skymax 127 supatrack or tal199rs

[chazbear]

hellow again

once again i wish thank all to spent time replying to my questions.

but this is it... crunch time.....my final choice is between two scopes the skywatcher 127 supatrack mak or the tal 100rs refractor both are good in the fields i require planets clusters and double stars...for portability the mak would win hands down...but i would like some opinions from all you out there WHICH ONE IS THE BETTER:icon_scratch:

regards

chazbear

[John]

Performance-wise it would be a close call I think so other factors such as portability and tracking might sway it towards the Mak 127. The additional aperture would also help a bit with fainter DSO's although these are not a priority for you.

Having owned both in the past I would probably go for the 127mm mak on balance. Nothing wrong with the TAL100 though - it's cool down time would be quicker than the Mak.

It will be interesting to see how others call this one - it might be quite equally balanced !

John

[Whippy]

Like John has already mentioned, I reckon they're pretty close in performance and they're both great scopes. If you're keeping your scope somewhere close to the ambient temperature such as a shed or garage then cooldown isn't an issue.

Have to ask, what mount are you putting the TAL on? If the TAL is on a non-motorised mount, then it's another plus point for the Mak-Cass. But you'll probably have to buy somekind of dew prevention (dew shield/heated dew strap/hairdryer) for it as the meniscus will get coated in dew at the fist sign of moisture in the air.

I think either one would serve you well. I really like TAL kit but it's hard to argue against the Mak.

Tony..

[Doc]

I have never owned a Mak before but do have the Tal 100r same scope except the RS has a 2" focuser.

It's really good at splitting double stars and gives fantastic views of planets.

Also colour correction is very good in the TAL. Sturdy mount and the tripod is very nice indeed. Setting circles are bit of a dissapointment but then at this size most are.

Finder is brilliant, it has a helicoil mechanism and crosshairs.

Hope this helps.

[dweller25]

Hmmmm - good choice.

The Tal has a 1000mm tube so you will get some focus wobble, however it will cool down very quickly, has an unobstructed light path so will be very sharp and you should never need to worry about collimation. It will have some chromatic abberation (purple halo around bright objects).

I have a Skymax 127, contrast is not quite as good as in my 4" refractor. Cool down can take some time and it needs the occasional touch up with collimation. It is VERY stable when focusing on my EQ mount and is very sharp.

Overall the refractor would be my choice but I don't think you would go wrong with either (or both )

[PaulG]

Mmmm

Well I went through the same questioning myself and went for the Mak.

The Mak has a longer focal length at 1500 which is longer than the 150mm F8 refractor. The Mak is very portable and takes up very little space and only requires a small mount.

Now that I have the Mak I'm always left wondering if a refractor would give me a nice crisp contrasty view that tops the Mak.

So with this nagging thought in the back of my head I may be buying a 120mm ~ 1000mm refractor soon just to compare.

The downside to this is that the refractor takes up more room and will require a decent mount.

At the moment I can pick up the Mak fully mounted and walk outside with it really easily, try that with a big refractor.

Paul ~ the avid Moon squizer

[philsail1]

I had the TAL100RS. It is a lovely "traditional" 4" refractor. (I reluctantly sold mine). When the original TAL100R came out in the late sixties (I think!) it was one of the few "Good" telescopes around at the time - especially for the price. Now however, there are many, many different excellent telescopes around,many of which do have the edge on the old TAL. If you are a "traditionalist," the TAL100RS would be an excellent scope to keep for all time. It does give very nice crisp views. Very little (if any colour fringing). It is a lovely scope to look at, and use.

I have a small 90mm Skywatcher Maksutov. This is very light and portable. Gives excellent crisp views of the planets, and some deep sky objects. The 127mm should be that much better - without being that much less portable.

On balance therefore, I would tend to go for the 127mm Skywatcher on the Supatrack mount. Yes, there are issues with "dewing" up on cold nights, but this is a small price to pay for what is an excellent scope - and very good value for the money. It will give you a lifetime of pleasure.

Best wishes,

philsail1

[AlexG]

I have the Skymax 127 Supatrack but have looked through the Tal and know that it is a fine telescope.

I think your decision will come down to usability and portability. Are your home skies good enough or might you need to put the telescope in a car and travel to a dark site? Have you got somewhere to keep the Tal which will mean you can nip out and use it for half hour or so before it starts raining? Only you can answer those questions.

I know that I can pop the Mak in the car when we got for a family trip without it taking over the boot, and I can set it up in ten minutes or so to look at Saturn before another shoal of clouds roll over!

AG

[roberte76]

I have the mak and would just like to say on items like planets and the moon it is superb,clusters are also excellent,I have been very please with this compact portable scope .