Poor quality / Problem with ASA Telescope !!

[-Amenophis-]

Hello everybody,

 

Here is my mishap with ASA 

 

During 2017, I decided to break the piggy bank to offer me an ASA telescope.

 

I wanted to take a well known name and quality recognized around the world.

 

 

In November 2017, reception of the telescope. Tracking the order, transportation everything

is perfect.

When unpacking, comes my first complaint 

 

1°) The carbon tube of the telescope has many cavities on its surface!

 

 

 

After claim, ASA decides to refund me 200 €.

I agree with their proposal and I accept.

 

Subsequently, a message on my mailbox arrives in March 2018 telling me that a new corrector 3 '' has

just been sent to me. Second problem ! 

 

2°) “We will send you a corrector replacement due to missing multi coating on the one you originally

received.”

 

 

On this point, it's very professional. Nothing to say but it's two problems a few months apart.

 

3°) Then in April 2018, I contact ASA again for a problem regarding my secondary mirror.

 

This one has some kind of spots all around the mirror.

 

 

According to Wolfgang PROMPER, it seems that black paint is involved in this phenomenon.

He decides to send me a new medium with a new secondary mirror.

 

Once again, the problem is well managed by the ASA team but it starts to do a lot!

 

And it's not over !

 

4°) Now it is the primary mirror to have a problem.

 

After more than a year of use, I wanted to disassemble the telescope for a complete cleaning (see my discussion on this forum http://forum.astrosysteme.com/index.php?/topic/1035-cleaning-primary-mirror/).

 

To my surprise, I discovered a primary mirror completely stitched. That is, the aluminide has not been

done properly.

 

We even distinguish, on the edge of the mirror, aluminide in the process of leaving.       

 

 

 

 

I am very disappointed with all these problems with the ASA hardware.

 

At the price where it matters and according to their reputation, I expected much better from them.

 

To summarize :

- the carbon tube of the telescope is smashed

- the 3 '' corrector changed

- the secondary mirror also changed

- the primary mirror completely stitched

 

To summarize the whole telescope is bad.

 

 

So I contacted the support so he could do some things.

After asking the place of storage, which for my part is not the question to ask!

 

After a little more than a year of use, it is not normal to obtain this result on a so-called quality mirror!

And the answer?

 

Not before June 20 !!!! 

In short, I saturate because to shell 8000 € and get this material .....

 

I started contacting Skyvision and AiryLab.

If the ASA team does not bring me satisfaction in managing this big problem, I'm counting on:

 

  - To ask for tests of conformity of the mirror afion to check the specifications and the quality of mirror (except problem mentioned of course) by the French companies.

  - Disseminate information on different forums (astrobin, APOD, Sky & Telescope, AstronomyMag etc.).

  - Go further if necessary.

 

Hoping that all my problems are resolved.

[GeorgeCarey]

It would be interesting to know who made the mirrors. I don't think ASA make their own mirrors.

Clearly the coatings are very poor quality.

I made a 6" mirror in 1985 and the coating still looks excellent. The coating was done by David Hinds in the UK.

[-Amenophis-]

Yes you are right. But what about quality controls ?

 

For the reputation of such a brand, it is necessary to pay attention to the subcontractors.

 

I had mediocre mirrors (Chinese) and high quality (skyvision) and despite the years, the mirrors were still good.

 

 

 

I made a 6" mirror in 1985 and the coating still looks excellent. The coating was done by David Hinds in the UK. 

 

This is really good work.

[maxmirot]

Yes you are right. But what about quality controls ?

 

For the reputation of such a brand, it is necessary to pay attention to the subcontractors.

 

I had mediocre mirrors (Chinese) and high quality (skyvision) and despite the years, the mirrors were still good.

 

 

This is really good work.

I agree no QC on the optics and the CF tube.  These parts should never gone into a scope.

Edited June 17, 2019 by maxmirot

[ChristerS]

Hi,

 

I agree the quality control must improve, in my case defect secondary mirror.

I had a customer with a question of recoating a ASA 10N and got the answer from Gerald below.

 

"At first – we are sending 10” mirrors for coating or recoating to Orion Optics. I would suggest to send the mirror direct to Orion – as I see on their website, the coating with shipping is approx. 100 Pounds for a 10”. This would be much easier as to shipping force and back and again and shorten the lead time."

 

//Christer

[-Amenophis-]

Thank you for your feedback Christer  

 

I sent my primary mirror last Friday. I'm waiting for Wolfgang's return on quality. He will then confirm if the mirror will be exchanged or recoated.

[andrewlockwood]

I have had a similar problem with my 16", the secondary deteriorated like yours after one year, and now, 5 years after purchase the primary has patches a few cm square where the aluminising has completely failed. ASA were very good about helping me get the secondary aluminized in Australia, as it is not economic to ship it back to Europe, but I'm very disappointed that the coating on the primary is so bad and assume I will have to pay for that myself. Also of the 5 fans on the scope, only 2 are working after 5 years. I assume they're just normal CPU fans and I'll get that fixed when I send the primary off for recoating.

[-Amenophis-]

Thank you for your comment. The quality of ASA is really not there and I try to disseminate the information to the greatest number of people. Especially at the professional level.

[andrewlockwood]

I have to agree, although after many trials I have got my system working as well as I can, it's clear that ASA have no interest in the amateur market. I happen to be on the board of a major public observatory and we are securing funding to install a couple of metre class telescopes over the next few years. Based on my personal experience, these will not be from ASA. Although I have nothing but praise for the professionalism and courtesy of the support staff, they can only do so much, and these problems should not have got to the point where something needed to be done!