Skywatcher/TAL Tube Rings & Dovetails?

[twotter]

I have a Skywatcher 200P Skyliner dob & a TAL100R on a TAL eq mount and wooden tripod, and I'm thinking of getting a HEQ5 Pro to enjoy some goto visual wonders!

I'd like to check my understanding of which tube rings & dovetail I need to mount my telescopes onto the prospective new mount. Unless I'm being totally dense that works out to me to be:

200P - 235mm tube rings + long (33.5cm) Skywatcher dovetail.

TAL - 116mm tube rings & medium (21cm) Skywatcher dovetail.

That seems to make sense doesn't it?

[AndyH]

The Tal 100 frac uses 103 -105mm I/D tube rings. I think the older 100's with alu tube have a slighty smaller O/D than the newer rolled steel ones. Not 100% certain, but it does ring a bell.

If you're having probs sourcing rings, then some nice thick leather, is a great way of packing over sized rings. At least, that's what I've found with a couple of my scopes, I've needed to do this to.

Andy.

[brantuk]

I agree with Andy on the Tal rings - I'm picking up some CNC machined 105mm rings next weekend - ready lined with leather - for my Tal 100RS which has 102mm outside diameter. They were a pain to find s/h but it was a matter of waiting patiently for a few weeks till they came up.

[twotter]

Thanks gents!

Should be an interesting conversation with Mrs Twotter....'I'm looking for some leather, love.....!!!'

[AndyH]

Your mission, should you choose to accept it - Have a look through her 'accessory' drawer/cupboard. Look for a 5mm thick leather belt.

I did not say this. This message shall self destruct in 30 seconds.

[nightfisher]

Your mission, should you choose to accept it - Have a look through her 'accessory' drawer/cupboard. Look for a 5mm thick leather belt.

I did not say this. This message shall self destruct in 30 seconds.

BOOM! Yes the tube rings need to be 103mm min, i had some skywatcher 101mm rings machined out to fit the tal, to mount a large super finder

[Qualia]

Always thought these rings would look smart with the Tal 100rs.

[nightfisher]

have to say i find the stock Tal rings to be very good

[twotter]

I think I

have to say i find the stock Tal rings to be very good

I agree and have no complaints with them.

Having thought a bit more about all this I think I may have been getting ahead of myself. To mount my Russian beauty (ahem) on a Skywatcher mount all I need to do is buy a Skywatcher dovetail and tighten the tube ring mounting lugs (the ones underneath the rings which currently fit to the TAL mount) through it???

<Scratches head>

[nightfisher]

Yep thats about it

[twotter]

Thanks.

I have a 'talent' for overthinking things!

[TonyD]

200P - 235mm tube rings + long (33.5cm) Skywatcher dovetail.

TAL - 116mm tube rings & medium (21cm) Skywatcher dovetail.

I'm getting conflicting information on different message boards. Somewhere else (can't remember where) I saw that TAL 100RS should be mounted with the 33.5cm dovetail. Presumably that gives better stability?

So what should I go for, the 21cm or the 33.5cm dovetail?

I'm mounting on a Skywatcher HEQ5 Syntrek (yeah! got it all back with me now! yippeeee!)

Tony

[twotter]

I read different opinions too but after measuring the TAL mount I bought a 21.5cm medium dovetail as I thought it was closest to the existing set up. Anyway my 100R is nice and stable on the AZ4

[TonyD]

Ta Twotter

[brantuk]

"Always thought these rings would look smart with the Tal 100rs."

Those were the ones I got s/h. They look champion

[russ.will]

Thanks gents!

Should be an interesting conversation with Mrs Twotter....'I'm looking for some leather, love.....!!!'

It's marginally better than the conversation I had with Mrs Williams when experimenting with shrouds - "Oi! Peaches, I want some spandex..."

Russell

[russ.will]

"Always thought these rings would look smart with the Tal 100rs."

Those were the ones I got s/h. They look champion

I had something similar on a WO ZS80II and they are very good. The real leap in rigidity was in dumping the standard SW dovetail and using one to the WO 'style' plates that allows you to bolt the rings at the ends rather than in the centre. It wa super rigid and damped telescope vibration much more quickly tham the flexy SW item. It was probably overkill for a short frac, but I bought one of the long ones for my 200p (on HEQ5) and then olted the standard SW Item across the top of the rings for a it of extra bracing. The difference was staggering, even for visual use.

Russell