Hey there, Frustrated Telescope Owners & Astrophotographers!
Listen up, because I've got something for everyone whose telescope has decided to become a very expensive paperweight, door stop, or modern art installation - and yes, that includes your imaging rig that's producing star trails instead of pinpoint stars...
🔧 WHEN YOUR TELESCOPE STOPS BEING STELLAR 🔧
Let's cut right to it - I've been fixing telescopes since 1986, and I've heard every variation of these complaints more times than I can count:
"My GoTo isn't going to the right objects anymore!" Translation: I asked it to find Jupiter and it pointed at my neighbor's garage.
"Everything looks blurry no matter what I do!" Translation: I've cleaned every lens twice, adjusted every knob, and somehow Saturn still looks like a fuzzy tennis ball.
"My imaging camera worked fine last season, now it won't even connect!" Translation: My $2000 astro camera has become an expensive desk ornament.
"I'm getting star trails in 30-second exposures!" Translation: My mount tracking is so bad it couldn't follow a snail, let alone a star.
"My autoguider keeps losing the guide star!" Translation: My perfectly planned 4-hour imaging session turns into 4 hours of frustration.
Sound familiar? Yeah, I thought so.
Here's the thing - your telescope isn't broken out of spite, and your imaging rig isn't plotting against your deep-sky photography dreams (though after 38 years in this business, I sometimes wonder). Most of the time, these issues have straightforward fixes that don't require a PhD in optical engineering, astrophotography wizardry, or selling a kidney.
With two expert technicians on our team, we've seen and solved just about every equipment nightmare you can imagine.
🛠️ WHAT WE ACTUALLY DO (NO MAGIC INVOLVED) 🛠️
Visual Telescope Issues:
GoTo Systems Acting Like They're Lost: Your computerized mount isn't having an existential crisis - it probably just needs proper alignment, updated firmware, or someone who actually knows which buttons to press in the right order. We've brought more "dead" GoTo systems back to life than I care to count.
The Great Blur Mystery: If everything looks like you're viewing it through a fishbowl, it's usually one of three things: collimation is off, you've got optical misalignment, or (and don't take this personally) user error that's easily fixed with proper setup.
Astrophotography Equipment Nightmares:
Mount Tracking Issues: Getting star trails in short exposures? Your mount's periodic error correction might be off, or you could have mechanical issues causing tracking drift. Our techs know the difference between a mount that needs tuning and one that needs replacement parts.
Imaging Camera Problems: Camera not connecting? Software conflicts? Cooling issues? We service the full range of astro cameras - from entry-level planetary cams to high-end cooled imaging systems. If it's supposed to take pictures of space and it's not cooperating, we can help.
Autoguider & Hardware Headaches: Guide star keeps getting lost? Filter wheel acting up? Focuser not responding? We handle the entire imaging train - cameras, autoguiders, filter wheels, focusers, and all the cables that seem to develop mysterious connection issues.
Our Expert Repair Services:
• Small Telescope Assessment (Reflectors up to 4.5" aperture): $75
Perfect for those "I-think-I-broke-something" moments
• Basic Examination/Assessment (up to 8" aperture): $99
For when you know something's wrong but can't figure out what
• Computerized Telescope Assessment (up to 11" aperture): $199
The "why-won't-this-expensive-thing-work" special
• Telescope Assembly (up to 8"): $75-$99
Because life's too short to spend three weekends deciphering instruction manuals
• Firmware Updates: Starting at $75
Yes, your telescope needs software updates too - welcome to the 21st century
• Additional Labour: $89.95/hr
For when we discover your "simple" problem is actually three problems wearing a trench coat
Note: Parts and additional labour are extra. Prices don't include tax and are subject to change based on what we actually find when we open it up.
💡 RAY'S HONEST TAKE 💡
After nearly four decades of this, I can tell you that 90% of telescope and imaging equipment "problems" fall into two categories: easily fixable technical issues, or problems that could have been prevented with proper setup and maintenance.
The other 10%? Well, those are the scopes and cameras that have genuinely seen better days, and we'll tell you straight up whether it's worth fixing or if it's time to start shopping for a replacement.
I've seen $3,000 telescopes perform worse than $300 ones, and $5,000 imaging rigs produce worse results than basic setups, simply because nobody took the time to properly align, calibrate, and maintain them. Don't let your investment become a garage decoration.
📞 STOP SUFFERING IN SILENCE 📞
Seriously - if your telescope is driving you crazy, your imaging sessions are ending in frustration instead of stunning photos, or your equipment is making you question why you got into astronomy in the first place, just bring it in.
Book your assessment today.
Call us, email us, or just show up at the shop with your problematic telescope, mount, camera, or any piece of astro gear that's not cooperating. We've seen it all, fixed most of it, and we're not going to judge you for that time you tried to "improve" the collimation with a screwdriver or attempted to "fix" a camera connection with electrical tape.
What to expect:
Honest assessment of what's actually wrong
Straight talk about repair costs vs. replacement
No tech-speak nonsense - just plain English explanations
Your telescope working the way it's supposed to
30-day warranty on all repair services - because we stand behind our work
Come see us at Khan Scope Centre • 3243 Dufferin Street, Toronto ON or if you need to ship it in to us, we can assist you with that as well.
Just hit reply to this email and explain your issue.
Been fixing telescopes and imaging equipment since 1986, and we're not stopping until every scope in Canada is pointing where it's supposed to and every astro camera is capturing the cosmos in crystal-clear detail.
P.S. Yes, we also fix the telescopes and cameras that "fell over," had "minor incidents" with excited kids or curious pets, or got "accidentally" dropped while setting up in the dark. We don't ask questions - we just fix them.
