Tal 125 Apo

[John]

2 hours ago, Dave1 said:

Yes most of the details you've raised in this thread were detailed in your review and on other threads. Like I said John, I have read your review and every review going. The first example you received is the only one in the world to have been reported as being oval in shape, its also the only one to have been received with a broken lens, I doubt that it left the factory like that, as hard as that is to believe. I do think you where very unlucky in that regard, but it is not representative of Tal products in general. The reason Tal product disappeared from this shore is because the Chinese upped there quality of there optics and QC, that is a remark I was given directly from a retailer when I was thinking of buying one of the last brand new Tal 100 RS in stock in this country, that and the Chinese were doing it at a price Tal could not compete with if all of Tal designs are taken into consideration. Tal like all other Russian manufacturers were asked by the Russian military to make optics under contract, like Intes- Micro. Although Tal and Intes Micro always did make optics for the military, the amateur astronomy aspect of the business was only secondary.

OK Dave1 but when you see the way that the scope tube is made you will understand why I felt that the mishape was created during manufacture rather than during transit. My comments on dealer attitudes are based on 1st hand discussions as well.

I've taken up enough of your thread so I'll bow out with my fingers crossed for you but I will be very pleased if your TAL Apolar 125 turns out to be a very satisfying telescope to own and use.

Maybe I have been unlucky with review scopes - I had two Skywatcher ED150's sent to me for review and both were damaged in transit. Clearly North Somerset is not a safe place to send a telescope !

Edited December 27, 2021 by John

[Dave1]

@John I think you may of hit the nail on the head there, I think over long journey's down rough roads, or rough handing. Refractors do come out of alignment. I know nearly every refractor I've had I've had to collimate the lens.  The Skywatcher ED150 weren't the only 6" class ED doublet to suffer in early period of production, the LUNT / APM 152mm ED Doublet suffered similar issues in early production models.

[JeremyS]

48 minutes ago, Dave1 said:

I know nearly every refractor I've had I've had to collimate the lens.  

That’s extraordinary. How many are we talking about and were they new?

[Dave1]

5 not including the Tal 125 Apo, and all of them bought secondhand. I suspect some of them may of been mis-collimated even if the previous owner told me it was collimated, I had no way of checking before taking them home. But I can be extremely fussy when it comes to collimation.

[Carl Au]

I have owned a couple of TAL 100 refractors, an R and an RS. I have, like lots of other people a genuine affection for them. Getting hold of a 5 inch TAL refractor was the holy grail for a few of us 10 or 15 years ago, very rare and desirable. Part of the charm of a TAL was the somewhat agricultural build quality (I have also owned Russian shotguns and motorcycles and they are no different).  I remember the reviews from some of the folks who got a Apolar, very scary, I could lose sleep just thinking about it and I don’t recall anyone being delighted with their purchase to give me any confidence either. I am not a fan of SW although I have owned a ED120 and ED100, very good scopes with none of the charm of a TAL although they were obviously better scopes optically. I hope it works out for you, it would be amazing to have one in the community working to it’s optimal potential. It’s a risky project and the views of others on here are well worth taking into consideration.

Edited April 11, 2022 by Carl Au

[Carl Au]

On 27/12/2021 at 22:17, JeremyS said:

That’s extraordinary. How many are we talking about and were they new?

Interesting. I have owned almost exclusively refractors for 50 years, I have never had to collimate one.

[F15Rules]

Hi Dave,

Often wondered how your adventure with your Tal Apolar 125 went? Did it arrive intact?

Dave

Edited April 14, 2022 by F15Rules

[Dave1]

On 14/04/2022 at 06:40, F15Rules said:

Hi Dave,

Often wondered how your adventure with your Tal Apolar 125 went? Did it arrive intact?

Dave

Hi Dave,

Sorry about the late reply. In the end because of the issues I had read about about the Tal125 Apolar I checked out and cancelled the order. So it never arrived. I do wonder if that was a mistake.