Novosibirsk Tal 100R

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Novosibirsk Tal 100R
Bought the OTA second hand... This scope is a very good deal... Optics(Russian) are very good for ahcromat... The finder scope is very good quality... Focuser is a little rough but it still is OK... Scope gives nice views... At medium power jupiter looks as good (almost) as my Parks mirror 8-inch Newtonian... Used, this scope pkg cost less than $300... I bought it for finder and right angle mirror which you can collimate... Finder is easily worth $50... Collimatable right angle worth $75... Scope worth $300 alone!! I dont think they sell these anymore in U.S. If you see one used-Buy It!!

Overall Rating: 10
Optics:8 Value:10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=360165

Novosibirsk Tal 100R
An update... This scope gives an 8-inch Newtonian a run for its aperture... The differences are there however. The Tal has color on the bright objects. If you are into the subtle differences of star color, the Tal colors are a bit muddled ( due to being an achromat). Deep sky fuzzies are harder to get due to the 4-inch aperture.
But, this scope is sharp! M-15 looked as good as my parks 8-inch. Just a little dimmer. Very good on double stars. This scope is a very good value.

Overall Rating: 10
Optics:9 Value:10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=375480

Novosibirsk Tal 100R
Why didn't I vote for that fascinating achromatic Fraunhofer Refractor before???
I own this jewel since December 2001!!
Bought it just as an OTA with original clamps and diagonal in Munich at telescope-service, Wolfi Ransburg. The original finder was missing, so I got a simple 6x30 standard from perhaps Orion or other Asian genuine?? (not that worse as the infamous Meade 6x30 thing). I had to drill 2 new holes into the tube, for the 4mm screws to assemble the Taiwanese finder base, ohh my, what an adventure!

For the mount, I first took an old Vixen NP, later an optimized EQ-5. After changing the aluminum tripod by 3 very massive, 1.3 meter beech-wood legs, made by an Bavarian master carpenter, this combination is the most sturdy and stable thing you can imagine. Later, I wished to have it ordered with 1.4 or 1.5 meters length, that would be even so much better.

An issue is with the small and weak TAL clamping rings, you can upgrade them by putting normal flat steel-washers under the thumbscrews (do you know how to loosen them? There are 2 tiny fixing screws in front of the thumbscrews, just screw them out, then you can remove the thumb-knobs, lay the steel-washers under and fix the thumbscrews and the small safety screws again). That will help to make the clamping a bit safer!!
As all the other pre-writers told you before: the optics is impressive and first grade, textbook diffraction patterns in startest at 333x!! Watched Mars (25 arc-seconds) and Jupiter (with nearly 50 arc-seconds diameter) and Saturn with 330x magnification without seriously degrading the image, most common planetary work is done with a 6 or 5mm classical Kasai (UO) Ortho!! Also the tiny 4mm Ortho from UO will suck. For Mars, I'm using the Baader orange-filter GG570/longpass, or the contrast-booster, for Jupiter, Saturn mostly no filter and so with the moon.
This 100R, mine is No. 0520 engraved on the diagonal, is a real steal and winner!! The lens has a deep-blue-violet MC as the old Zeiss have, but it's working fine. After some time, I collimated the diagonal, by opening the bottom lid and turning 3 of the four setscrews bringing the ray of the inserted laser exactly in the middle of the objective lens, as it was without the original Russian diagonal. From a statement of Vladimir Wolf, TAL-Novosibirsk, they coat their mirrors with a 94% reflecting enhanced layer!
The focuser has a short one-inch focusing range, but it is enough to bring all my (1.25 inch) eyepieces to focus, even the 10mm Antares Speers Waler 10mm SWA 82 Degree. You can regulate the friction of the focuser by turning the focuser knobs against each other (turn the right, hold the left), if you have problems shimming the focuser, there are fine adjusting plates inside the rack of the housing! Instructions can be downloaded from the Yahoo TALScopes · TAL Telescopes board in the files: focuser rebuild by MBird.

Also deep-sky objects are fine, it easily resolves M13 and M92 in Hercules and shows M57 as the tiny, oval ring of gas, as in the well known photographs, you only have to apply enough magnification (100x and more). It also shows M97, the owl nebula in Ursa Majoris with an UHC Filter. Also Pulcherima, epsilon Bootis, is easily resolved (d=2.8arc seconds) and of course epsilon Lyrae the double-double at 100x.
The colour aberration is there, but moderate and only on very bright objects. Remember, this is a really well made 2 lenses achromat, not an APO!!
Randolf K.
Germany

Overall Rating: 10
Optics:10 Ease of Use:10 Value:10
Weight: 5 (Veritable Vote)
Date:
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=508513

Novosibirsk Tal 100R
The Tal 100R is one of the most under-rated scopes on the market. Optics are incredibly sharp with minimal false colour, especially when used with high quality eyepieces. These instruments can take huge amounts of magnification. 300x is easy on a good night. They are simply in a different league to Chinese made achromats and I've seen some 4" Apos that are not as sharp as the Russian scope. Highly recommended as a lunar, planetary and double star scope!

Overall Rating: 10
Optics:10 Ease of Use:9 Value:10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=589406

Novosibirsk Tal 100R
I'd like to register my vote for the Tal 100RS, which is the upgraded version of the original Tal 100R. I've used both and can say that standards haven't slipped. Optically they are both excellent but the 100RS optical tube is better designed and it's got a 2" focuser as well. Highly recommended as a lunar, planetary and double star scope.

Overall Rating: No Vote
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=589606

Novosibirsk Tal 100R
Excellent Optics for the money. Mount rather heavy and awkward to use.

Overall Rating: 8
Optics:10 Mount:6 Ease of Use:5 Value:10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=593698

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