Tal 100r owners review

[Trevor PC]

Hello All 

As always many thanks for any members who respond.

I have just bought a  Tal 100r and though there seems to be many Tal 100rs reviews there seems to be very few for the 100r.

So any reviews on the scope would be greatly appreciated from those that own one, or did in the past.

Trevor

 

 

 

[Trevor PC]

Hello All 

In didn't realize what a rare telescope the Tal 100r is, and secondly how few must have been sold and still in use.

So its time to close  this thread, wait for mine to arrive  and eventually write a review myself

Trevor 

[dweller25]

I’m sure someone will come along soon with thoughts on their TAL 100R.

Slightly off topic but to keep you entertained here is my TAL 125R……

 

[markse68]

7 minutes ago, dweller25 said:

I’m sure someone will come along soon with thoughts on their TAL 100R.

Slightly off topic but to keep you entertained here is my TAL 125R……

 

Is that the Apo Dweller? How is it? Did you struggle collimating it?

Mark

[Trevor PC]

Hello Dweller 

As always many thanks for responding.

It's a great looking scope, and quite rare I understand.

Have you had it from new and what are your thoughts on it, the good and not so good?

Trevor 

 

[dweller25]

32 minutes ago, markse68 said:

Is that the Apo Dweller? How is it? Did you struggle collimating it?

Mark

No it’s the original achromat.

[SpookyKatt]

I've had two Tal 100R's in the past, both with their wooden tripods, they were nice scopes and while its been a while since I owned them I
have to say they always impressed me optically.

One 100R was the older variety with an obvious purple coated lens and metal dewshield (and complete in its large coffin like box) whereas 
the second had slightly more greenish optics as I recall and a plastic dewshield.  They both performed similarily though and both gave very pleasing views
albeit with some obvious achrochromatic fringing on bright targets like jupiter and the moon. 

Whilst they both had the usual industrial build quality the older one actually seemed to have a better more refined build quality, whereas the newer
model felt a bit more like it came off a production line.

There are a few frustrating things about the older 100R's in my opinion, while I thought the diaganol was good and loved the fact that you can colimate it,
the travel was always I felt a limitation (true in the 200K as well) and the flange fitting was a bit annoying but it was a scope of its time I guess. Ironically
travel can also be an issue with the mount when using the slow motion controls.  

On the whole though there's really something quite nice about using a long refractor like a Tal 100R on its tripod, sometimes I'd still like to have one sitting about so that I can quickly look at the moon.  They certainly have their own personality and they don't feel like a clone telescope thats for sure, I am sure you will enjoy yours when it arrives.

Kathleen
 

Edited July 10, 2022 by SpookyKatt

[dweller25]

32 minutes ago, Trevor PC said:

Hello Dweller 

As always many thanks for responding.

It's a great looking scope, and quite rare I understand.

Have you had it from new and what are your thoughts on it, the good and not so good?

Trevor 

 

I really liked it but eventually the chromatic aberration became an issue (for me) so I sold it 😱

Edited July 10, 2022 by dweller25

[Trevor PC]

Hello Kathleen 

As always many thanks for responding. 

How long did you own it and did you just use the supplied TAL eyepieces or other makes. 

Did you use a barlow with it and was this a TAL or another make. 

I have read a few reviews that mention stray light around the baffles did yours suffer from this, and did it make a difference in use. 

I do like the look of the diagonal and it's locking system I have read it stops you using other makes of diagonals.

I really appreciate discussing the scope with someone who has owned one and has views on it. 

As always many thanks for your assistance. 

Trevor 

 

[SpookyKatt]

Hi Trevor,

Well I owned both 100R's for a few years, I just checked and the newer one I owned for
at least 4 years and the older one closer to 11 years i think, although it spent the last few years forgotten
in its box as I was spending more and more time trying to get my imaging working in between the clouds.

I did indeed use the Tal Plossls with the scope and quite liked them if I am honest, I had a Tal 30mm erfle as
well I think it was but i didn't get on with that I must confess.  i also used the Tal barlow's, both the x2 and a
x3, they both worked well but the x3 was a little much as I recall.  It might have worked better on a different mount
to further reduce vibrations etc so I mainly used the x2.

To be honest if you use longer screws you can use other diagonals with the scope, but i didn't feel the need to
as I thought the Tal diagonal was good.  A few of the Tal scopes had a flange fitting for the diaganol, perhaps it is a
bit of a safety feature so if the screws slightly loosen the diagnol won't just fall out, more rotate round. i'm sure
the metal must contract quite abit on those cold siberian nights.

I used to have some pictures of this but don't know where they are at the moment but yes there were gaps round
the baffles making stray light possible, especially on bright targets.  This was one of the differences though I really
noticed between the two scopes. 

As I said the older scope had a better build quality and you could really see it looking at the baffles, they
let in very little light round the baffles and they were much better made and fitted.  The newer model, not
so much.  I actually took the lens cell and focuser off and put some flocking on the inside to cut down on the
stray light effects before the first baffle and after the last baffle I think it was.  The scopes were just finished different
though, I'm kind of feeling a little sad now I let that older model go, but I am sure its getting much more use now. 

 Kathleen  

Edited July 10, 2022 by SpookyKatt