and as for "We don't believe in laser collimators"... gotta love it! These are my kinda folks, but I can see why they might be having difficulties, seeing as how the multitudes have drunk deep of the the alt-az/laser collimation kool-aid in the past two decades.

I like it, "it's not their fault.... the Kool-aid" It wasn't GMs fault either that people suddenly realized fuel economy and reliability were important.. but somehow other manufacturers did.

The niche Parks/Scope City seemed to fill was that of the vendor out of touch with the changing needs of the amateur astronomer. I suspect that those large GEM mounted Newtonians just took up floor space and were never sold. Those were really observatory scopes and since 1980 when they were possibly state of the hobby, the availability of large cats and GOTO mounts has transformed the observatory marketplace... talk about being behind the times...

As the owner of a 12.5 inch F/6 Gem that is very similar to what Scope City and Parks sold/sell, it is pretty obvious why Dobsonians replaced those old monsters Newtonians. My 12.5 inch Dob easily fits in a small car, the 12.5 inch equatorial is more effort to setup than the 25 inch F/5.. I do the 25 inch by myself, the 12.5 inch F/6 requires two people.

Jon Isaacs

Edited by Jarad (10/05/12 11:46 AM)

Post Extras:

amicus sidera
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 10/14/11

Loc: East of the Sun, West of the M...

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: Jon Isaacs]
#5456278 - 10/05/12 09:47 AM

Jon, my remarks were meant to taken as tongue-in-cheek, as indicated by the "wink" icon I placed at the end... yet I see that in the text you quoted, my comments end with a "smirk" instead... has someone been messing with my post??

[Mod note - corrected quoted emoticon back to wink.]

Edited by Jarad (10/05/12 11:47 AM)

Post Extras:

csa/montana
Den Mama

Reged: 05/14/05

Loc: montana

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: amicus sidera]
#5456287 - 10/05/12 09:57 AM

Quote:

Jon, my remarks were meant to taken as tongue-in-cheek, as indicated by the "wink" icon I placed at the end... yet I see that in the text you quoted, my comments end with a "smirk" instead... has someone been messing with my post??

When quoting, the Graemlins do not appear; Jon probably just mistakenly posted the "smirk" instead of the "wink". Most do not take the time to re-enter the Graemlins in a quote at all, so Jon made the extra effort.

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rmollise
Postmaster

Reged: 07/06/07

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: amicus sidera]
#5456289 - 10/05/12 10:00 AM

Quote:

Granted, it's a small niche, but they filled it well... it's not their fault that so many amateurs became inordinately enamored of alt-az 'scopes... and as for "We don't believe in laser collimators"... gotta love it! These are my kinda folks, but I can see why they might be having difficulties, seeing as how the multitudes have drunk deep of the the alt-az/laser collimation kool-aid in the past two decades.

Yeah, who DOESN'T want an overpriced GEM mounted scope whose design hasn't changed or improved since the 1960s? They oughta be ON TOP OF THE WORLD!

Post Extras:

amicus sidera
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 10/14/11

Loc: East of the Sun, West of the M...

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: csa/montana]
#5456311 - 10/05/12 10:20 AM

Thank you, Carol! I just want it to be clear that my remarks weren't meant to be taken seriously!! I've never used that "smirk" icon, nor would I have any reason to do so... it's use invites contention.

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okieav8r
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 03/01/09

Loc: Oklahoma!

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: tomharri]
#5456348 - 10/05/12 10:59 AM

Quote:

Last time I checked, Scope City took over a few years ago when they were about to go under. Them and Lumicon. But now Scope City is having problems so.........the depression continues.

Who owns Lumicon right now? Isn't it Parks, or was it Parks at one time?

Post Extras:

drollere
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 02/02/10

Loc: sebastopol, california

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: Jon Isaacs]
#5456372 - 10/05/12 11:14 AM

Quote:

The niche Parks/Scope City seemed to fill was that of the vendor out of touch with the changing needs of the amateur astronomer. I suspect that those large GEM mounted Newtonians just took up floor space and were never sold.

i went to them for basic stuff, rotating rings and a telescope tube, which i got from parallax instead.

re jon's comments about reducing scope size and mass ... note that the personal ambition of olivier guyon, 2012 macarthur fellow, is to build "a high quality 1 meter telescope weighting less than 50kg." there's kool-aid, and then there's the stuff that the pastor puts in the kool-aid.

Quote:

Jon, my remarks were meant to taken as tongue-in-cheek, as indicated by the "wink" icon I placed at the end... yet I see that in the text you quoted, my comments end with a "smirk" instead.

wow, i did not know there was a subtext of emoticon etiquette. it's all "dancing baloney" to me, as the designers at yahoo used to call 'em. the text versions seem much more accurate and are fully reproducible. ;-)

still, there's no text emoticon that captures the spirit of mr. dancing banana. i love that guy!

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scopeboy42
sage

Reged: 03/06/06

Loc: Garner, NC USA

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: okieav8r]
#5456379 - 10/05/12 11:20 AM

Quote:

Who owns Lumicon right now? Isn't it Parks, or was it Parks at one time?

Based on online research it appears Maurice Sweiss owns Parks Optical, Scope City, and Lumicon. Lumicon ads use to state that they were a division of Parks Optical but I am not sure if that is still true. Mr. Sweiss does give an intro in the 1985 Parks Optical Catalog and he is listed as president so he has owned it for quite some time.

http://geogdata.csun.edu/~voltaire/classics/parks/85parkscat.pdf

Greg

Edited by scopeboy42 (10/05/12 11:39 AM)

Post Extras:

okieav8r
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 03/01/09

Loc: Oklahoma!

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: scopeboy42]
#5456393 - 10/05/12 11:30 AM

Quote:

Quote:

Who owns Lumicon right now? Isn't it Parks, or was it Parks at one time?

Based on online research it appears Maurice Sweiss owns Parks Optical, Scope City, and Lumicon. Lumicon ads use to state that they were a division of Parks Optical but I am not sure if that is still true. Mr. Sweiss does give an intro in the 1985 Parks Optical Catalog and he is listed as president so he has owned it for quite some time.

http://geogdata.csun.edu/~voltaire/classics/parks/85parkscat.pdf

Thanks Gregory.

Post Extras:

astro_baby
scholastic sledgehammer

Reged: 06/17/08

Loc: United Kingdom

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: okieav8r]
#5457466 - 10/06/12 05:17 AM

Wow a look at the website took me back to a UK dealer circa 1977.

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csrlice12
Postmaster

Reged: 05/22/12

Loc: Denver, CO

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: astro_baby]
#5457755 - 10/06/12 10:54 AM

Quote:

Wow a look at the website took me back to a UK dealer circa 1977.

Uh, there were no websites in 1977.

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RodgerHouTex
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 06/02/09

Loc: Houston, Texas, USA

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: csrlice12]
#5458286 - 10/06/12 06:21 PM

Details, details.

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Starman1
Vendor (EyepiecesEtc.com)

Reged: 06/24/03

Loc: Los Angeles

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: RodgerHouTex]
#5458412 - 10/06/12 08:31 PM

Last I heard, Lumicon had sold to a former employee of Parks/Lumicon/Scope City.
That leaves Parks and Scope City stillowned by the Sweiss family.
I left in Feb.2012
Some day I'll write an essay about the history of the company.
But not today.

Post Extras:

Jon Isaacs
Postmaster

Reged: 06/16/04

Loc: San Diego and Boulevard, CA

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: Starman1]
#5458847 - 10/07/12 06:37 AM

Quote:

Some day I'll write an essay about the history of the company. But not today.

Jon

Post Extras:

Jim Rosenstock
Postmaster

Reged: 07/14/05

Loc: MD, south of the DC Nebula

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: Starman1]
#5458930 - 10/07/12 08:33 AM

Quote:

I left in Feb.2012
Some day I'll write an essay about the history of the company.
But not today.

A story I'll read, eagerly. Tomorrow??

I had a v-e-r-y long wait for a fiberglass optical tube in 2005; a great product when it finally arrived, though. When I phoned (a couple of times) a very nice young lady assured me it would ship, and blamed delays on "Mars Madness" (it was a few weeks before the Great Opposition of 2005). Perhaps they're just not set up to handle a lot of business.

Again, their products are good. Not the folks to call if you're in a rush to finish a project, apparently, but perhaps there's a reason they've stayed in business for all these years.

Jim

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DaveJ
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 01/07/05

Loc: NE Ohio

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: Jim Rosenstock]
#5458956 - 10/07/12 09:03 AM

Quote:

..."Mars Madness" (it was a few weeks before the Great Opposition of 2005)

Hi Jim,

Not to nit pick, but the great "Mars Madness" opposition was in 2003 rather than 2005.

Post Extras:

scopeboy42
sage

Reged: 03/06/06

Loc: Garner, NC USA

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: Starman1]
#5460605 - 10/08/12 12:54 PM

Here is the announcement from the new owner of Lumicon.

http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/5460282/page/0/view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all/fpart/1

Post Extras:

careysub
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 02/18/11

Loc: Rancho Cucamonga, CA

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: scopeboy42]
#5460787 - 10/08/12 02:57 PM

I have will be in the market for some 2" filters in the near future, and I had been considering which brand to go with. This settles it, I will buy Lumicon.

They are (as it is said) the "benchmark" and we need to support a key supplier.

Post Extras:

scopeboy42
sage

Reged: 03/06/06

Loc: Garner, NC USA

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: amicus sidera]
#5462428 - 10/09/12 04:09 PM

Quote:

Parks fills a niche in amateur astronomy, and has for some time.

I have considered a few times on getting the AZ8 and Gold Series Eyepiece Set. I guess I have a warm spot for USA/Japanese optics and gleaming white tubes.

Unluckily my field of work (architecture) has been hit hard by the economy so no new purchases for me.

Post Extras:

SeattleScott
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 10/14/11

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: scopeboy42]
#5464473 - 10/10/12 09:41 PM

I personally like Parks reputation for great optics and would have liked to buy American when purchasing my last telescope, a premium eq mounted Newtonian. But I went with OO UK instead because:
-OTA weight for 10" Aperture was about 25% less for OO, enabling me to mount it on a CG5 instead of an Atlas.
-Mirror thickness was 2" compared to OO at 1.5" which yields faster cool down.
-97% reflectivity coatings for OO
-Detailed report on quality of optics for OO
-And the big one, length of the OO optical tube was 45", length of the Parks tube was 52", length of the back seat in my Subaru is 50". There is a reason that 10" dobs are F4.7 instead of F5 - that way they will fit in the back of a typical car! A minor detail that eliminates a good portion of their target audience.

Oh, and the price. Parks would have been $1,622 including shipping. OO UK was about $1,625 including international air freight, customs fee and foreign exchange transaction fee, and an extra set of rings to use for rotating rings. I received the OO scope in a matter of weeks, while I was told the wait on the Parks was 6-12 months.

Post Extras:

Jon Isaacs
Postmaster

Reged: 06/16/04

Loc: San Diego and Boulevard, CA

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: SeattleScott]
#5464955 - 10/11/12 07:53 AM

Quote:

There is a reason that 10" dobs are F4.7 instead of F5 - that way they will fit in the back of a typical car!

The 10 inch F/5 GSO Dobs are about 48 inches long, at least mine is.

There is only about 2 inches difference in focal length and there are various places one can find those 2 inches... Mine has fit in every car I have owned including a 1989 Nissan Sentra...

Jon

Post Extras:

Jim Rosenstock
Postmaster

Reged: 07/14/05

Loc: MD, south of the DC Nebula

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: DaveJ]
#5464974 - 10/11/12 08:22 AM

Quote:

Quote:

..."Mars Madness" (it was a few weeks before the Great Opposition of 2005)

Hi Jim,

Not to nit pick, but the great "Mars Madness" opposition was in 2003 rather than 2005.

Indeed. (where does the time go....

)

Post Extras:

csrlice12
Postmaster

Reged: 05/22/12

Loc: Denver, CO

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: Jon Isaacs]
#5464977 - 10/11/12 08:28 AM

Pretty much all 10" scopes will fit into the back seat of a midsize or larger car; although there may be some compacts it won't fit. From what I've read here (not sure if true) is that a 10" Dob was Al Naglers favorite scope. I've also heard Jon is putting a hemi in that scope he's standing next to; giving a whole new meaning to the term GoTo....

Post Extras:

csrlice12
Postmaster

Reged: 05/22/12

Loc: Denver, CO

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: rmollise]
#5464980 - 10/11/12 08:41 AM

Quote:

Quote:

Granted, it's a small niche, but they filled it well... it's not their fault that so many amateurs became inordinately enamored of alt-az 'scopes... and as for "We don't believe in laser collimators"... gotta love it! These are my kinda folks, but I can see why they might be having difficulties, seeing as how the multitudes have drunk deep of the the alt-az/laser collimation kool-aid in the past two decades.

Yeah, who DOESN'T want an overpriced GEM mounted scope whose design hasn't changed or improved since the 1960s? They oughta be ON TOP OF THE WORLD!

On the other hand, stuff built in the 60s was quality merchandise, made to last. Just remember, nothing happens overnight (except maybe supernovas), what we have today, we owe to those who came before us...question is...what do we plan to leave.....

Edited by tecmage (10/16/12 08:56 PM)

Post Extras:

jgraham
Postmaster

Reged: 12/02/04

Loc: Dayton, Ohio

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: csrlice12]
#5464998 - 10/11/12 09:01 AM

My memory of Parks was their fiberglass tubes, but not much else. Looking at their web site is like a trip down memory lane. Back in the good old days where if you wanted to own a telescope of any size you had to either build your own or mortgage your house. I could not believe their prices on 60mm achromats and the descriptions that went with them. Brilliant images? From a 60mm? Maybe of the sun! Not even a modern 60mm Apo/ED would sell for those prices, perticularly not on what looks like an EQ-1 mount. Oh well, if they fill a niche that's great. It's not necessary that I agree with it.

Edited by tecmage (10/16/12 08:14 PM)

Post Extras:

rmollise
Postmaster

Reged: 07/06/07

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: okieav8r]
#5465051 - 10/11/12 09:46 AM

Parks and Scope City are owned by the same bunch. Lumicon may be independent now. I have had nothing but good service from Scope City, btw.

Edited by rmollise (10/11/12 09:50 AM)

Post Extras:

csa/montana
Den Mama

Reged: 05/14/05

Loc: montana

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: rmollise]
#5465094 - 10/11/12 10:14 AM

Lumicon is under new ownership.

Link

Post Extras:

starrancher
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 06/09/09

Loc: Northern Arizona

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: rmollise]
#5465445 - 10/11/12 02:09 PM

.

Edited by tecmage (10/16/12 08:06 PM)

Post Extras:

starrancher
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 06/09/09

Loc: Northern Arizona

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: starrancher]
#5465457 - 10/11/12 02:15 PM

And the 54 year old 60mmX910mm Tasco 7T is a cherished gem on a GEM .

Post Extras:

Jon Isaacs
Postmaster

Reged: 06/16/04

Loc: San Diego and Boulevard, CA

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: csrlice12]
#5465461 - 10/11/12 02:19 PM

Quote:

Pretty much all 10" scopes will fit into the back seat of a midsize or larger car; although there may be some compacts it won't fit.

These days that is pretty much true but only because when Orion designed the XT-10, they made sure that they fit in the back of most any car you could buy... How many other 10 inch Dobs/Newts are there that are not derived from the XT-10?

I remember walking into OPT and seeing the Discovery 10 inch F/6... that was before the XT-10 was available... The Discover was a beautiful scope but a very large scope, it's about 64 inches long... it's not going to easily fit in a mid-sized car...

Jon

Post Extras:

Chucky
sage

Reged: 04/16/10

Loc: Dublin, Ohio

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: Jon Isaacs]
#5466456 - 10/12/12 07:53 AM

My 10 inch F6 takes a SUV or mini van with the seats out. I transport it with a Honda Element.

Post Extras:

careysub
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 02/18/11

Loc: Rancho Cucamonga, CA

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: csrlice12]
#5467043 - 10/12/12 04:35 PM

.

Edited by tecmage (10/16/12 08:24 PM)

Post Extras:

amicus sidera
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 10/14/11

Loc: East of the Sun, West of the M...

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: careysub]
#5467562 - 10/12/12 11:48 PM

Applied the foregoing to modern-day astronomical equipment, yes, the current crop of go-to telescopes and other instruments are "snazzier" in many respects than the older instruments, and granted, their optics tend to be less "individual" due to their primarily machine-made nature, but nevertheless I would posit that the old Parks, Cave, Optical Craftsmen, Edmund and similar instruments will be fully operational 100 years from now; the LX-200's and similar instruments, not so much...

Edited by tecmage (10/16/12 08:31 PM)

Post Extras:

ed_turco
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 08/29/09

Loc: Lincoln, RI

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: amicus sidera]
#5468093 - 10/13/12 11:13 AM

I bought an early 70s Edmund 6" reflector and found the optics to be exceptionally good. This baby will definitely be around pleasing observers in 200 years.

And with no bells and whistles

Just great optics!

Post Extras:

csrlice12
Postmaster

Reged: 05/22/12

Loc: Denver, CO

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: ed_turco]
#5468656 - 10/13/12 05:18 PM

.

Edited by tecmage (10/16/12 08:47 PM)

Post Extras:

starrancher
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 06/09/09

Loc: Northern Arizona

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: csrlice12]
#5468687 - 10/13/12 05:45 PM

.

Edited by tecmage (10/16/12 08:06 PM)

Post Extras:

tecmage
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 01/13/10

Loc: Groton, CT

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: starrancher]
#5468838 - 10/13/12 08:03 PM

Post deleted

Edited by tecmage (10/16/12 08:45 PM)

Post Extras:

jsiska
professor emeritus

Reged: 07/12/06

Loc: NW Ohio

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: tecmage]
#5468914 - 10/13/12 08:52 PM

.

Edited by tecmage (10/16/12 08:42 PM)

Post Extras:

Ira
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 08/22/10

Loc: Mitzpe Ramon, Israel

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: jsiska]
#5468936 - 10/13/12 09:07 PM

I bought some colored filters from Parks about 10 years ago. They still work great and do a nice job chilling beer at the same time.

/Ira

Post Extras:

starrancher
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 06/09/09

Loc: Northern Arizona

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: Ira]
#5468947 - 10/13/12 09:15 PM

.

Edited by tecmage (10/16/12 08:07 PM)

Post Extras:

starrancher
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 06/09/09

Loc: Northern Arizona

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: starrancher]
#5468972 - 10/13/12 09:30 PM

.

Edited by tecmage (10/16/12 08:08 PM)

Post Extras:

tecmage
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 01/13/10

Loc: Groton, CT

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: starrancher]
#5469017 - 10/13/12 10:21 PM

This thread was closed for a few days so we could remove and edit off-topic posts. This thread will stay open as long as posts stay on topic.

thanks,
Richard

Edited by tecmage (10/16/12 09:02 PM)

Post Extras:

tecmage
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 01/13/10

Loc: Groton, CT

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: tecmage]
#5474034 - 10/16/12 09:04 PM

Bump

Post Extras:

starrancher
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 06/09/09

Loc: Northern Arizona

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: tecmage]
#5474212 - 10/16/12 11:31 PM

Post Extras:

auriga
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 03/02/06

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: drollere]
#5479302 - 10/19/12 06:53 PM

Quote:

Quote:

The niche Parks/Scope City seemed to fill was that of the vendor out of touch with the changing needs of the amateur astronomer. I suspect that those large GEM mounted Newtonians just took up floor space and were never sold.

i
Quote:

Jon, my remarks were meant to taken as tongue-in-cheek, as indicated by the "wink" icon I placed at the end... yet I see that in the text you quoted, my comments end with a "smirk" instead.

wow, i did not know there was a subtext of emoticon etiquette. it's all "dancing baloney" to me, as the designers at yahoo used to call 'em. the text versions seem much more accurate and are fully reproducible. ;-)

still, there's no text emoticon that captures the spirit of mr. dancing banana. i love that guy!

I like the dancing banana emoticon too. In fact I like all the emoticons, they compensate for the poverty of the English language.

Actually, English is not my native language. Like many people, I don't have a native language.

Bill

Post Extras:

Glen A W
sage

Reged: 07/04/08

Loc: WEST VIRGINIA USA

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: rmollise]
#5479328 - 10/19/12 07:14 PM

Sorry to hear about it. Everything changes, but I had always wanted one of those 12.5 Cassegrains. I would have bought one four years ago, but the 24 month time quoted worried me. I remember so well looking at their ads back in the 80's. I mean, those telescopes were TELESCOPES, rigs so big you could sleep in them..... I'm glad Lumocon might be saved, as their stuff was top notch. GW

Post Extras:

Starman1
Vendor (EyepiecesEtc.com)

Reged: 06/24/03

Loc: Los Angeles

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: Starman1]
#5497907 - 10/31/12 03:01 PM

Scope City has closed for business.
Lumicon is alive and well under new ownership.
I presume Parks has also closed, though its official status is unknown by me at this time.

Post Extras:

jsiska
professor emeritus

Reged: 07/12/06

Loc: NW Ohio

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: Starman1]
#5498140 - 10/31/12 05:37 PM

I really liked the Scope City in San Francisco. I hope they can continue as a private retailer for astronomy equipment.

Post Extras:

johnlynch
member

Reged: 02/08/09

Loc: virginia

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: jsiska]
#5552513 - 12/03/12 06:02 PM

I inquired about a custom-made fiberglass tube, i.e., not a standard length, a few years ago and was informed that Parks Optical had discontinued the custom tubes due to the bad economy but had remaining stock. Apparently run by a father and son operation near Phoenix, Arizona because of California environmental regulations. At that time, I got a gut feeling that a company that stops production of a "signature" product since 1954 was probably in trouble. Also long time delay for shipping in stock items, but I wasn't in a hurry. Found out a few days ago that Parks Optical is indeed closed. Sad.

Post Extras:

Tom S.
member

Reged: 02/16/07

Loc: Benicia, Calif.

It's like the demise of Twinkies new

[Re: drollere]
#5556842 - 12/06/12 03:12 AM

I haven't consumed a Hostess Twinkie in decades.
Nevertheless, it's sad to see Twinkies bite the dust.

Same sort of feeling with Parks.

Post Extras:

tecmage
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 01/13/10

Loc: Groton, CT

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: johnlynch]
#5557892 - 12/06/12 05:08 PM

Post Extras:

Lumicon
Vendor

Reged: 10/07/12

Loc: Southern California

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: tecmage]
#5683942 - 02/16/13 05:42 PM

I would like to clear up any speculation and rumors about Parks.

Parks is not out of business and is alive and well. Parks is currently going through a complete overhaul and renovation. Parks will emerge strong, powerful and continue the tradition of providing the best quality optics in the industry since 1954.

Marc - Lumicon International

Post Extras:

mikey cee
Postmaster

Reged: 01/18/07

Loc: bellevue ne.

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: tecmage]
#5684001 - 02/16/13 06:19 PM

Quote:

It's late in the 15th round and Parks has been knocked to the canvas. The count has begun. Will they answer before the 10 count?!

Mike

Post Extras:

Pinbout
Post Laureate

Reged: 02/22/10

Loc: Montclair

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: Lumicon]
#5684027 - 02/16/13 06:32 PM

Quote:

I would like to clear up any speculation and rumors about Parks.

Parks is not out of business and is alive and well. Parks is currently going through a complete overhaul and renovation. Parks will emerge strong, powerful and continue the tradition of providing the best quality optics in the industry since 1954.

Marc - Lumicon International

are you aware of any unofficial time line?

Post Extras:

rmollise
Postmaster

Reged: 07/06/07

Re: parks on the ropes new

[Re: Lumicon]
#5684829 - 02/17/13 09:24 AM

Quote:

I would like to clear up any speculation and rumors about Parks.

Parks is not out of business and is alive and well. Parks is currently going through a complete overhaul and renovation. Parks will emerge strong, powerful and continue the tradition of providing the best quality optics in the industry since 1954.

Marc - Lumicon International

By that, do you mean they are going to start acually selling telescopes?

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