190 replies to this topic

[LDW47]

Personally, I hope they step up their game because we need a quality entry level provider. Not making a better effort to resolve the lens issue indicated above is a bit problematic. I think that has the potential to turn off a lot of experienced people and I am often asked for scope recommendations and that gives me some pause. Lemons happen, but how it is dealt with is what makes the difference.

The only SVBONY product I own is a 30mm guide scope. The helical mechanism is a little off (to put it mildly), but it is functional and was cheap. Oh wait, I have a couple of Vixen dovetails too and UV/IR for a planetary camera.

I do want them to succeed, but personally I am not buying any of their scopes because they don’t fill any of my needs.

Thats your choice, go for it, eh.

[kgb]

Oi. No offense, but why do you feel the need to comment on everyone’s posts? You take a defensive posture and I find it quite peculiar.

[LDW47]

Oi. No offense, but why do you feel the need to comment on everyone’s posts? You take a defensive posture and I find it quite peculiar.

Not defensive in the least, just espousing my experience over many years, I have owned some of the best and some of the least not like many, as can be seen. And not just in astro gear. And I never, ever try to twist anyones wrist but the broader the knowledge base has to be worth it. I like to read all the interesting posts hoping to glean and expand my knowledge.  PS:  I comment because I enjoy astronomy and these forums and partaking in them. I could say the same thing about some being very defensive about what I say, but I won't, its not my stile to take offence, ever.  PPS:  I hope I answered your very strange query, eh.

Edited by LDW47, 27 March 2025 - 11:24 PM.

[kgb]

I guess we’ll leave it at that, but I get the feeling you’ll have the last word. The floor is yours.

[Cadha13]

I spent the other night with the 102mm SV48P and the 8-3mm zoom. I got my scope pretty early in September, and I just see the normal violet around stars. Then I used the SvBony color correction filter that came with it as a kit. Could see the disk of Mars, but no features at 221x. Saw the Leo Triplet at 26x, the sky seemed pretty grey. 

 

This really had filled my needs pretty well. I wished I would use it more! 

[Jon Isaacs]

Whats the last few dozen posts have to do with Ed's great review, eh. Just a good place to complain by the look of it, Ed would shake his intelligent head if he knew or laugh his a*s off, maybe. It sure wouldn't surprise him, it takes the pressure off, ya think. Many threads end this way, right !

 

Ed's review wasn't great.  It clearly stated that the first scope he received was badly flawed.  Since Svbony had sent him the scope in the first place to review, they clearly had a vested interested in Ed testing one that wasn't flawed.  

 

The question here is whether or not others with the early flawed model have gotten the same level of service that Ed, as a catered to individual. received. Hopefully Svbony with stand up and provide repair or service for the flawed scopes still in the customers hands. 

 

 

After all that I have bought from them, amoungst every thing I have bought from the older brands, they are as top line as any. My idea, my definition of that may be different than the other so called ....... talkers but I don't really care. At the end of each day they'll be there !

https://www.merriam-...top-of-the-line

 

"especially : being or belonging to the highest or most expensive class"

 

My definition is consistent with that definition,  a top of the line company is a company that sells top of the heep products and offers commensurate service.  Svbony products are not top of the line.  Decent, good value, hopefully.  Top of the line, that's TeleVue eyepieces, Astro-Physics scopes, not Redline eyepieces and FPL-51 doublets.  It's not binoculars advertised at 7.5 degree field of view with only 6 degrees. 

 

 Jon

[Mike G.]

I received a reply from Svbony support regarding my request for a replacement lens cell either for free or as a purchased item. The response I received simply stated the free replacement program had ended January 1, 2025 and "have a good day". Having spent a good amount of time in China for work, I took the incomplete answer as a simple translation error and replied asking again, directly if replacement cells were available for purchase. I am quite ok with paying for a replacement cell as I acquired the scope second hand. We will see how well their support works as compared with top tier providers. Update to follow.

[Russell Swan]

I purchased my 48P 102mm directly from China before the official release on Dec. 1 of the newly corrected version. They had a presale available directly from their website. For $220 I feel I got a great deal. 

 

I received a good sample of the scope as Ed Ting did….eventually. His first one was a bummer. I took a chance, since I usually refrain from purchasing direct from China for anything more than a few bucks. It did assure I would receive one of the corrected ones however. 
 

I can fully understand the hesitancy one may have developed given this episode, and the not so great reviews of the company’s Maksutov scope. That some of the originals have been sold to unsuspecting customers is unconscionable if in fact that has occurred. 

 

I know what the scope can be if you get a good one, which going forward you should expect to. It’s a solid achromat, configured first and foremost for casual, wide field, low to mid power visual observation. It is not perfect but it is good. It does the other stuff you may wish to use it for as well, planets, the moon, double stars etc, but such a fast achromatic refractor is somewhat limited by the design, not peculiar to this scope in particular. 

 

Can you do better? Absolutely, but you will pay more also. 
 

Edited by Russell Swan, 28 March 2025 - 08:32 AM.

[LDW47]

I received a reply from Svbony support regarding my request for a replacement lens cell either for free or as a purchased item. The response I received simply stated the free replacement program had ended January 1, 2025 and "have a good day". Having spent a good amount of time in China for work, I took the incomplete answer as a simple translation error and replied asking again, directly if replacement cells were available for purchase. I am quite ok with paying for a replacement cell as I acquired the scope second hand. We will see how well their support works as compared with top tier providers. Update to follow.

When dealing with used, lack of research, the old saying still holds ' buyer beware ', right. That goes with their reply, with a $3000 whatever scope it might have been different, look at the deffinition of used, maybe. I sure don't see any translation error in the answer.

[John R.]

Beta testers. Even if not officially. From this whole thread that is my conclusion regarding Svbony’s customers for their better spec refractors. 

 

[Jon Isaacs]

Ok so in case you missed it initially, I asked TWO questions, one, is the free replacement available, and two, can I buy one outright.  I got an answer to the first one, but not the second.  And as to buying used, I don't think that applies here as the faulty optics was not only part of the NEW scope, but Svbony admitted as such with their free replacement program.  And knowing I bought used, I am willing to buy a corrected lens cell.  They only answered ONE of my questions, which, having worked in China extensively, I ascribed to poor translation of my 2 questions, something I have experienced many times while working with Chinese people in China who are interfacing with someone in something other than their native language.

 

Mike:

 

It's possible you might be able to fit the objective lens from a Celestron 102 mm F/6.5 into the Svbony objective cell. 

 

Jon

[LDW47]

 

I don't that scopes always get better. The 90 mm Svbony 48P seems to have the same issues it had. I would have to buy another pair of the binoculars to see if they increased the field from 6 degrees to 7.5 degrees. I doubt they did 

 

Jon

Let's all wait and see, no one has to eat crow on a ' less than $300 scope ', lol.  6° or 7.5° , you are always correcting fov numbers on everything, scopes, ep's, binos, one more won't matter, in the least. Most won't even care, give it a second thought, as usual. I have never seen any astronomers reference the supposed correction, that I can recall, that caused them to not buy the whatever. I don't even think anyone checks your numbers to verify. If the 80 mm ST has been around that long on the low end of the ladder, I am sure the Svbonys will to.

[Refractor6]

Mike:

 

It's possible you might be able to fit the objective lens from a Celestron 102 mm F/6.5 into the Svbony objective cell. 

 

Jon

 Sounds like the ill fated Burgess scope scenario all over again Jon...I remember the whole story of that scope back in the day on CN...another example of things going wrong and your fix.

[Jon Isaacs]

Let's all wait and see, no one has to eat crow on a ' less than $300 scope ', lol.  6° or 7.5° , you are always correcting fov numbers on everything, scopes, ep's, binos, one more won't matter, in the least. Most won't even care, give it a second thought, as usual. I have never seen any astronomers reference the supposed correction, that I can recall, that caused them to not buy the whatever. I don't even think anyone checks your numbers to verify. If the 80 mm ST has been around that long on the low end of the ladder, I am sure the Svbonys will to.

 

Please stop apologizing and making excuses for Svbony. 

 

"Most don't even care." More like "Most don't even know better."  

 

This certainly sounds like you're describing a "top of the line company." 

 

NOT !

 

Good value, hopefully. 

 

Jon

[Mike G.]

Mike:

 

It's possible you might be able to fit the objective lens from a Celestron 102 mm F/6.5 into the Svbony objective cell. 

 

Jon

Thanks Jon, I appreciate your helpful response.  I'll pursue that (or maybe an ES AR102 objective) should Svbony not offer to sell me a new objective at a reasonable price.

[FirstSight]

Thread is closed due to exhaustion of worthwhile further information or commentary on the topic..