Absolute noob - ebay 6" reflector for £100. Should I?

[AndyH]

Penguin - I got my Tal 1 off ebay many years ago and it was posted/couriered. Can't remember how much though, I'm afraid. Just make sure it's VERY well protected. If it has it's original crate or box, even better.

Andy.

[Penguin]

Hmm, sounds like it's worth bidding on then. I just hope you guys aren't tempted by it too!

If I don't get it, there is the Celestron 130-EQ for £115 from Amazon. Celestron Astromaster 130EQ: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo or the 114-EQ at £103.

I didn't want to go into 3 figures but a friend of my wifes has a 130 and having chatted to him this evening, I might change my mind. Any thoughts on these two? Are they reasonable value and decent quality? Celestron is certainly a name I have heard of and was one of the recommended brands from earlier in this thread.

The TAL-1 seems to be sold new for just under £200, wheras the Celestrons I mentioned are available for just over £100, Is this an indication that the TAL-1 is a better instrument than the aforementioned Celestrons?

--- Penguin

[haitch]

Hmm, sounds like it's worth bidding on then. I just hope you guys aren't tempted by it too!

If I don't get it, there is the Celestron 130-EQ for £115 from Amazon. Celestron Astromaster 130EQ: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo or the 114-EQ at £103.

I didn't want to go into 3 figures but a friend of my wifes has a 130 and having chatted to him this evening, I might change my mind. Any thoughts on these two? Are they reasonable value and decent quality? Celestron is certainly a name I have heard of and was one of the recommended brands from earlier in this thread.

The TAL-1 seems to be sold new for just under £200, wheras the Celestrons I mentioned are available for just over £100, Is this an indication that the TAL-1 is a better instrument than the aforementioned Celestrons?

--- Penguin

Tal's are heavily built with solid mounts and thick tubes. Optically there's probably not so much in it. Celestrons (and Skywatcher/ Orion US) are mass produced in China with very low payroll costs which will be contributing to the lower costs. China has got pretty good at producing quality optics in recent years.

Incidentally there's a 130p on an Eq2 being sold by drummerp in the for sale forum you can't see for £85 at the moment.

[Penguin]

Well, the TAL-1 went for £77. A little more than I was willing to pay considering it would cost around £15 to get it delivered and Amazon are selling new 6" Celestron Astromasters for ~£115.

Incidentally there's a 130p on an Eq2 being sold by drummerp in the for sale forum you can't see for £85 at the moment.

What do I have to do to see that forum?

Just had another look at the 130EQ on Amazon and it does not appear to come with a Barlow, which I gather is fairly essential. How much does a Barlow cost & where from. Amazon is the cheapest I could find but is there somewhere better for these scopes?

--- Penguin

[haitch]

Well, the TAL-1 went for £77. A little more than I was willing to pay considering it would cost around £15 to get it delivered and Amazon are selling new 6" Celestron Astromasters for ~£115.

What do I have to do to see that forum?

--- Penguin

As I understand, achieve 50 posts. No spamming or the mods will remove them. You could send the seller a pm ;-)

[Steve922]

>Well, the TAL-1 went for £77

You may have had a lucky escape. No-one seems to have noticed that the OTA has a huge dent right over the secondary. Even if that hasn't wrecked it, it does suggest that the scope has been knocked around badly and will probably have other damage.

I have a TAL-1 myself and these things are built like a tank.

Steve

[AndyH]

Don't see any damage on that listed Tal 1 . Looks like shadows fom trees on the tube. Zapped it up to 200%.

But anyway, £77 is a good bit of dosh. The other one went for £48. I wonder if folk have been reading about the Tal 1's on stargazers lounge and are bidding on them? They usually go for between 30-40 quid, sometimes less. We should all shut up or spread false info.

Tal 1's are utter rubbish and I wouldn't give you 50p for one.

There.

Guarranteed cheap ones in the next weeks

;)Andy.

>Well, the TAL-1 went for £77

You may have had a lucky escape. No-one seems to have noticed that the OTA has a huge dent right over the secondary. Even if that hasn't wrecked it, it does suggest that the scope has been knocked around badly and will probably have other damage.

I have a TAL-1 myself and these things are built like a tank.

Steve

[Steve922]

Amazon are selling new 6" Celestron Astromasters for ~£115.

They are actualy 5", about a half inch more than the TAL-1. I would be guessing that the build quality isn't in the same league but at that price (not much more than half of the TAL's new price) they look to be great value.

Even more so the motorised model which appears to be only a fiver more!

Steve

[Steve922]

Don't see any damage on that listed Tal 1 . Looks like shadows fom trees on the tube.

Yes, could be a reflection causing that impression. Either way, you wouldn't catch me laying out nearly a hundred quid on something I'd never seen, with no idea what condition its in. Stargazers look after their gear well but that hasn't been kept or sold by a stargazer. Let the buyer beware! :-)

Tal 1's are utter rubbish and I wouldn't give you 50p for one.

Now THERE's a new view on this old classic.

Steve

[AndyH]

Shhhhhh

I'm trying to bring the ebay prices down.

But seriously.....

Made a list of ebay Tal 1 prices on ebay, the last few months,

Stargazers Lounge - 2nd hand prices of ebay TAl 1's

(whispers - superb scopes that will be regarded as classics one day)

Cheers,

Andy.

[Steve922]

You've too much spare time on you're hands! LOL !

I don't know how you searched ebay for those, I couldn't find many of them but here's one I did find which you could add:-

24th Aug £72 Item 130423306694 Don't know how to tell variatnts

There doesn't seem to be much consistancy in these prices; here's one ( 190433547289 ) with some added filters which didn't even get an opening bid of £40

Steve

[yeti monster]

A TAL-1 would make an excellent first scope, and I'm sure that any issues regarding the focuser/primary position are already well covered in the TAL User group.

I paid a grand sum of 60 earth quids for my pair of TAL-1s, although a 500+ round trip for one of them (this included collection of other, non-astro, kit) could claim to have upped the cost a wee bit.

Neither of mine came with EPs, but this just gives me the perfect excuse to buy more EPs!

[AndyH]

I'll add that Steve !

Ta,

Andy.