TAL 1 Telescope

This is a Russian made TAL 1 Newtonian telescope with a 110mm aperture. The robust build quality makes it a step above the average 4 inch Newtonian. It's built like a tank! And the optics are very good as well. In addition, it has a couple of interesting and unique features.
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[@stephen6whitehead398]

I remember my two tal reflectors with fondness.I owned both the 110mm and the 150mm.The optics aren't just adequate they are superb,pinpoint star images,very nice clear views on planets.I wouldn't mind getting either ones of these back.I'm not fond of reflectors but these were superb.The mounts and pillars were unmovable,no shakes at all.I never managed to get hold of the 100mm refractor but i bet that was a stunner.

[@cliveroberts415]

My first scope, nice to see one again, I agree very solid construction.

[@allenbrown8899]

thanks for your video. I have the Tal -2 with no manual and no clue. you gave me some good info for my scope. I am going to look up spherical mirror now.

[@benbuilderwatkins4955]

You can download manual (but in russian only) from official site: www.npzoptics.ru/catalog/teleskopy/

[@TR6Telos]

Great video Dave. I had one 20 yrs ago,Venus at 200x looked the same at the edge as the centre. Unfortunatly Manchester UK is no place for astronomy, and the weather beat me.
Still I have a Intes MK67, and a TMB 92, -waiting for global warming.

[@JohnDoe-vq8bg]

Thanks for sharing!

[@michaelboschat1373]

I had a Tal-1 but had to sell it when I moved, it was a great scope, my one did not have the logo on the tube but a plate on the
back of the mirror area. Came with the 2 eyepieces and a 2x barlow and sun screen. My only scope now is a C8 with a crack in the corrector but still works. Unfortunately the place I live at now has no balcony and is in a bad light polluted part of the city. I did buy a used ETX-90 and saw your video on that ,great .. at the university on public sessions we use a Questar - been there since the mid 1970's. But personally I really do not like it. image is good, but it is slight out of collimation and the RA knob is in an awkward spot. I use our 8" Dob rather than the Questar. You have great videos on different scopes ect...

[@davetrott6046]

Thanks, Michael.
- Dave

[@user-rt5ee4nw6u]

I have tal-1 1991 years)

[@JimHendrickson]

Thanks of the review. I saw an advertisement for this scope a few years ago and I was intrigued by it's seemingly robust yet simple design. I was more interested in the mount than the scope itself, and really like the large setting circles (something absent from most basic mounts today). I also liked the way they did the solar projection screen. I didn't know it was a spherical mirror though, so I'm curious how it performs optically. Is this scope still made?

[@davetrott6046]

Hi Jim,
Thanks for your comment! Yes, I agree that the mount is of great interest. So robust and well made! But, though it is not obvious, the OTA is similar. Everything is very well built. Very old-school. It almost seems like an anachronism. They are still made. The older ones came on a nice wooden box but they dropped that some years ago. This one ( from about 2009) does not have one.
- Dave

[@JimHendrickson]

Thanks for the info. Perhaps I'll have to track one down and try it out for myself.

[@paulsunday6720]

Dave, where did you get the Soviet telescopes?

[@davetrott6046]

Mostly on Ebay, Astromart or Cloudy Nights.

[@benbuilderwatkins4955]

Actually it's not a soviet telescope, you can buy it now, there is official site of maker: www.npzoptics.com/where_to_buy/

[@victoralexander848]

WHAT MEMORY MY FIRST PROPER SCOPE AT THE PRICE NOTHING REMOTELY CAME CLOSE IT MURDERED ALL THOSE CHEAP JAPANESE REFLECTORS AND STAMP ON THEIR GRAVE IT REALLY WAS A PLEASURE IT GOT ME HOOKED ON RUSSIAN OPTICS

[@benbuilderwatkins4955]

It's perfect optic and cheap cost. Now there are many china scopes, but with badly quality