Dallas Telescope store

[rburns]

I know there's a number of people who haunt this group from the Dallas
area. What's the best Telescope store in the area?

Robert B.
Tyler, TX

[Texas Sky]

As was reported last week on the TASLIST discussion group:

--snip--

I was checking around this morning for a local Celestron dealer when I ran
across a new listing for The Observatory.

It is not open yet but the owner answered the phone when I called. He is
going to be selling Telescopes and Microscopes. He plans on carrying about
40 scopes with many on display. He will also carry accessories (eypieces,
TELRADS etc.) from all the major manufacturers.

Located near the Preston Rd./Frankford intersection, he hopes to be open by
the first of October.

--snip--

Members of the Texas Astronomical Society of Dallas may join the TASLIST by
sending an e-mail to:

mailto:taslist-...@onelist.com

rburns <rd-b...@tamu.edu> wrote in message
news:37DE6355...@tamu.edu...

[Rockett Crawford]

rburns wrote:

> I know there's a number of people who haunt this group from the Dallas
> area. What's the best Telescope store in the area?
>

I personally don't know of one at this time in the Dallas area. Cooter
Village Camera used to have some scopes, but the only thing they had last
time I was there a few months ago, was a small Mak spotting scope.

Sorry for the non-help. :^)

Rockett Crawford

[MDS]

You are close enough to Houston to make the trip to Land, Sea, and Sky
worthwhile. It's not just a camera store with some scopes tucked in the
corner. This place has a very large selection, and the staff are
astronomers, so they know what they are talking about. They will also be
realistic with what they sell you...they won't try to sell the Hubble to a
beginner.

Michael

--
"Of course, that's just my opinion. I could be wrong." DM

rburns <rd-b...@tamu.edu> wrote in message
news:37DE6355...@tamu.edu...

> I know there's a number of people who haunt this group from the Dallas
> area. What's the best Telescope store in the area?
>

> Robert B.
> Tyler, TX
>

[Jasen Rogers]

I've had great dealings with Astronomics in Oklahoma. They are a couple of
hours away from Dallas. I have only mail ordered from them, however.:)

[Rockett Crawford]

Jasen Rogers wrote:

> I've had great dealings with Astronomics in Oklahoma. They are a couple of
> hours away from Dallas. I have only mail ordered from them, however.:)

I have had good experiences with them myself and my order always
gets to me in only 2 days (here in Dallas) if I order in the morning.

BTW, I went down the street to Frankford and Preston on my lunch
hour and I couldn't find "The Observatory." I guess they don't have
their sign up yet or maybe they aren't exactly on one of the corners
there.

In any case I am certainly going to check that place out in a
few weeks when it opens. Maybe it would be a good idea to
get the street number first however. :^)

take care,
Rockett Crawford

[Jeff Rader]

Rockett Crawford wrote:

> I have had good experiences with them myself (Astronomics-my addition) and my

> order always
> gets to me in only 2 days (here in Dallas) if I order in the morning.
>

I get my order from Astronomics the next day in Plano, usually around 5:30. I
have ordered as late as 4:00 the day before. (I don't request "Next Day")

Regarding Cooters Village Camera on Mockingbird and Preston, I purchased my U2K
there 2 moonths ago. They have all the big scopes in the basement and were very
helpful in my deciding between the U2K and the Meade 10". Definately woth
checking out. Ask for one of the owners.

>
> BTW, I went down the street to Frankford and Preston on my lunch
> hour and I couldn't find "The Observatory." I guess they don't have
> their sign up yet or maybe they aren't exactly on one of the corners
> there.

He should be opening soon (middle to the end of September). Real nice guy. A
lifelong passion for him. I look forward to visiting. The shop is in the
Preston Lloyd Shopping Center (19009 Preston Rd) on Preston between Frankford
and Plano Parkway.

Jeff

[Rockett Crawford]

Jeff Rader wrote:

> Rockett Crawford wrote:
>
> > I have had good experiences with them myself (Astronomics-my addition) and my
> > order always
> > gets to me in only 2 days (here in Dallas) if I order in the morning.
> >
>
> I get my order from Astronomics the next day in Plano, usually around 5:30. I
> have ordered as late as 4:00 the day before. (I don't request "Next Day")
>
> Regarding Cooters Village Camera on Mockingbird and Preston, I purchased my U2K
> there 2 moonths ago. They have all the big scopes in the basement and were very
> helpful in my deciding between the U2K and the Meade 10". Definately woth
> checking out. Ask for one of the owners.

I certainly will. My wife always bats me over the head for not
asking for help in stores. This time I should have listened to her. :^)

>
> >
> > BTW, I went down the street to Frankford and Preston on my lunch
> > hour and I couldn't find "The Observatory." I guess they don't have
> > their sign up yet or maybe they aren't exactly on one of the corners
> > there.
>
> He should be opening soon (middle to the end of September). Real nice guy. A
> lifelong passion for him. I look forward to visiting. The shop is in the
> Preston Lloyd Shopping Center (19009 Preston Rd) on Preston between Frankford
> and Plano Parkway.
>

Good deal, me too. Thanks for posting the address Jeff.

take care,
Rockett

[Michael Hosea]

Cooters Village Camera had a C102-AZ, an ETX, a C90, and a few other odds and
ends. Their prices are usually reasonable but not (usually) as low as a
better mail order price. It varies. They have a pretty good selection of
eyepieces for a small store. I've bought several things from them, but in
most cases I was willing to pay a small premium for the cash-and-carry
convenience of it all.

Fry's over near LBJ and Garland road has some scopes, but they don't know
anything about them, and the ETX's they had in stock all looked like returns
to me.

There is a new place over in SW Fort Worth that might be worth the trip on a
weekend. The proprietors are amateur astronomers with day jobs as engineers
or some such. Consequently they are open just three evenings a week and on
Saturdays. They have a pretty good selection of Celestron scopes in stock
through the 8" U2000 and charge about the same as Astronomics. You can find
out more at http://members.aol.com/skywatchpr/ .

There is a little shop down on Mockingbird in the same shopping center as La
Madeleine just to the West of Central Expressway. They have some eyepieces.
I honestly don't remember their selection of scopes or the name of the
store. The eyepieces I asked about had prices higher than Astronomics.

Sun and Ski Sports in Fort Worth (on Alta Mere just south of I30, if memory
serves) has some scopes and accessories, but I suspect that a key person has
moved on because their pricing makes no sense to me anymore, and I have
resolved not to bother with them as a result.

These are actually all I know about, excepting a few science stores that
peddle ETX's and a selection of (gasp) 3 eyepieces or so. Because Cooters
doesn't have much of a selection in stock, I'd have to say that Skywatch
Products is the best right now today. You can at least see most of the
Celestron scopes up through the 8" U2K on display.
--
Mike

Rockett Crawford wrote:

> rburns wrote:
>
> > I know there's a number of people who haunt this group from the Dallas
> > area. What's the best Telescope store in the area?
> >
>

[KH]

Robert, if you combine a bit of vacation with scope hunting, you could go to
Scientific Analytical in San Antonio. The last time I was there they had a
good selection of scopes, used and new, in their upstairs area. Downstairs
they carry science equipment - primarily educational science equipment for
use in classrooms. Their website is http://www.analyticalsci.com - check
them out - they do mail order too. I have also been to Sky Watch in Ft.
Worth and it was good to see another business venture that can supply our
needs in the metroplex. They are off to a good start. They had the
eyepieces and barlow that I wanted in stock.
Ken Hurst

rburns wrote in message <37DE6355...@tamu.edu>...

>I know there's a number of people who haunt this group from the Dallas
>area. What's the best Telescope store in the area?
>

>Robert B.
>Tyler, TX
>

[Michael Hosea]

Eh? Well, how about that. What kind of selection did they have down there?
--
Mike

[Andy Wallace]

The weird part is that Cooters is in the toniest and most expensive
shopping center in Dallas--somehow I can't see the society matrons
shopping for scopes :)

[Jeff Rader]

Meades and Celestrons. 8"+. Also, I should say their price for the U2K was less than
listed from any mailk order place I could find. The Meades seem to be the same price
(roughly) as Astronomics.

Jeff

[Michael Hosea]

To further the irony, Cooters is pretty reasonable. I got a Vixen zoom ep there for
$190 or so. When I bought a C102-HD there just after last X-Mas, the price was about
the same as the best mail order price. Other times I've paid up to 25% more than the
mail order price on accessories, but 10% more is common. I've seen hole-in-the-wall
stores in cheaper surroundings trying to sell the Meade 395 for its "retail" price.
--
Mike

Andy Wallace wrote:

> The weird part is that Cooters is in the toniest and most expensive
> shopping center in Dallas--somehow I can't see the society matrons
> shopping for scopes :)
>

[Jeff Rader]

Yeah, but they DO shop for cameras. The place is usually busy everytime I've been
there. I have seen some interest taking in that "cute little purple scope" from Meade
that they have on display ;-)

I'm looking forward to "The Observatory" opening on Preston later this month.

Jeff