Orion optics review

[dogfish]

Hi All,


Not posted in a while, but prompted to by the shabby customer service at Orion Optics.


I ordered a VX10, with 1/10 wave optics, larger secondary and a non-stock focuser. I gave them plenty of notice (five or six weeks, as I recall) as I had hoped to install it in my obsy when a few of us were at my place near Wigtown. Appalling communication on progress and was told with a week to go, that it wouldn't be ready in time. It seems their manufacturing process is to build everything from scratch, which doesn't seem very efficient to me. You would think that they would have a stock of 10 inch, 10th wave mirrors, but no.


I did get it 2 weeks later but on unpacking i could hear a rattling sound and found two grub screws loose inside the tube and a big scratch on the mirror. Where is their quality control? I sent it back, asking for a replacement and some compensation for the hassle. I was told that it would be sorted. Subsequent emails were ignored, including asking to liaise about delivery date and an update on what compensation they would offer. On Sunday I get an email from UPS saying it will be delivered on Tuesday, when I would be at work!


After picking it up from a local dry cleaners, unpacked and the scope seems fine, although no zygo certificate, but there was a £50 gift voucher for OO. Emailed and asked for cash instead as I don't intend buying anything from them again, and that email was ignored.


My confidence in them has been undermined by their obvious lack of quality control and their very poor customer relations. I'd be careful if ordering from them. BTW, if anyone wants a £50 gift voucher for £40 readies, get in touch, but I think you'd be mad to buy from them. I just hope everything is ok when i get first light.


Cheers, Martin

[dogfish]

Oddly, I've had further correspondence today. Apparently, it wasn't a scratch (see image - sure looks like a scratch to me) and apparently the grub screws were from the mirror clip - now one of them can come loose, but two?

[SpookyKatt]

Hi Martin,


Good grief thats a terrible story and kind of matched something else I've read about Orion Optics.
While its good that you eventually got your scope its bound to have been soured by your
experience with OO.  Hopefully the performance lives up what your expecting.  Its not good
though that you haven't even got a Zygo certificate, are you sure its a 10th wave mirror and
they haven't just sent you something else, might be worth pursuing it to make sure its the type of
scope you paid for.


Must confess a few years ago I ordered a Losmandy part through them and they were awful,
the order took ages to get here and turned out to be a pain in the neck by the time I eventually
got it.  I never used them again after that.


Must say the picture almost looks a bit like a crack in the glass, maybe with the screws off the box had been
dropped during transit.


Kathleen 

[dogfish]

Hi Kathleen,


Long time no see, I hope you are well.


They say it is definitely the same mirror, which is why they didn't send the Zygo report as they sent that the first time they shipped it. I've got that and will check the serial number on the mirror. Their inability to communicate is legendary. It would take little effort to make themselves into an excellent business, but just too arrogant it seems. The grub screws were from the mirror clip, I learned later, but you would think that a simple email, after they got the scope back from me and detailing what they found, would be a simple courtesy. Apparently not, they just sent it back out with no comment or contact to re-arrange a delivery date.


It's the last business they get from me.


Cheers, Martin

[SpookyKatt]

Hi Martin,


Yeah I'm not too bad thanks, hope your well yourself.  Well I think thats a good idea to check the mirror to
make sure everything is in order.  Yeah you are right about there communications and the email response,
it would take very little reassure a buyer as to the issues found.  I don't think they appreciate the damage
they do to their reputations sometimes.


Kathleen     

[Longjohn54]

That's pretty bad.   Are you going to post your report and photo in Supplier Reviews on SGL for a wider audience?

[dogfish]

Probably not John. I think it's all been said there before and I note that they closed off the last review to further comments, so I don't think that SGL are comfortable with this kind of review.


Cheers, Martin

[dogfish]

Just to follow-up. Ian and I installed the VX10 in my Wigtown observatory at the weekend and managed a few five minute subs of M13. Early indications are that everything is good and there's no problem with the scope. I'm very relieved. I will probably gather more data before posting an image, and I need to tweak the polar alignment.


Cheers, Martin

[SpookyKatt]

Great news Martin.

[blinky]

Hi Martin,


I just had a google at M13 images and it does seem like the star you talked about is not a double, so looks like your spider vanes are not aligned properly. I don’t know if/how to adjust them though and remember the secondary should be offset slightly from centre since it’s a fast newt.