What did the postman bring?

[Stu]

8 hours ago, John said:

Ah, the TAL 100 R - brings back memories for me - I bought a new one back in 1999

The earliest ones had metal dew shields though. I think yours is a 2nd generation one perhaps Stu ?

 

 

Probably true John, any idea how I would find out the year based on the serial number?

The internal baffling is not the best so I may see what can be done to improve that a little, probably just with a little flocking material. Hopefully it will focus with the Tak prism which has a short light path. I may try to source a TAL diagonal at some point.

[CraigT82]

8 hours ago, Stu said:

now have the Genesis at f5, Tak at f7.4, FL102S at f8.8 and the TAL at f10, hopefully at some point I will get round to having some fun comparing them all!

Lovely set... why stop at f10?! Would only be fair to get in one of the 102 f11s too and perhaps you can convince johninderby to see you his f13 carton! 🤷‍♂️

[Stu]

6 minutes ago, CraigT82 said:

Lovely set... why stop at f10?! Would only be fair to get in one of the 102 f11s too and perhaps you can convince johninderby to see you his f13 carton! 🤷‍♂️

Don't tempt me!! Fortunately budget will stop me here for the moment, although I have always fancied trying one of the 102 f11s......

[Alan White]

@Stu I see the equipment drought is truly over and you are acquiring a true bounty of fine optics.

I look forward to your 4” festival.

[JOC]

12 hours ago, DeepSkyMan said:

Starbase makes landfall in Slamannan Scotland

Been after one of these for a while now.  Sometimes you can get taken in by marketing hype, especially in the Astro market place, but this baby lives up to all the hype and then some.  Just need to sort out an adapter plate for the Sphinx now😀

 

That's a stonking tripod - looks like a Mars lander!!

[johninderby]

28 minutes ago, CraigT82 said:

Lovely set... why stop at f10?! Would only be fair to get in one of the 102 f11s too and perhaps you can convince johninderby to see you his f13 carton! 🤷‍♂️

 

[John]

1 hour ago, Stu said:

Probably true John, any idea how I would find out the year based on the serial number?

The internal baffling is not the best so I may see what can be done to improve that a little, probably just with a little flocking material. Hopefully it will focus with the Tak prism which has a short light path. I may try to source a TAL diagonal at some point.

The baffling can be improved - I think Astro Baby might have covered this at sometime ?

I don't know how the serial numbers work with TAL's. With my 1999 one a serial number was etched into the back plate of the diagonal and printed on the instruction manual but diagonals get changed over time of course.

My scope had a shorter (than yours) metal dew shield and the diagonal fitted into the draw tube with a flared collar cast into the diagonal barrel. No stickers on my scope either.

I think yours is a 2nd gen scope that came out a year or two after. The optics will be the same as 1st gen (purple coatings ?) and the short focusser / finder is the same.

Mine was the TAL 100 RT.

 

 

[Stu]

28 minutes ago, John said:

The baffling can be improved - I think Astro Baby might have covered this at sometime ?

I don't know how the serial numbers work with TAL's. With my 1999 one a serial number was etched into the back plate of the diagonal and printed on the instruction manual but diagonals get changed over time of course.

My scope had a shorter (than yours) metal dew shield and the diagonal fitted into the draw tube with a flared collar cast into the diagonal barrel. No stickers on my scope either.

I think yours is a 2nd gen scope that came out a year or two after. The optics will be the same as 1st gen (purple coatings ?) and the short focusser / finder is the same.

Mine was the TAL 100 RT.

 

 

Thanks John. That's makes sense. The serial number is on the finder on this one so again may not even be original. Not to worry, it has the purple coated optics I have been wanting to try out. The focuser seems functional enough if I can get it to come to focuser with my prism.

[Stu]

2 hours ago, Alan White said:

@Stu I see the equipment drought is truly over and you are acquiring a true bounty of fine optics.

I look forward to your 4” festival.

Hmm, it seems that way Alan! Sure it will go through another cycle again at some point! 🤣🤣

I'm still heavily cash positive currently though which is the main thing!!

[jock1958]

2 hours ago, Stu said:

Probably true John, any idea how I would find out the year based on the serial number?

The internal baffling is not the best so I may see what can be done to improve that a little, probably just with a little flocking material. Hopefully it will focus with the Tak prism which has a short light path. I may try to source a TAL diagonal at some point.

Hi Stu on my TAL 100RS the only thing I have is a small sticker with serial number & year of manufacture on the finder bracket. Did it come in the original TAL crate? Might be something on there?
From memory my TAL 1 had year of manufacture hand written on the original documents and instructions for use, 1996?

[Stu]

Thanks @jock1958 mine is the same, S/N 795. Didn't come with the crate, probably just as well as I've nowhere to store it!

[DaveL59]

Sadly my sticker is worn to just white, but the handbook does have the Serial 0985 and date 17 Dec 2003, unfortunately came on a plinth in a cardboard box rather than the full crate

[jock1958]

7 minutes ago, Stu said:

Thanks @jock1958 mine is the same, S/N 795. Didn't come with the crate, probably just as well as I've nowhere to store it!

Yeh my TAL 1 came in a big wooden crate my 100RS came in large cardboard box attached to a wooden plank. 11 on finder bracket denotes year 2011 

[John]

I'd completely forgotten that I did own a second TAL 100 R back in 2015. That one looks like yours Stu:

 

[david_taurus83]

 

A dishwasher heat pump...

How is this astronomy related, I hear you cry? Well, I should have received and proudly displayed an Astronomik clip in filter for my 6D but have had to cancel that order due to this unexpected expense 🤨

[John]

lovely looking pump though ...... 

[david_taurus83]

12 minutes ago, John said:

lovely looking pump though ...... 

Indeed! All fixed now and I dont have to wash the dishes again. Dishwasher in a busy household with young children is literally the best, time saving domestic appliance I have ever bought!

[Davey-T]

12 minutes ago, david_taurus83 said:

Indeed! All fixed now and I dont have to wash the dishes again. Dishwasher in a busy household with young children is literally the best, time saving domestic appliance I have ever bought!

Good job David, well done on fixing it and actually getting the right part 😂

PS: still looking for PS disc, I have found the empty case 

Dave

[Gina]

That sounds like me 🤣   I bought a batch of very small drill bits a few days ago and can I find them now I want them??  No way!!  😡

[Dark Vader]

Just got some very nice used Strathspey 10x50 Marine bins for around half the price new. Now waiting on the clouds to do one!! 🙄

[Stu]

1 hour ago, John said:

I'd completely forgotten that I did own a second TAL 100 R back in 2015. That one looks like yours Stu:

 

Ah yes, so it does. Do you know what year that was made John?

Out of interest, I see you had the finder bracket mounted so it was angled back. When I tried this i found it very awkward to get my eye behind it next to the eyepiece, so I switched it round and it is a little easier to get to now. No idea if that is right or wrong, but seems to work.

[Captain Scarlet]

17 minutes ago, Stu said:

... i found it very awkward to get my eye behind it next to the eyepiece, so I switched it round ...

I just tried that and it doesn’t seem to work, something’s wrong...

 

[Steve Clay]

My new EQ5 riser for my setup.

 

[John]

1 hour ago, Stu said:

Ah yes, so it does. Do you know what year that was made John?

 

May 2001 it said in the instruction manual.

 

[Stu]

15 minutes ago, John said:

May 2001 it said in the instruction 

Thanks John. I guess that puts mine somewhere 2002 or 3.