I have a bino friendly TALwatcher

[Saganite]

A few years ago I bought an ED100 for, I think ,£50 the objective of which was ruined ( the severley damaged internal lens of the doublet I showed a few months ago on the forum ). At the time I was about to sell my own ED100 but wanted to keep the Moonlite focuser , so a quick swap with the 2 speed unit from the damaged scope and away it went. The remains of the damaged scope sat in my parts cupboard for some time until a very generous stargazer with whom I traded, gave me FOC a Tal doublet, which also has sat in my parts cupboard.  The Tal being f 10 and ED tube being for an f 9 meant that I had what amounted to a cut down tube ready for native focus binoviewing, so I assembled it complete with a Skywatcher single speed focuser, perfect for the job, having miles of focuser travel, which I also had, and it all worked as it should......well , almost.

The doublet fitted nicely in the Skywatcher cell although I managed to make a mess of it, and despite trying several rearrangements of the glass I could not seem to obtain a perfect image, so I took it to Es Reid, who performed his magic,  cleaned and assembled it perfectly, pronounced it a typically good quality Russian Objective, and sent it back.

In the  interim, I stripped the single speed focuser, 'nibbed' it, primed, and sprayed it, and had the tube and dew shield powder coated at the Company with whom I traded a great deal before my retirement.  They made a superb job of it, and all I needed to do was reassemble and ad some red coach striping.  The dust cap by a supreme stroke of luck, was made from a tin which has held picture frame hooks for at least twenty years and after etch priming and spraying with the same white aerosol, needed just a bit of felt inside to make it a snug fit.  The result is I think , a fine looking scope which works superbly, and all at an absolute minimum of cost. 

What appeals with this pairing is having the use of binoviewers and single eyepiece options in the Vixen , for tight double star splitting without having to change anything.

Thanks for reading.

Edited August 1, 2021 by Saganite

[Stu]

Looks absolutely fabulous Dave! Look forward to hearing how it performs, should be fun 👍👍

[Saganite]

Thanks Stu.......its Steve BTW...🤣

[Stu]

18 minutes ago, Saganite said:

Thanks Stu.......its Steve BTW...🤣

Of course, sorry Steve! I was thinking that f15rules was the one who posted! Too much going on here at the moment 🤪🤪

[Saganite]

No worries Stu.  It is probably because I am always reminding everyone that two of my now four refractors came from Dave.....

[RobertI]

What a great looking scope Steve and a genius idea, I might keep an eye out for a mangled ED100 to convert my Tal - it’s a great scope but the in-focus is so shallow that I can’t even use my 2” diagonal. Happy binoviewing!

[F15Rules]

That's a lovely restoration/creation Steve, just looks the business!

I will watch with great interest for your first light thoughts..

Where would we be without Es Reid and his magic, eh??👍

On 01/08/2021 at 20:10, Stu said:

Looks absolutely fabulous Dave! Look forward to hearing how it performs, should be fun 👍👍

...that's what a combination of moving house and keeping count of Johns' posts does to you Steve, oops, STU!!😂🤣😂

Steve..sorry, Dave🥴😊

[wookie1965]

1 hour ago, RobertI said:

What a great looking scope Steve and a genius idea, I might keep an eye out for a mangled ED100 to convert my Tal - it’s a great scope but the in-focus is so shallow that I can’t even use my 2” diagonal. Happy binoviewing!

I was the same with my Tal 100rs but I bought this and a little modification I now have enough inward travel at least 8mm more than I did easily takes a 4mm with some to spare. 

[Saganite]

On 04/08/2021 at 19:52, RobertI said:

What a great looking scope Steve and a genius idea, I might keep an eye out for a mangled ED100 to convert my Tal - it’s a great scope but the in-focus is so shallow that I can’t even use my 2” diagonal. Happy binoviewing!

Hi Rob,

Thanks for the interest.

 I thought it was a good idea. It is a very good TAL doublet so will work well.  Thanks to the appalling weather I am yet to try it out, but it will be compared to the Vixen ED103 sitting alongside, as soon as the opportunity arises.  The binoviewers work at native focus as expected, that I can confirm....

[Saganite]

On 04/08/2021 at 21:06, F15Rules said:

That's a lovely restoration/creation Steve, just looks the business!

I will watch with great interest for your first light thoughts..

Where would we be without Es Reid and his magic, eh??👍

...that's what a combination of moving house and keeping count of Johns' posts does to you Steve, oops, STU!!😂🤣😂

Steve..sorry, Dave🥴😊

Hi Dave,

 

Sorry I have taken so long replying, but I have been on  holiday recently.

I appreciate your interest and approbation, as always.  Made from spare parts, it does look good and even better, it works very well !

I am in the middle of another and more exciting refurb/restoration, as you well know !

Practically a skip find, very long focus refractor of local heritage, begging to be compared with my beloved Andromeda once finished, the results of which you will be the first to know......

Edited August 20, 2021 by Saganite

[AdeKing]

This is a great idea Steve, I've been toying with the idea of getting the tube of the TAL 100RS I got from Dave (@F15Rules) earlier this year shortened by a local company but get it done in a way that the tube length can be restored,, but haven't yet got around to it.

Like @RobertI I shall also be on the lookout for a mangled ED100 or another 100 mm f/9 to follow your lead.

Ade

 

[Saganite]

2 minutes ago, AdeKing said:

This is a great idea Steve, I've been toying with the idea of getting the tube of the TAL 100RS I got from Dave (@F15Rules) earlier this year shortened by a local company but get it done in a way that the tube length can be restored,, but haven't yet got around to it.

Like @RobertI I shall also be on the lookout for a mangled ED100 or another 100 mm f/9 to follow your lead.

Ade

 

Cheers Ade,

If you can it certainly is an easier option, but in my case it all fell into place long before I even thought about it.....

[F15Rules]

Steve, 

Will you be fitting either of your custom scopes with a handle?

Dave

 

[Saganite]

6 minutes ago, F15Rules said:

Steve, 

Will you be fitting either of your custom scopes with a handle?

Dave

 

Er.......No, 

That honour is reserved for Andromeda...

She is special, I can easily handle the others.

Edited August 20, 2021 by Saganite

[AdeKing]

Absolutely Dave, surely you know by now that I'm a fully subscribed member of the Scope Handle Appreciation Society founded by John Handleby (@johninderby).

Ade

[jock1958]

On 01/08/2021 at 21:08, Saganite said:

Thanks Stu.......its Steve BTW...🤣

Ha ha reminded me of Trig always calling Rodney...Dave in Only Fools & Horses 🤣

Edited August 20, 2021 by jock1958

[AdeKing]

36 minutes ago, Saganite said:

Cheers Ade,

If you can it certainly is an easier option, but in my case it all fell into place long before I even thought about it.....

Yes, reading your thread, everything seems to have fallen nicely into place Steve.

I'm only half considering getting it done really as it involves effort and expense, but never say never.

Ade

[Saganite]

1 hour ago, jock1958 said:

Ha ha reminded me of Trig always called Rodney...Dave in Only Fools & Horses 🤣

Oh dear , I hope that doesn't happen...

[Stu]

11 minutes ago, Saganite said:

Oh dear , I hope that doesn't happen...

Me too Dave…

[F15Rules]

..and me too!

Rodney...

[Saganite]

Now I am confused......who am I....

Edited August 20, 2021 by Saganite

[Saganite]

5 minutes ago, Saganite said:

Now I am confused......who am I....

 

1 hour ago, F15Rules said:

..and me too!

Rodney...