My Experience with Spectrum-coatings.com (Never again)

I found very little information about Spectrum Coatings online. I was initially referred to them by Skywatcher USA to have a mirror recoated. In short, the owner of Spectrum Coatings, Paul Zacharias, turned out to be one of the most arrogant and rude individuals I’ve ever dealt with.

I packaged and shipped the mirror on September 17, 2024, following what I thought were proper instructions. I used furniture foam for protection, which, in hindsight, wasn’t ideal since it’s too soft.

 

 

The package arrived after a delay due to hurricane Milton, it arrived on October 5th 2024. I got comments from Paul about packaging, the tone was a bit condescending but I didn't bother, although the instructions on his website had no where that said "do NOT use furniture foam".

 

He also stated that the primary mirror had a large chip, which is something I've never seen before before sending the mirror. I mentioned that it could be the shipping, he said he didn't think so, making me feel like i'm either sketchy or stupid. 

Here are more of the conversation we had about the mirror chip and a photo of it, although I never accused him of it, his response was vague as if I was plotting for something: 

Anyway, I emailed Paul 3 times to get an estimate of the time and cost, which he never responded to:

 

 

After waiting 6 weeks, I lost my patience, and I send him this following email, which he responded to after 1 hour:

I wasn't surprised by his response, as I could tell he's rude and unprofessional.

 

I responded to his message (see below), of course, he got nastier. 

 

From the start, it was clear he didn’t trust me. Instead of addressing the issue professionally, he wasted my time, ignored my emails, and fixated on a narrative of self-defense, playing the “I’m protecting myself” symphony. Despite his behavior, I never accused him of breaking the mirror.

In an effort to resolve things amicably, I offered to cover the costs of new packaging or anything else he needed, but he refused to provide even a simple cost estimate. The entire process felt like I was begging him for something I was fully willing—and generous enough—to pay for.

After six weeks of waiting, I finally called him out. His response? A condescending remark that I needed “babysitting” and “constant attention.”

When I told him not to return the mirror, as it seemed beyond repair, he insisted on sending it back anyway. Whether he’ll follow through or not, I don’t know. What I do know is that I deeply regret the time wasted on this ordeal and the disrespectful way I was treated.

At one point, he mentioned having “dealt with people like me before,” leading me to suspect other astrophotographers have experienced his arrogance and rudeness. His business isn’t listed on Google, which suggests it’s likely run from a garage shop. This blog post is my way of sharing my experience, so others in the astrophotography community can make an informed decision.

While he might have expertise in his craft, nothing could compel me to work with him again. If you’re looking to waste your time and endure dismissive, unprofessional treatment, look no further than Spectrum Coatings and Paul Zacharias.

Clear skies.