Click here if you are having trouble logging into the forums
Privacy Policy |
Please read our Terms
of Service | Signup and
Troubleshooting FAQ | Problems? PM a Red or a Green Gu… uh, User
rmollise
Postmaster
Reged: 07/06/07
|
Re: New iOptron heavy duty GEM
[Re: WadeH237]
#3055524 - 04/20/09 05:56 PM
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Quote:
If this is $8500 with a 75lb capacity, why would one ever choose it instead of an AP900?
Don' axe me...this could be the greatest thing since sliced bread, but in this price range I would have to REALLY be convinced that it is a better investment than the _proven_ 900. I've not used one of the company's alt-az mounts...they may be great...but it's quite a jump from what they are doin' to this. OTOH, I am more than willin' to be convinced. Looks sharp in the pix.
|
Darren Bly
sage
Reged: 07/24/06
Loc: Bakersfield, Ca
|
Re: New iOptron heavy duty GEM
[Re: Telescopeman54]
#3055915 - 04/20/09 08:40 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Quote:
Let's learn how to read kids! I typed UNDER, that's U-N-D-E-R, UNDER $8500.00!! I'm not certain just how far UNDER it will be, but, if I were to take a guess that is G-U-E-S-S, kiddies, I would look for a price in the area of $7K. Sorry to be a bit on the flipant side. I'm just really tired from NEAF and have not had NEARLY enough coffee, yet! LOL Also, I don't want this thread to get too serious at this point. We need to just have some fun and enjoy ourselves. As soon as I have ANYTHING that I can post with certainty I will do so.
Here's another picture to enjoy.
Steve
When a salesmen tells me under $8500 they mean 8499.95. I sure I'm not the only one. 
|
Moggi1964
Vendor - Astro Laugh
Reged: 11/07/05
Loc: Madison. NJ. USA
|
Re: New iOptron heavy duty GEM
[Re: Darren Bly]
#3056009 - 04/20/09 09:28 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Quote:
Quote:
Let's learn how to read kids! I typed UNDER, that's U-N-D-E-R, UNDER $8500.00!! I'm not certain just how far UNDER it will be, but, if I were to take a guess that is G-U-E-S-S, kiddies, I would look for a price in the area of $7K. Sorry to be a bit on the flipant side. I'm just really tired from NEAF and have not had NEARLY enough coffee, yet! LOL Also, I don't want this thread to get too serious at this point. We need to just have some fun and enjoy ourselves. As soon as I have ANYTHING that I can post with certainty I will do so.
Here's another picture to enjoy.
Steve
When a salesmen tells me under $8500 they mean 8499.95. I sure I'm not the only one.
..plus tax 
|
jouster
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 11/27/05
|
Re: New iOptron heavy duty GEM
[Re: amys]
#3058528 - 04/21/09 11:19 PM Attachment (98 downloads)
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
I was interested too. It's a good-looking mount. However, let me agree with those who said that anything close to $8500 would mean no sale for most. Kevin Iott, with whom I chatted for a while, will - for $8800 - sell you a 393 mount head that will hold 200lbs and turn it with 11.5 inch worm gears. He had one there, holding a big PlaneWave with ease.
So hopefully "under $8500" means "substantially under $8500."
|
gatorengineer
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 02/28/05
Loc: Hellertown, PA
|
Re: New iOptron heavy duty GEM
[Re: jouster]
#3059263 - 04/22/09 10:45 AM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
The more I see in this hobby, the less I understand.....
I can't grasp putting a Meade 12"+ or C14 on an $8500 mount. Those are the only Commercial tubes from a weight standpoint that need a 65 lb class mount. The folks with high end Gear Name Brand RC's, and the 150 and larger refractors arent going to "save 20%" on a made in China mount.
IMHO which seems to be wrong much more often than not, for this mount to have any commercial success it needs to be PRICE 20-40% UNDER a CGE. If the PEC is as good as claimed, then it would command a slight premium to a CGE AFTER it has proven reliability and performance.....
Save the stainless and price it at 2k.......
I forget the name of the WO mount that tried this a few years back.... Looked impressive.....
|
Strgazr27
Reged: 10/04/04
Loc: StonyHill Observatory
|
Re: New iOptron heavy duty GEM
[Re: gatorengineer]
#3059314 - 04/22/09 11:02 AM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Do you mean the GT-1 from WO? They were fabulous mounts with VERY good PE but they were pricey.
When you speak of weight you need to factor in everything, not just the OTA's. People with this class of mount are probably running heavy ADM or Losmandy hardware, Parallax rings, large focusers and guidescopes, rotators etc. It adds up REAL fast. Your also not paying for the payload but the precision of the mount and how well it tracks. I can build a $500 mount that will carry 500 lbs but it will track like poop. I could spend $5000 and have it carry 65-80 lbs and barely reuire guide corrections.
As for the stainless, I disagree. I live about 1/4 mile from the Long Island sound. A salt water body of water. With the scope being outside permanently, I use stainless as much for it's corrosion resistance as I do how sweet it looks. People need that option. Now they could save the stainless and drop the price point but that counterweight is only about $200 of the cost of that mount. Casady or BT could make the weights aftermarket. They need to save a whole lot more than that.
Edited by Strgazr27 (04/22/09 11:05 AM)
|
Telescopeman54
Vendor - Trapezium Telescopes & Services, LLC.
Reged: 08/17/07
Loc: New Hampshire
|
Re: New iOptron heavy duty GEM
[Re: Strgazr27]
#3062806 - 04/23/09 06:39 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Hmmmmmmmmmm.... Let's see. A very solid and well built mount in the same class of the XXXX for about 20% less and with everything included (except the OTA) and not things such as the pier, saddle plates, etc., being optional? Sounds pretty good to me. I know that as soon as one is available for testing I will have my hands on it and will be going through it with a fine tooth comb. There are some other features that will be present which I cannot mention at this time. If they do come through they will definitely be an interesting surprise. 
Rod, you have GOT to try one of the Mini Towers. I have a sneaky suspicion that you will like it more than you think. 
Darren, I know what you mean. I just need to keep things under my hat until I have solid data. I will say that it will be less than $8499.99, much less.
Everyone can comment and speculate all day long. The main thing is that there is finally an alternative that will be, for many people, reasonably priced when compared to other selections.
There will always be skeptics, which is fine, but, the best way to know for certain is to give it a test drive. How many have purchased a car or truck without first driving it? How many have waited YEARS for a car or truck to be delivered? Or a television, or camera, or stereo, or a refrigerator? Yeah! I thought so! LOL 
iOptron is working very, VERY hard to make certain that this mount is the best that can be for a very fair price. From what I can see I think that they've really done their homework and will make a lot of people very happy.
How about if we all wait until it is here to pass judgment on capabilities, performance, price and value? Until that time arrives, keep speculating and have fun! After all, isn't astronomy and everything that goes with it supposed to be FUN?! 
CS
Steve
Post edited to conform to TOS. Vendors are not allowed to talk about other products. PERIOD
Edited by Don W (04/24/09 07:46 AM)
|
gordianknot
professor emeritus
Reged: 09/04/05
|
Re: New iOptron heavy duty GEM
[Re: Telescopeman54]
#3067515 - 04/26/09 04:08 AM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
I'm a little miffed that iOptron is trying to head into the high end mount business. Tak (NJP), MI (MI-250), AP (900GTO), Celestron (CGE Pro), Losmandy (Titan), Vixen (Atlux) and Parallax (HD-150) all have mounts with similar specs between the $5000 and $9000 price points. I can't believe this market is really all that large in either volume or total potential profits. Is a company like iOptron, that has concentrated on the low cost/high volume space, really going to take a substantial piece of the market away from these well established players? I doubt it; it's a little like Bic hypothetically deciding to start competing with MontBlanc in the decorative pens business.
Contrast this market to the much higher volume $1000-$2500 space. There is essentially no competition with the Atlas and CGEM (similar Synta products). It would seem to me that that's the space where a new entrant could make a real killing. There are many people who want a heftier mount than the $700 Cg-5/LXD-75 range but aren't willing to spend $3000. All of them are going to Synta right now!
|
Telescopeman54
Vendor - Trapezium Telescopes & Services, LLC.
Reged: 08/17/07
Loc: New Hampshire
|
Re: New iOptron heavy duty GEM
[Re: gordianknot]
#3067882 - 04/26/09 10:15 AM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
You can be miffed as much as you please. Yes, a middle level mount OTHER than the Atlas and CGEM would be most welcome. That is the market that I expected to be attacked. I am pleasantly surprised that they went this direction, but, not miffed. Neither one of us is running the company. It's their company and they can choose the market that best suits their plans. Get over it!
Steve
|
OuterSpaced
sage
Reged: 01/28/07
Loc: Mississippi Gulf Coast
|
Re: New iOptron heavy duty GEM
[Re: Telescopeman54]
#3068237 - 04/26/09 12:48 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Wouldn't it be great if they sell the new mount in the 1 to 3k price range. I know I'm definately dreaming, but without hopes and dreams...........oh nevermind.
|
Telescopeman54
Vendor - Trapezium Telescopes & Services, LLC.
Reged: 08/17/07
Loc: New Hampshire
|
Re: New iOptron heavy duty GEM
[Re: OuterSpaced]
#3068513 - 04/26/09 02:45 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
If only it could be so! The cost of those bronze worm wheels has got to be a major part of the price! I'm just chomping at the bit waiting to get one in my hands. I love to play with new toys and I have very high hopes for the Supreme. Time will tell.
CS
Steve
|
netwolf
super member
Reged: 09/03/05
Loc: NSW, Australia
|
Re: New iOptron heavy duty GEM
[Re: Telescopeman54]
#3081141 - 05/02/09 01:55 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
I am sure Ioptron think they have a product that can compete with the higher end established mounts. And it is completly up to them to set there price. However it seems to make little sense. What is going to make a customer put thee same money on a unknown whne many established mounts are available on the market at the same or similar price point. Even if the results are amazingly good, it's a hardsell in my humble opinion. What would be better is to provide something in the midrange mounts like the EQ6, CGE Pro etc, establish a baseline for awesome quality with low PE etc, and then later release a higher end mount. This way you build your following of users who will at some point either upgrade or recommend to others.
Just take a simple pole and ask people would you spend 7-8k on an unkown chinese made mount, or would you buy an established brand like Tak, Vixen, AP, MI, Paralax, etc. I think you will find the answer would be loud and clear. A small percentage will of course always go for something diffrent.
Just look at the backlash here on this one thread after the simple speculation of the price yet to be actually set. Makes no sense to me why a company would do that. But then again many other new mounts have come onto the market of late with big price tags like the Iot (i think thats what its called). But that on is made in the US. Made in China still carries with it unfortunately a thinking of not as good quality. Fair or unfair thats how it is.
The many threads about the AT/GSO RC's scopes are a testament to this. The saving grace for the AT/RC was at the near last minute the price for the 8" was dramtically dropped and it generated a lot more interest from customers then. An 8" RC at similar price to 8" from an established vendor would perhaps not have sold as well.
Edited by netwolf (05/02/09 01:57 PM)
|
jouster
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 11/27/05
|
Re: New iOptron heavy duty GEM
[Re: Telescopeman54]
#3100192 - 05/12/09 10:51 AM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Quote:
Darren, I know what you mean. I just need to keep things under my hat until I have solid data. I will say that it will be less than $8499.99, much less.
[...]
iOptron is working very, VERY hard to make certain that this mount is the best that can be for a very fair price. From what I can see I think that they've really done their homework and will make a lot of people very happy.
Steve
Okay, that all sounds good. Let's wait and see. Hopefully the wait won't be too long.
Quote:
I'm a little miffed that iOptron is trying to head into the high end mount business. Tak (NJP), MI (MI-250), AP (900GTO), Celestron (CGE Pro), Losmandy (Titan), Vixen (Atlux) and Parallax (HD-150) all have mounts with similar specs between the $5000 and $9000 price points.
Why is more choice a bad thing?
Quote:
[...] But then again many other new mounts have come onto the market of late with big price tags like the Iot (i think thats what its called).
The smaller Iott, the 262, is $8k with polar scope and pier: a pretty good deal imho*. It looked very impressive at NEAF.
*Looking over my posts, I see that I have been mentioning the Iott a lot. That's because I really want one! Other than admiring them, I should state that I have absolutely no connection to them.
|
Jeff55
professor emeritus
Reged: 04/14/05
Loc: Boston MA
|
Re: New iOptron heavy duty GEM
[Re: jouster]
#3104500 - 05/14/09 11:45 AM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
This company seems to know its markets well...so I for one think the price will be lower than most expect...I have no prior knowledge whatsoever BUT this group has probably done some market research and my guess is this mount will insert itself into a competitive price group.
|
richard7
Not Quite
Reged: 11/02/07
Loc: Sacramento
|
Re: New iOptron heavy duty GEM
[Re: Jeff55]
#3125242 - 05/24/09 09:20 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Can we go back to the question raised earlier.
How about those scopes sitting on the mount?
|
|
4 registered and 7 anonymous users are browsing this forum.
Moderator: BRisley, bilgebay
Print Thread
|
Forum Permissions
You cannot start new topics
You cannot reply to topics
HTML is disabled
UBBCode is enabled
|
Thread views: 4312
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Previous
Index
Next
Threaded
