TAL 100RS

[crepitis]

Yup , I think a collimatable diagonal sounds exactly like the kind of thing I could end up making a right mess with , so I think I will class mine in the "nice to have..but dont touch" category.

The felt inside my tube rings is a rather tired green looking material...possibly off-cuts from an old snooker table from the local KGB social club.

[Astro_Baby]

Well I am after a TAL 25mm Plossl so if anyone has one then let me know

John - I feel quite an affinity for this scope and its definitely one of the scopes someone can have after its been prised from my dead hands

Strangely if it came to a choice I think I'd keep the TAL over the SkyWatcher 200 / HEQ5 combo even though the 200 has had massive amounts of upgrades and work put into it. Theres something undefinable about the TAL which I love. Its got character I think.

[pbyrne]

I had the TAL 100r some years ago, the OTA was a marvellous piece of kit, solid with a beautiful lens, however I felt that the focuser and mount really let it down, the tripod was rock solid though. The views of the moon was stunning, being f/10 there was only minor colour around the limb, has the 100rs improved in this respect does anyone know?

[F15Rules]

Hi Paul

[F15Rules]

Hi Paul,

I sold this Tal 100RS to Astro Baby, and I still have a mint Tal 100R which will be buried with me:p...I compared them side by side several times and my eyes showed negligible difference between them.

The older tal had what I consider the "prettier" lens, a lovely dark purple shade, while the newer one is a much paler blue (interestingly AB described it as pale green I think?)..But views through both were very similar. Colour correction as good as I think you can get at F10...to get better you'd have to go to F12 or more..

The new RS focuser though, beats the older 100R one hands down, different class. It is superb, and I think you will have gathered how much AB likes it!;)

Both versions, for me, are classics in the making.

[AndyH]

If anyone wants more info and links about Tal scopes and accessories, check out the Stargazers Lounge, Tal User Groups Stargazers Lounge - Tal Users Group

Cheers,

Andy.

[Stardust]

WHat a good thread, make me think I'm missing out by not having a TAl100RS, might have to keep an eye out for one. Think I might have a spare tal 25mm plossl.

[Astro_Baby]

TAL100RS - First light tonite as it was clear - but I am too whacked out to write a report You'll have to wait for tomorrow

[Astro_Baby]

OK - the long awaiyed firts light report (well you lot may not have waited but I suer have waited to get to use the TAL). The weather was rather crumby with lots of loose floaty cloud around and sky conditions werent as good as you'd like but whopppeee they were clear enough to get the Moon. Its not an exhaustive First Light test but at least I got to use the scope soooooooo what was it like ?

In a word BRILLIANT !!!

The moon was at 19% waxing crescent so quite a thin wedge of moon. The TAL was quickly lugged outside and left to cool for a few minutes before firts viewing. Firts view was via a Vixen NPL PLossl at 30mm and the detail visible was quite astounding. A quick flip over to a 13mm Hyperion showed the detail coming in close with the moons complete orb almost filling the EP. Detail and resolutions were fantastic. A small amount of greeny yello false color but hardly noticeable really. A power boost to the 5mm Hyperion provided an incerdible amount of detail but sky conditions were not great plus there was a fair amount of heat haze from a local factory which made the view a teensy bit wobbly.

All of the EPs above were used with the TAL diagonal supplied. I then tested with a Revelation 2" Quartz diagonal which showed no noticeable improvement in the views.

Finally - and yes I know its not what the ES 14mm 100' EP was really designed for but I HAD to give it a go. Through the TAL it showed a very crisp image and a wider field of view but no more detail than the 13mm Hyperion. This is to be expected as where the 100' FOV will come into play will be with DSOs.

Having had a good view I decided I test out whether the EP would come to focus without a diagonal. I tested out a Celestron Omni Plossl, 5 and 13mm Hyperions, 14mm ES, SkyWatcher Panavies in 26,32 and 38mm and also tested with a 2" Barlow.

Every single EP would come to focus using both the 1.25" adapter or where possible in basic 2" mode.

Most EPs required the focuse drawtube being pulled back further than you may imagine to compensate for no diagonal but they all came to focus. In fact with the 13mm Hyperion and a 2" Barlow and no diagonal you could sit behind the TAL and imagine you were Percivel Lovell

Overall the view of the moon were the best I have ever had and that includes using the 8" Reflector. My partner also had a peek and was convinced the views were better than with the 8" Refelctor, crisper and with more detail showing.

The Crayford focuser fitted to the RS performed wonderfully even pulling heavy loads and all the EP and EP/Barlow/diagonal combinations came to focus well with a sort of visual 'snap'.

The mount, althouh appearing very firm to the eye actually showed a surpising amount of judder and vibration when looking theorugh the EP and adjusted. Nothing nasty but just more than I would have supposed. With that said the TAL100RS is no lightweight tube. Vibrations damped out in around 1 second so certainly no worse than many mounts carrying long and heavy tubes.

Another foible with the mount was that you have to have the scope tube rather well balanced. Failure to do so will lead the mount to not respond to its slo-motion controls. This is because if the scope goes too far out of balance the spring pushers that force against the slo-mo controls dont have enough oooompphh to push the scope and so the slo-mo controls become effectively disengaged. I spotted it when I changed over from a lightweight Plossl to the monster sized 2lb ES 1400.

Its not the end of the world and of course a scope should always be balanced.

The finder was as expected superb - one of the best I have used. THe supplied TAL 6.3mm Plossl was fine. Its not a world beater but its certainly better than most. Unfortunately I dont reallyu get on with small Plossls as I find the eye relief a problem which probably colors my views of the EP. Certainly it performed as well if not better than the Celestron PLossl I used to have.

Unfortunately just as some interesting targets arrived around the corner of the flats the clouds moved in and it was time to pack the TAL up and take her back inside.

Firts Light - well I was impressed. The scope showed an amazing level of detail and for a refelector fan it was nice not to have to wait on cool down. The TAL seemed to be stable after no more thn a few minutes outside.

The mounts a little more wobbly than I would like but nothing you cant live with, the optics are every bit as good as I had heard and maybe even better. THis scope is definitely a keeper.

If anyone is considering buying one and isnst suer I will be taking the TAL to the Salisbury Star Party and you are more than welcome to drop on by and have a look for yourself. I dont doubt you'll be impressed.

ps scue rotten typing but I have been working almost 18 hours straight and my fingys are numb.

[Stardust]

NO.. the more I read the more I'd like to get my hands on one. Sounds like you're very happy with the scope.

My friend has a 100R but it's not a happy scope. A previous owner has done things which have put the collimation badly out and we're nor sure how to fix it.

[Whippy]

NO.. the more I read the more I'd like to get my hands on one. Sounds like you're very happy with the scope.

My friend has a 100R but it's not a happy scope. A previous owner has done things which have put the collimation badly out and we're nor sure how to fix it.

If it's anything like my first 100R Dave then you might well have to wave it goodbye. The previous owner decided to install his own baffles by inserting a smaller tube (A Celstron 90mm IIRC) inside the TAL tube! An absolute dog of a scope... I did pick up another one that was in superb condition and it's a superb scope (since sold it on though) but I reckon your MN56 would best it at pretty much everything.

Tony..

[AndyH]

Nice one. Delighted you enjoyed the views. First light with a new scope is always a mix of emotions.

Regarding the RA and DEC slow mo's. Rather than rebalance the scope, when going from heavy to lighter eyepieces and visa versa, try tightening up the the axle clamp knobs a wee bit. The slow mo's should work then(unless it's a massive weight difference, and that ES sounds like a hand grenade!!).

I reckon the Motorised version(MT-1S) of this mount(MT-1) would be sturdier for long tubed ota's.

I'm going to purchase a sliding tube weight for my Carton, for that very reason(looks for all the world like another tube ring).

Cheers,

Andy.

[AndyH]

NO.. the more I read the more I'd like to get my hands on one. Sounds like you're very happy with the scope.

My friend has a 100R but it's not a happy scope. A previous owner has done things which have put the collimation badly out and we're nor sure how to fix it.

Might be a silly question, but could the Tal diagonal be out of collimation with the lens? Easily fixed, if so. Remove the diagonals back plate and adjust the mirror to suit. A lot of folk don't realise that the Tal diagonals are collimatable.

Cheers,

Andy.

[Stardust]

If it's anything like my first 100R Dave then you might well have to wave it goodbye. The previous owner decided to install his own baffles by inserting a smaller tube (A Celstron 90mm IIRC) inside the TAL tube! An absolute dog of a scope... I did pick up another one that was in superb condition and it's a superb scope (since sold it on though) but I reckon your MN56 would best it at pretty much everything.

Tony..

Hi Tony

Yes I remember your first 100R and the problems, I think someone has a taken a hacksaw to this one so the focusser isn't sitting square.

Very pleased with the MN56, it came up 2 days after I'd sold my MN68. As brilliant as the scope was it was proving too much of a lump at 13 kilos! Bit of a struggle in the cold and dark.

cheers

Dave

[Whippy]

That's a shame Dave, they've probably shortened the tube so they can get certain EP's to focus (something I've never had a problem with) and made a hash of it .

Glad you like the 56, superb scopes .

Tony..

[crepitis]

great first light report Astro_Baby and I must confess I had a wee laugh to myself when I read

"ps scue rotten typing but I have been working almost 18 hours straight and my fingys are numb. "

[Stardust]

That's a shame Dave, they've probably shortened the tube so they can get certain EP's to focus (something I've never had a problem with) and made a hash of it .

Glad you like the 56, superb scopes .

Tony..

My mate is bringing it over tomorrow, I'll see if I can square the tube up for him. He wanted one for ages and now has something of a lemon, which is a real shame. Will check to see if has a tal diagonal and that might help.

The 56 is funny, you wouldn't give it a second glance in it's stippled grey finish, but you can't read a book by it's cover. You can't not like an intes once you looked through one.

[essex sky]

had my tal 100rs turned on mars last night

see my planetary post, took the power up to 250x with a 4mm ortho

with no break down in image quality.

mine is a early rs with the 2 inch r+p focuser

do all the latest ones come with crayfords

feel an upgrade coming on if they do:)

clear skies

lance

[AndyH]

had my tal 100rs turned on mars last night

see my planetary post, took the power up to 250x with a 4mm ortho

with no break down in image quality.

mine is a early rs with the 2 inch r+p focuser

do all the latest ones come with crayfords

feel an upgrade coming on if they do:)

clear skies

lance

Sounds like your skies were excellent!!

We(Tal User Social Group folks. see link in my sig line) think the 100RS's offered now, have this new improved 2" focuser.

I believe a new focuser could be bought direct from the factory(roughly £40), in Novosibirsk. I'm thinking of getting some bits and pieces from them. I'll ask if the new focuser is available and if it's a simple fit to the older RS models tube, if you want?

Cheers,

Andy

[essex sky]

thanks andy

that would be great , i would think it would be a straight swap for the old focuser, at worst perhaps new fixing holes would be needed.

does it have the same huge travel as the r+p version ?

cheers lance

[AndyH]

thanks andy

that would be great , i would think it would be a straight swap for the old focuser, at worst perhaps new fixing holes would be needed.

does it have the same huge travel as the r+p version ?

cheers lance

Astro_Baby mentions the following, a couple of pages back

" The drawtube when fully extended is 168mm long from the EP end to the housing. The 1.25" adapter adds an extra 20mm.

The large knurled ring is a focsuer rotation lock. You can slacken it off and rotate the focuser. It works ok but I havent assessed whether it puts much image shift on though I doubt it cos its rather solid.

If you undo the knurled ring all the way the whole focuser assembly drops out of the scope so its not like a limited twist lock.

The two small thumbscrews under the focuser are (1) front one nearest the tube is a focsu lock and (2) the one furthest from the tube is the Crayfords tension adjuster. You have to crank it in a bit to get the focuser to stiffen up enough to hang really heavy stuff from it. The tension contraol is quite primitive but it works well enough. On a slacker setting with lightweight EPs the Crayford is so smooth I couldnt believe how good it was. "

Hope that helps,

Andy.

[clarence]

Has anybody read the review comparing the Tal 100RS with the Tal 100R in the January 2010 issue of Astronomy Now? Neil English says that the Tal 100R's optics were better and he has mounted the old objective lens on the RS's tube. The 100RS is a great scope - I can still remember my first view of Saturn one Chrismas night many years ago - awesome.

A great scope and one I shall always keep.

clarence

Tal 100RS on EQ5

Carkl Zeiss 10x50 binos

[Astro_Baby]

TAL 100RS Second Light

As the TAL never got a chance to show its true mettle on its first light report heres an update.

Last last night the sky cleared and the TAL was packed and ready to go in expectation of a possible break in the weather.

The TAL was driven off to a nearby dark sky location and mounted on the HEQ5 rather than its own mount. This was because I wasnt sure how long the sky would remain clear and I wanted the fastest possible location of objects (alright I'm lying - I'm useless at finding things ok )

The HEQ5 was quickly set up and the TAL 100RS saddled up with the sky showing clear(ish) but with high altitude wispy cloud.

First target for the night was Saturn and what a sight it was. The TAL optics didn't didappoint and provided the sharpest view I have had to date which includes bigger reflectors and a WO of around 100mm. The planet snapped to focus even when the TAL was pushed to the extremes of magnification. With a 6.3mm TAL PLossl and a Sky-Watcher De-Luxe x2 Barlow giving magnification of x317 the planets rings were knife edge sharp. The image only deteriorated at 5mm with the same Barlow but in fairness that was with a Baader Hyperion 5mm which typically doesnt barlow well in anything I have used yet.

Saturn was stunning with knife edge disks and even a faint cloud band just underneath the rings - it may have been shadow from the rings but it was very hard to say.

What made this view so impressive was the fixed focus of the scope. Once in focus, without haze or tube currents it tended to stay solidly focused with no drift. Absolutely beautiful.

Second target was Mars - now running low in the western sky I was pretty sure that we would not get much of a view. Wrong ! The planet resolved easily into a perfect orb, small traces of contrast were seen and perhaps a polar cap. The planet was sinking fast into distant skyglow and it was hard to say. None the less the TAL showed its ability to pull a good view from quite tough conditions and once again the focus just snapped into place.

Sometimes with the 200 Reflector I find the perfect focus point can be a little variable - leading to a temptation to keep messing with the focuser to try and improve things. On the TAL it was obvious every time EXACTLY where the best focus was.

With the two planets nicely viewed it was showtime and a deep space tour - a quick view of M13 before the clouds started to obscure showed what I would have expected. The smaller aperture struggled with such an object. It MAY have been the clouds and I personally am keeping an open mind. Unfortunately from this point on the evening (actually wee small hours of Sunday) was somewhat hampered by constant high altitude cloud.

A look at Albireo produced two perfect dots of color and a very sharp view.

Across the 3 hours of use before the clouds arrived the magical TAL Crayford performed as well as ever, the finderscope is a joy and when mated with the HEQ5 to provide a more stable platform this scope was nothing less than a perfect experience. Smooth, effortless, easily within the HEQ5s load limits which when coupled with sharp optics and the solid focuser provided a stability of viewing that was wonderful.

The full review of the scope is now on my own site if you want to see pictures of the scope.

[nicnac]

thats a fine write up!

i want one, do i get one?

100RS or bins and a decent EP for my 150P, I fore see a few very ponderous days ahead

[John]

Thanks for the review(s) of the TAL100 AB

Sounds like a wonderful scope - no wonder the rumour went around that they were "semi-apo" when they first came out !.

The "snap" to sharp focus that you describe is something that confirms to me the fine optical quality.

I hope FLO are able to bring the new 5" TAL Apolar refractor to the SGL5 Star Party - with 4" achromats this good the prospect of a 6 element 5" is truly mouthwatering !.

I really wish I'd kept my 1999 TAL100RT