Can Astronomy Ireland really be considered an 'Astronomy club' anymore?

god help us i was also at that too and i was thinking maybe ill take a trip down
there and buy a scope from them maybe not this is from some guy on the ifas
forum who also went to the mars event.





calibos i think i should just come clean and get everything off my chest when i was starting
out in astronomy i went out their with 3000 euro in hand a hardcore astronomy addict still
am i bought a CG-5 and C-11 for 2545 euro also a set of 1.25 eyepieaces for 200 euro then left
on my own to work it no help but this is life after six months i was flying.

then i decided i needed a bigger mount but before that i bought a little 72mm WO from here
i loved it so much amazing view and brightness so after that i said thats it im going to get
big apo and a good mount i got tired of collimating the C-11 SCT anyway we dont have the skys
for a C-11 anyway with the seeing so i traded it in the same scope and mount i bought off them
about 15 months ago for 2545 euro i was offered 1100 euro the only reason i took it was i ran
out of money both scope and mount were like new the same guy who sold it too me a red haired
guy pretends he doesnt know me then starts saying oh the motors are wore and the vixan bar is
scratched i knew this was all just to drive down the price they were really trying to give me
1000 euro then carl the guy i know said i try get them to give you 1100 i knew i was being
robbed but i needed the money for the mount the cgem dx.

but what really drove me off the edge was when i when to the mars event i believe it was meant
to happen i turned up late at 9.30 got talking to a guy with a guess what a CG-5 and a C-11
their was also another C-11 their as well and other scopes so as i was talking him i said where
did you buy it he says astronomy ireland i said my god i traded mine in for 1100 euro i looked
down and you would not believe it it was my scope and mount he said how do you know i said
take off counterweight bar their should be a scratch on top where i droped it we looked with his
torch it was there then i said look at the cover where you put on the mirror cover their should be
a little clip missing there was he said ok its yours i asked him how much did you buy it for he said
2100 they told him it was from the showroom when it was really mine they must of put on a new vixan
bar on it cleaned it and then sold it as nearly new saying it was from the showroom now you can see
why im a little angry at AI then all the other stuff i hear and see by other people.

SPACEJOCKEY wrote: »

god help us i was also at that too and i was thinking maybe ill take a trip down
there and buy a scope from them maybe not this is from some guy on the ifas
forum who also went to the mars event.





calibos i think i should just come clean and get everything off my chest when i was starting
out in astronomy i went out their with 3000 euro in hand a hardcore astronomy addict still
am i bought a CG-5 and C-11 for 2545 euro also a set of 1.25 eyepieaces for 200 euro then left
on my own to work it no help but this is life after six months i was flying.

then i decided i needed a bigger mount but before that i bought a little 72mm WO from here
i loved it so much amazing view and brightness so after that i said thats it im going to get
big apo and a good mount i got tired of collimating the C-11 SCT anyway we dont have the skys
for a C-11 anyway with the seeing so i traded it in the same scope and mount i bought off them
about 15 months ago for 2545 euro i was offered 1100 euro the only reason i took it was i ran
out of money both scope and mount were like new the same guy who sold it too me a red haired
guy pretends he doesnt know me then starts saying oh the motors are wore and the vixan bar is
scratched i knew this was all just to drive down the price they were really trying to give me
1000 euro then carl the guy i know said i try get them to give you 1100 i knew i was being
robbed but i needed the money for the mount the cgem dx.

but what really drove me off the edge was when i when to the mars event i believe it was meant
to happen i turned up late at 9.30 got talking to a guy with a guess what a CG-5 and a C-11
their was also another C-11 their as well and other scopes so as i was talking him i said where
did you buy it he says astronomy ireland i said my god i traded mine in for 1100 euro i looked
down and you would not believe it it was my scope and mount he said how do you know i said
take off counterweight bar their should be a scratch on top where i droped it we looked with his
torch it was there then i said look at the cover where you put on the mirror cover their should be
a little clip missing there was he said ok its yours i asked him how much did you buy it for he said
2100 they told him it was from the showroom when it was really mine they must of put on a new vixan
bar on it cleaned it and then sold it as nearly new saying it was from the showroom now you can see
why im a little angry at AI then all the other stuff i hear and see by other people.

3k!!! Starting out?!? Don't really have a comment in the transaction, but........3k?!?

I recall that when David Moore burst upon the scene here, he claimed to be an 'FRAS', a suffix he no longer uses.

Did the Royal Astronomical Society unfellow him or was he ever a fellow in the first place??

Was in the showroom today, picked up an eyepiece, still nice to walk into a showroom in a premesis rather then shop onlime imo!

Thargor wrote: »

Is the showroom very easy to get to by bus/Dart/LUAS from city centre? Clueless about Dublin sorry for the O/T. Whats it like? Can you see the scopes in action, swivilling on their mounts I mean not observing obviously. Is it worth making the trip out?

Yea just get any swords bus and get off at airside! Yes to other questions! Smaller showrrom then i thought it wud be all the same!

emo72 wrote: »

on an unrelated subject, seen him today flogging scopes in the phoenix park. The OPW organised a family day "The Mad Hatters Tea Party" in the park, the garda had a stall with the OPW and in the middle was another stall with David Moore and some telescopes. running a business is to be commended especially in this day and age. and thats what it all seems to be focused on. selling telescopes. no harm in that though.

True, in this environment, business people need to be commended and supported, the problem people have though is that in this situation there is a business and what is supposed to be a club for expanding knowledge and interest in astronomy, however, that club seems little more then a self-financing marketing tool for the company. I saw them in the park yesterday also, and If the company where there selling their telescopes then fine, but inside every leaflet about the company they gave out was a membership form for the 'club', it is not possible to see where the seperation between club and company is.

coylemj wrote: »

To quote from the revised Nicene Creed: they are 'consubstantial'. Both of them exist for no other purpose than to generate an income for you know who.

When another one of the incessent junk emails arrives asking if a charitable donation of a spare gas SuperSer is possible by anyone....for the shop, one really does wonder whether a dividing line exists at all. I guess not having to spend profits on a heater for the shop is in effect the same thing as 'generating income for you know who' but dressing it up as supporting the shop I mean club.... :rolleyes:

Ardent wrote: »

I feel there's a lot of deliberate misinformation in this thread...

That's like saying we're lying!

:P

Ardent wrote: »

Well, considering this thread has been bumped, I'm going to give my 2 cents worth on the debate -

I feel there's a lot of deliberate misinformation in this thread. I've been to the last two AI meets/watches and I brought my telescope along both times. Not once was I challenged on the type of scope I had.

Also, I think the club is doing a lot of good work with regards to promoting awareness about astronomy. The attendance for last week's Mars Watch in the Phoneix Park was simply stunning - you couldn't get parking anywhere near the Papal Cross car park. No sooner had I set my small scope up than I realised there was a queue of strangers behind me waiting to have a look!!

Long may that kind of thing continue.

Hi David!!!

sorry, no offence meant. for some reason it looked at the time like you had just 2 posts. I see that's actually 2000+.

Seanie M wrote: »

That's like saying we're lying!

:P

Dang! I'm apologising for something I didn't write! Apologies Ardent.

But it would probably be something I would have said...

dmcdona wrote: »

Personally, I wish A&S/AI the very best of luck with their endeavours for the benefit of all with an interest in astronomy (passing or more long-term).

That is just plain wrong. Both entities exist for no other reason than to generate an income for David Moore, please don't treat us like idiots.

There is no public benefit ethos behind either of those bodies. If there was, then at the very least AI would be run by a democratically elected committee just like any other organisation claiming to be a club as in 'the most popular astronomy club in the world'.

At least with Astronomy (the US magazine) and Sky & Telescope you know you're dealing with a business. AI and Davd Moore should stop pretending to be a club, they are not by any interpretation of the word.

kiki wrote: »

...Mr. Moore seems passionate and knowledgeable about his subject matter and does expose the wider public to astronomy...

...while inviting them in to the land of make-believe that there's a club exposing them to it. That's the con.

Brother Andy (great name!)

It seems that there are those people who have had good experiences of A&S (the shop) - like yourself, and then there are those who have had a bad experience of A&S. These 20 odd pages of posts here are a mixture of both.

People should certainly satisfy themselves (by doing the research etc) before they make a purchase, buy a service etc. that they are dealing with a reputable supplier.

So, let me ask you this - you go onto Amazon/eBay etc and you see something you want. Just so happens its available from two suppliers. One with a 50% rating, one with a 95% rating. Who you going to choose?

Because A&S does not publish ratings, I guess these boards attempt to "rate" A&S by allowing folks to elucidate their own personal experiences of dealing with A&S. Both good and bad.

You are one of those folks who would give A&S probably 90% + for the service you received. There are others here who would give them zero. There are other still who would give them something in between.

Neutrals reading these posts can at least make their own minds up - is A&S a 50% supplier or a 90%+ supplier?

FWIW...

Dave