Tal Alcor

[BuzzBomb]

I recently purchased a nice little Tal Alcor for my son from a website for our area. Not bad £25.

My son is 6 and we've used it on the moon so far. He loves it and it gives nice sharp images.

Just looking for a little bit of advice/help if possible please?

First off I took it out of the lovely pine case in a rush to put together, but forgot to note which bit went where and now I can't put it back!

Secondly, the foam in the box has degenerated and stuck to the OTA, mount etc. It is incredibly sticky and gets all over our hands. Any ideas how to remove please? The scope is dated 1994 on the box.

Lastly, the primary has no centre doughnut. I can climate by eye and with a laser, but is there a method of making sure it is really accurate or do I need to add a doughnut? If the latter does anywhere sell them?

Thanks in advance.

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[swamp thing]

You could try one of these:

http://www.amazon.co...sl_2uat3zl1je_b

I used a self adhesive washer on my homemade Dob, to mark the middle. You can buy these from any stationers

http://www.play.com/...67|prd:23723967

Sorry! But no idea how it fits in the box

[AndyH]

Oooh. Luverly!

I have a really old version. Battleship grey and with a threaded together pillar. It has a fitted out case, polystyrene free. I've got a few pics in here.....

If you or someone you know has the tools and could make the shaped wooden inserts, you could convert your case. I could take down the sizes and positions etc.

Have you tried wiping the gunk off with white spirit soaked cloth?

As for collimation, I just use the spacer tube to help position my eye and collimate that way. Final primary adjustment done with tweeks of the screws on a bright star. I have considered getting a tiny .94" collimation cap made up to help.

[AndyH]

My dad had one with the polystyrene inserts.

All I can remember was the cast base went underneath. The rest? Urgh, can't remember

[BuzzBomb]

Thanks everyone.

Andy, your link leads to a thread about Stephen's Quintet?

Silly question, but I assume I just measure across the mirror's diameter to find the centre?

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[BuzzBomb]

Can anyone help with the centre spot query please?

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[AndyH]

Hi.

Sorry must have missed that bit in your original question.

The secondary is very very small on the alcor, so rather than stick a doughnut on the primary, I simply centre spotted mine with a 'magic marker'. I traced out a paper templet with a compass n pencil, cut it out & poked through the hole to open it out a bit more.

Andy.

ps: the link works for me, but you could use the link in my sig line and have a hunt in there.

[BuzzBomb]

Thanks Andy. Good idea!

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[swamp thing]

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Can anyone help with the centre spot query please?

1350123506[/url'>' post='1668002']

I used a self adhesive washer on my homemade Dob, to mark the middle. You can buy these from any stationers

http://www.play.com/...67|prd:23723967

To find the centre of your primary draw around it onto a piece of paper, cut this out then fold in half twice. Open this back out and you'll have a folded mark exactly in the centre. Poke a hole in here then you can mark mirror dead centre with a sharpie (as Andy suggests ) you can then place your self adhesive washer around this mark. Job done.

[BuzzBomb]

Ahh, simples (I watch too many adverts!)

Thank you all.

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