TAL TELESCOPES

[phil bod]

Hi Ive just signed up to this site so forgive me please if I get things in the wrong place Im sure I will find my way around soon...I just bought three Tal Telescopes them old tanks made in russia Ive always been a tal fan ..I got the Tal 1 4.5 dia...the tal 2 150 dia reflectors and today complete in the old beech plywood  box a Tal 100r refractor all of them complete with lense and filters...any advice on the best use  will be appreciated also the tal 100r focuser works but pops out if you wind it to the end any tips on how to repair this to get me started or were I could get or find a replacent...bit worried about using it as it might slip my mind and forget it pops out and drop it on the floor .....many thanks in advance for reading and any help will be appreciated thanks from Phil bod

[Geoff Barnes]

Wow, what an entry to SGL Phil. !

How did you come across these old classics? Can you post some photos of them?

Welcome to the forum! ?

[John]

Hi and welcome to the forum Phil

I've owned a TAL 100 RT (the very early ones) and that had the same issue with the focuser. I never really did find a way around it to be honest - I was just careful when I racked out the focus.

Great scopes optically and robustly made if a little quirky here and there. Hope you have a lot of fun with them.

[jock1958]

Welcome to SGL Phil, I owned a Tal 1 many years ago and had some wonderful views with it and this led me to acquire a Tal 100RS, unfortunately it was damaged in transit by clumsy couriers.

I’ve tried my best to restore it to original condition but it’s not quite there.

The later upgraded focuser on my 100 RS was by no means perfect and needed quite a bit of fettling, also I haven’t sorted the collimation to my liking, apart from that it has delivered some very crisp views of the moon, planets and large nebulae (M42 etc)

You will find quite a bit about Tal’s on this forum and I’m sure some of the die hard Tal fans will be along shortly to advise you further 

[Stu]

Welcome to the forum Phil. I can't help with the focuser question, I just wanted to say I've got the baby brother to your Tak 1, the TAL Alkor which is a 65mm Newt. As with all TALs it is built like a tank and the optics are lovely. Amazing what you can see for such a tiny scope.

Enjoy your scopes and enjoy the forum. If ever you post something in the wrong place, just pm a mod and we will move it for you.

[Floater]

Welcome. Have fun with your scopes.

[SIDO]

Wow, nice scopes indeed...Best of Luck with the new kit and those needed Clear Skies ?

                     Freddie...

[dweller25]

Hello and welcome to SGL

There are many people of this site who have owned Tal scopes so you will get plenty of advice.

In the past I have owned the 100RS and 125R refractors, both nice scopes.

Hope you get some clear skies soon to use them.......

[Roy Challen]

Hi Phil, welcome to SGL. Nice collection of Tals you have! With regards to the focuser, if I recall correctly, it is a rack and pinion with a short amount of travel. You could fashion some kind of stop block at maximum focuser travel. This would be at the the end of the rack part of the focuser, it's a bit difficult to describe accurately without having one in front of me. Be aware of limiting travel even further though, on what is already a very short travel focuser. 

Or just be careful when focusing! Either way, enjoy! Hope that is of some help.

Edit: Just remembered that the rack runs in a channel (I think), so a stop block wouldn't work. Maybe a grub screw fitted right at the end of the rack would prevent any further rotation of the pinion?

[Alfian]

Hi Phil and welcome to the forum. I've had a Tal1 and I've just acquired a 100R. I've not examined the 100R focuser in any detail yet (ie not dismantled it, but there's time yet!) but outwardly it looks very similar to the Tal 1 item. I did a big refurb' job on the Tal 1 and have dug out a photo. It shows the stop on the end of the rack with a countersunk brass screw that holds the rack in place and as Roy pointed out this runs in a channel as can be seen.  From memory I think its the same at the other end. I have just checked the 100R and it does indeed look very similar. Given that the stop is cast into the rack I doubt that it has broken off and I cant think why anyone would remove it. I can't just recall what the stop is restricted by and it could be simply a grub screw or something similar that's missing. @AndyH is a fount of knowledge on all things Tal so perhaps he will look in and help out, if not I doubt if he would mind a PM asking for an opinion. Good luck with the Tal100r and hope it all works out.

[dweller25]

I would put an extension tube in the rear of the focuser which would reduce the the need to rack out as much.

[wookie1965]

I have the Tal 100rs fantastic scope brilliant on planets the moon and double stars.

Welcome to SGL and the Tal club.