Novosibirsk/Sovietski TAL-150PM


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Subject: Re: vote by xxx.xxx.165.14
By: Anonymous (xxx.xxx.47.233)
Date: 05/07/2002 05:48:45 pm PST
>Very robust, A pleasure to use
They don't build 'em like they used to. At least in the U.S.. But in mother Russia, they are building these things right!
There may be, MAY be, about 5 plastic things on the whole scope - and those are knobs. Everything else is aluminum or steel.
I think this was an excellent scope for the money. Although slightly smaller than the TAL-2, it is not exactly a lightweight scope - luggable yes, portable, hmmm. But you can still break the main componenets down and fit them in a box that can tuck into the back of my Subaru Outback wagon, leaving room to spare for the camping goodies.
When I bought this scope, I was looking for the scope I wanted when I was a kid in the 70's. I got it. Nothing sophisticated, just a good, solid scope. You may here some stuff about TAL scopes having spherical mirrors. Not the TAL-150pm. Such a fast scope demands a parabolic mirror, and it has one. Airy disks are textbook. Once collimation is done, this thing is great (and it is easy to do with a $40 Cheshire eyepiece from Orion (US)). The finder scope alone is better than most others on the market.
I use mine with a Pentax 10mm, and I have flocked the tube walls around the mirrors to eliminate glare and increase contrast. Unlike a few other reports, I like the supplied Barlow, and have had no problems with it. The 25mm that comes with it is a keeper as well - exception lens to be tossed in for free. The 10mm I am not as sold on (which is why I got the Pentax). One thing, the setting circles are not marked lconventionally (at least in US) - they go backwards from everyone else's. This is an easy fix with some small labels and a pen.


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