Post by bsimon615 on Mar 4, 2023 12:05:18 GMT -6
As many may know on some forums, like CloudyNights, just to name one, discussion of national or world political events is prohibited. Such discussions to include politics, war, evolution, global climate change and other topics can not be brought up.
However, I think open discussion can be quite healthy as long as participants do not go postal. In respect to astronomy product purchases I think we all recognize that a lot of what is available to us comes from sources outside of the United States. Products from China are particularly well represented in the marketplace. Other Asian Pacific Rim countries countries including Japan, Taiwan and South Korea as well as the Soviet Union (mostly maksutov telescopes) make products too that are a significant part of the marketplace. So is Germany with Baader eyepieces and filters and the list goes on.
While the United States has enterprising manufactures that make some products from the design stage up thru final production (AstroPhysics, FeatherTouch, and Televue) there are other U.S. companies which have their products made overseas to their specifications. Example - all TeleVue eyepieces are made outside of the United States, primarily in Japan and the R.O.C. (Taiwan) and South Korea.
This leads to the question - "Does the source of a product affect your purchasing decision?" I think, if it does, can be because of three major reasons -
1) Loyalty to the United States and/or animosity toward the source country primarily because of the world political climate (Ukraine War, spy balloons, etc.)
or
2) Uneasiness about what might happen if what I purchase has a real problem and has to be returned to the mother country for replacement or repair. Note - I have heard this about high end Takahashi telescopes that need to be returned to Japan for collimation or some major fix or replacement.
or
3) Limited supply or unavailability due to economic factors and the interplay of COVID in the supply chain - fewer or no employees making these things. So many items are listed as "Out of Stock" and that situation often goes on for months or years.
Has any of these considerations affected any of you?
Barry Simon
However, I think open discussion can be quite healthy as long as participants do not go postal. In respect to astronomy product purchases I think we all recognize that a lot of what is available to us comes from sources outside of the United States. Products from China are particularly well represented in the marketplace. Other Asian Pacific Rim countries countries including Japan, Taiwan and South Korea as well as the Soviet Union (mostly maksutov telescopes) make products too that are a significant part of the marketplace. So is Germany with Baader eyepieces and filters and the list goes on.
While the United States has enterprising manufactures that make some products from the design stage up thru final production (AstroPhysics, FeatherTouch, and Televue) there are other U.S. companies which have their products made overseas to their specifications. Example - all TeleVue eyepieces are made outside of the United States, primarily in Japan and the R.O.C. (Taiwan) and South Korea.
This leads to the question - "Does the source of a product affect your purchasing decision?" I think, if it does, can be because of three major reasons -
1) Loyalty to the United States and/or animosity toward the source country primarily because of the world political climate (Ukraine War, spy balloons, etc.)
or
2) Uneasiness about what might happen if what I purchase has a real problem and has to be returned to the mother country for replacement or repair. Note - I have heard this about high end Takahashi telescopes that need to be returned to Japan for collimation or some major fix or replacement.
or
3) Limited supply or unavailability due to economic factors and the interplay of COVID in the supply chain - fewer or no employees making these things. So many items are listed as "Out of Stock" and that situation often goes on for months or years.
Has any of these considerations affected any of you?
Barry Simon
