where do u all normally buy your scope from?
From:
http://wiki.singastro.org/
First, a warning, DO NOT BUY ANY SCOPES FROM CAMERA SHOPS, DEPARTMENT STORES, TOYS'R'US, OR CARREFOUR. These are all basically scopes that are not practical for astronomy use. (See JunkScopes?)
OK, there are basically three ways to get your hands on a telescope in Singapore:
1) A Dealer:
There are currently 3 local dealers you can purchase scopes from:
* AstroBargains?
o
http://www.astrobargains.com/
* AstroScientific?
o The shop at the Science Centre.
o
http://www.astro.com.sg/
* McGill?
o
http://www.mcgill.com.sg
The advantages of this method is that you can view the telescopes before buying it, and have support if you have problems with it. The disadvantage is that you generally pay more for the telescope itself. It is a good idea to do a bit of research as you shop around.
2) Ordering Overseas:
There are some dealers who will ship overseas with guarantees on shipping and damage and with a return policy, but you will have to pay for the substantial shipping cost, and that includes shipping it back and forth again if there are any problems. Others don't guarantee shipping, and yet others don't even ship overseas because they are wary of fraud.
Some risk and cost from buying overseas can be minimised by having someone you know buy and bring/mail the telescope for you to Singapore. Another way is to use the VPostUSA service by Singpost to buy scopes from the United States. A third way is that you can buy 2nd hand scopes from other countries and ship them over.
Generally, there is some risk in this method - lost, damaged, faulty eqipment, fraud, etc., but you do save heaps of money.
* InternationalShippingServices? - e.g. VPost, FedEx?, ...
3) Other People:
Probably the best way for a newbie to get a scope in Singapore is to buy a 2nd-hand one from SingAstro members. People generally take good care of their scopes, and many are willing to 'let go' their beginner scopes to genuinely interested parties.
You can browse the Buy and Sell section on the forums for the great scope deals that come up once in a while. You can browse the older posts that have been closed to see what has been available and the rough prices at which they sold. If you know what you want, you may even post a Want To Buy (WTB) post to see if anyone is willing to sell.
The advantage of buying 2nd-hand is that you pay less, you don't have to worry about shipping, and you can test and use the scope before buying. The disadvantage is that you are buying something "as is" which you may want to think twice about doing if you are buying an expensive telescope.
All these methods represent a huge range of prices, services, and risks. Buying a telescope in Singapore is really not an easy task, and one should generally practice a bit of patience here. Buy a pair of binoculars? first, and get to use some scopes first by joining one of our RegularObservationSessions?. Slow and easy is what I'll say is the best way to enjoy astronomy here in Singapore!
* BriefExplanationOnScopeTypes
* BuyingATelescopeFAQ
