Tal Alkor

[TheThing]

Does anyone know anything about these scopes at all?

A quick google suggests they are the same as the Tal-1, with the usual 'bullet proof' build and fine optics that Tal are renowned for.

[essex sky]

i thought the alkor was a 65mm reflector

don't quote me on that though.

lance

[FLO]

I think the Tal Alkor has a smaller aperture than the Tal-1, 65mm if I remember.

<edit> Lance beat me to it

[John]

I've just found it in the 1993 Broadhurst, Clarkson & Fuller "Bookalogue" (how sad is that !). It is indeed a 65mm newtonian. Focal ratio F/7.7. From the notes that go with it Dudley Fuller seemed rather impressed by the standard of engineering, albeit on a small scale.

[Astro_Baby]

It also has a weird finder I recall where the finder and the scope share the same eyepiece and it has a kind of flip mirror or maybe a prism so you use the same EP for both the scope and finder.

One was on ebay recently I seem to recall.

[AndyH]

I've got one in battleship gray. Pics in me folder.

The Alcor is the smallest scope and the first that Tal brought out.

65mm F7.7

Lovely wee scope in a fitted baltic birchwood case. My dads got one too.

Here's a list of the scopes Tal make. Teleskope

Andy.

[AndyH]

It also has a weird finder I recall where the finder and the scope share the same eyepiece and it has a kind of flip mirror or maybe a prism so you use the same EP for both the scope and finder.

One was on ebay recently I seem to recall.

Ahhh. That's the Tal M you're thinking of A_B. Very nice 80mm newt, scope.

And yes, there was one on ebay. Went for £60, which I was rather surprised at. Had my eye on it for the mount.

Cheers,

Andy

[TheThing]

Ok, sounds pretty good and very interesting.

I've agreed to buy one for £30, picking it up on friday. Should be a nice little addition to my collection and I can save it for my little chap to use when he's a bit older.

Thanks for all the info everyone.

[AndyH]

It's an ideal scope for a young sprog. In fact I think my dad gave it to my cousin's youngest, to use.

You could throw it down a set of stairs and it would still be intact. Heavy enough to make it very very stable.

Uses an odd sized eyepiece(.93"/23.6mm), which I have recently found out to be microscope size. It comes with a 15mm 'piece, a barlow and spacer tube. Using them in various ways gives mags of 33x, 88x and 133x.

You could find some microscope eyepieces if you wanted to try others. Fleabay usually has some.

Andy.

[essex sky]

It also has a weird finder I recall where the finder and the scope share the same eyepiece and it has a kind of flip mirror or maybe a prism so you use the same EP for both the scope and finder.

that sounds like a similar system to the lomo astel, maks.

another russian scope which had the finder built into the secondary

mount, which you rotated to switch between the main scope and the finder.

[AndyH]

Regarding the Tal M.

The M finder system is very unusual and cunning. It's used with the 25mm eyepiece in place. The finder body is built in to the helical focuser. It has a tiny mirror and lens inside. Fantastic engineering. Not terribly surprising. It is a Tal ;-D

When you want to view with the scope, you pull the finder tube out till it hits click stop, as seen in the pic below.

It's got a lovely mirror cell too.

Both the Tal Alcor and Tal M are unusual, but great quality little scopes.

Cheers,

Andy.

[AndyH]

Oh I should add. The finder doesn't use the secondary mirror. The wee mirror and lens is built in to the moving section attached to the focuser unit.

Andy.

[TheThing]

Picked up yesterday - one of those deals that look dodgy where you meet in Tesco's carpark, but the chap was very nice.

Great looking scope! Nice wooden box, weighs a ton! Has the same design finder as AndyH's pictures. Lovely clean mirrors! Haven't had a chance to set it up yet, but looks exceptionally well built, as usual.

Any idea how the filters fit on?

[AndyH]

Older Tal filters clipped on to the eye-lens side of eyepieces. Newer ones are like normal filters and screw on to the barrel end.

Cheers,

Andy.

[TheThing]

Thanks Andy - old fashioned ones they are!

[AndyH]

Any idea of the scopes age and if it uses the older or newer eyepieces?

Do post some pics, if and when you can.

Cheers,

Andy.

[TheThing]

I think it's from the early 2000s. I'll try and post some piccies tomorrow. got to bring the camera home from work.

[TheThing]

Forgot the camera!

However, the box has a very nice little plaque on it that says 1994, so older than I imagined!

[AndyH]

Wow!!

Same age as mine.

A couple of cloudy nights reviews. You may have seen them already,

Sovietski Tal-M Newtonian - Review

Tal M Newtonian - Review

Cheers,

Andy.