McGill ClubSNAP Specials: Affordable & Quality Telescopes/Binoculars/Accessories

[jim_mcgill]

Dear All,

To attract more people into the interesting hobby of stargazing, we at McGill Commercial House will be having special deals for ClubSNAP members only!

Follow this thread to get products at great prices not available beyond this forum! Telescopes and binoculars need not be expensive investments. We offer very affordable beginner's telescopes/binoculars to special CCDs for astrophotography.

Customers often ask McGill a lot of questions about what equipment to get to observe the night sky, such as the type of telescope or binocular that meet their needs, and what are the differences between the various mounts used in stargazing. This is normal but often can be daunting and challenging to someone new to this hobby.

As such, this thread will also provide you with basic information to assist in the selection of an equipment which truly serves your needs. Feel free to PM us if you have any doubts.

Currently there are only a few companies in Singapore which specialize in sales of telescope and related equipment. McGill have been in the telephoto/telescope business for more than 10 years serving retail and corporate customers in Singapore and beyond. Our recent corporate customers are NTU and Temasek Polytechnic.

We have also been serving wildlife enthusiasts who wish to use affordable telescopes to capture images of birds and other wildlife instead of getting an ultra-expensive telephoto DSLR lens!

McGill look forward to serving all ClubSNAP members and establish great rapport to all who are interested in admiring our beautiful night sky!

Cheers and clear skies ahead!

 

[jim_mcgill]

Rare celestial show: 5 planets to be visible at once from Singapore!

http://m.todayonline.com/singapore/rare-celestial-show-5-planets-be-visible-once-singapore

As link above shows, it is a good time these few weeks to observe the 5 major planets at dawn!

Most are visible to the naked eye! However binoculars may be useful to observe Mercury which might be too faint as it is near to the horizon.

Suitable binoculars for viewing can be of the configuration 8x42 or 10x50. Of course if you have a long-lost binocular hidden somewhere in a drawer, it might prove to be useful too!

Vixen Ascot 8x42 - Fully waterproof, good multi-purpose binocular for birdwatching and stargazing
CS Special - S$219nett + FREE Courier delivery if you mention CS888 when ordering by phone @6389-1734.
Product details: http://store.mcgill.com.sg/index.php?id_product=155&controller=product

 

[jim_mcgill]

Solar Eclipse Viewer @$5 per piece only! Self-Collect at Bedok or FREE local postage!

FREE LOCAL POSTAGE! VERY POPULAR! GET IT EARLY BEFORE IT IS GONE!

FREE DELIVERY FOR SCHOOLS IN SINGAPORE AT $4 EACH WITH MINIMUM ORDER OF 50 PIECES. PLEASE CALL OUR OFFICE TO ORDER. WE ACCEPT CASH, CHEQUE OR E-INVOICING.
SPECIAL EVENT IN SINGAPORE:
88% or Partial Solar Eclipse on Wednesday, 09 Mar 2016
Begins: 07:23am, Ends: 09:32am
Maximum:08:23am on 09 Mar 2016

These viewers are designed to be worn like sun glasses except that you can look directly at the sun with them. The image of the sun is sharp and seen as a natural yellowish-orange. These are excellent for viewing a solar eclipse as it is happening. They are completely safe and block all the harmful rays from your eyes.
The viewers are made of a sturdy frame with optical thin film for the aperture. They adjust to two sizes to fit various head types. They are a great teaching tool.
You can view through them for many hours with out any problems. Should they bother you when viewing, then we suggest you should stop.

If you don't get the viewers wet or puncture the film, and store them in good condition, such viewer can last for a fairly long time such as a few years.

Our viewers are made in the USA according to strict specifications - Meets the Transmittance Requirements of EN 1836:2005 + A1:2007 (E) for an E15 Filter for the Direct Observation of the sun. Also meets the Transmittance Requirements of AS/NZS 1338. 1:2012, Filters for Eye Protectors. Our supplier is a specialist maker of solar filters for decades.

We then ship the items to Singapore very carefully to ensure the sunblocking material is well-protected.

(Above picture depicts generic solar eclipse viewers and colour/design may differ with our stock.)
TIPS:
1) For people wearing eye glasses, we recommend they hold the glasses or try viewing without their glass on or putting the viewers on first then their glasses over them.
2) Make sure the black film material covers your eyes completely for protection from the Sun's powerful rays. We advise slightly pressing the viewer at its sides to ensure tightness and no gaps.
3) Can be used while suntanning on a beach so that your eyes will not be hurt by the harmful rays of the Sun!

NOTE: Do not purchase solar eclipse viewers from China due to lack of strict quality control and undesirable business practices. Your eyes are much more important than saving a few dollars to get a cheap viewer!

 

[jim_mcgill]

Sky-Watcher Black Diamond Maksutov 127mm OTA Kit @$599 Only!
Normal price $699. Limited stock for immediate delivery! FREE local home delivery for all CS members!
Supplied with 2" Mirror Diagonal, 2" 28mm Eyepiece (53x magnification), 9x50 Straight Finder & Dovetail connecting plate.

Compact & affordable telescope for the serious beginner in stargazing! Its big 5" lens brings faint objects into view easily, even in light-polluted Singapore night sky!

This beautifully-crafted 127mm aperture telescope of Maksutov-Cassegrain design is billed as one of the best telescopes you can use under Singapore's heavily light-polluted night skies. Specially designed for beginners and serious hobbyists who wish to experience great viewing capability without the need to drag a heavy and cumbersome telescope system outdoors. Just attach to a professional camera tripod to view the night sky!

What can you see with this telescope? The Black Diamond Maksutov 127mm, with a compound focal length of 1500mm, provides astonishing views (for its price) of Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, clearly identifying each and revealing major changing features on several planets throughout the observing seasons. In fact this may be the least expensive telescope (with an optional equatorial or alt-azimuth mount) that can clearly show the Cassini Division in Saturn's rings. The contrast and apparent brightness will outperform most common 4" achromatic refractors, even surpassing several more expensive telescopes. The image quality may appear similar to that of small (3 to 3.5") apochromatic refractors!

When viewing the moon, you can see tiny but striking details as if you were in its orbit! With an optional solar filter you may observe sun spot activity, or an eclipse. When viewing deep sky objects (galaxies, nebulae, star clusters, etc.) this compact telescope has such decent optics and good contrast that it can reveal a number of deep sky objects nonetheless.

With an optional mount and related accessories, this Maksutov 127mm OTA also functions surprisingly well as a terrestrial spotting scope or telephoto lens. Try it to feel its power now! In short, this is a high performance yet portable telescope that packs a punch without burning a hole in your pocket!

Magnification: The pictorial guide below helps you estimate the size of objects in the night sky as viewed through an eyepiece, depending on the magnification you use on the telescope.

WARNING: Do not point this telescope or any type of viewing instrument towards the Sun as it will hurt your eyes and even cause permanent eye damage!