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xenonightx
newbie
Reged: 07/30/08
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TAL 150P8
#5527935 - 11/19/12 01:17 PM
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Hey everyone, I got out of the amateur astronomy scene for a little while, but I am back now. I have been doing a little research on telescopes as my binos have pretty much seen everything they can. It seems the TAL 150P8 is a great little scope that doesnt require much upgrading and comes complete with a finder, 2" focuser, a sturdy EQ mount, and a few eyepieces and barlow and filters. What a deal for a novice. My problem is of course availability. I live in Texas and I was wondering, where on earth could I find one of these things? And what are the best options for shipping the 150lb crate internationally?
I'm sure there are folks here with a little more experience on the subject. I appreciate your time and thoughts.
Clear skies!
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eyepiecedropper
member
Reged: 12/31/11
Loc: aschaffenburg, germany
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Re: TAL 150P8
[Re: xenonightx]
#5531529 - 11/21/12 05:08 AM
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hi, i´d suggest asking markus ludes. i´m almost sure you won´t find a new 150p8. rumor has it that tal focussed more on military optics and therefore doesn´t produce that scope now. and... as an owner of a tal100r and former owner of a tal newton and two intes scopes. tal indeed has good optics but is not as high-end as intes is. they have their quality issues.
regards, martin
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Binojunky
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/25/10
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Re: TAL 150P8
[Re: eyepiecedropper]
#5531631 - 11/21/12 07:48 AM
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We had a couple of Tal dealers in Canada however they are no longer in business, nice scopes even looked through one, however the shipping costs from across the pond(they are available in the UK) would be very expensive, if you consider what a 6" newt from say Celestron or Orion would cost then spend those shipping costs on extras that you want, that admitedly come as standard with the TAL scope then you would IMHO still be ahead of the game, the Celestron Omni 6" newt is a fine scope for a modest price, sorry I don,t see the point of shipping a bog standard newt all the way across the Atlantic Ocean, It doesn,t make sense?, and if you have a problem with the scope or damage when it arrives then your dealing with a company or retailer half way around the planet.With the TAL you may have duties to pay as well, also the exchange rate may not work in your favour and in the UK and Europe astro gear is far more expensive than in the USA, sorry sir to me anyway its crazy to take that route,DA.
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Jon Isaacs
Postmaster
Reged: 06/16/04
Loc: San Diego and Boulevard, CA
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Re: TAL 150P8
[Re: xenonightx]
#5531685 - 11/21/12 08:39 AM
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Quote:
I'm sure there are folks here with a little more experience on the subject. I appreciate your time and thoughts.
Clear skies!
Hello and Welcome to Cloudy Nights... 
I suggest looking around at some other options. I am sure the TAL 150 F/8 is a fine scope, it is pretty much in the tradition of the reflectors like the venerable RV-6 of 40 and 50 years ago.
But that 150 lb shipping weight should raise a red flag... It's a heavy scope for it's aperture and heavy scopes don't get as much use as more portable, more easily managed scopes.
Scopes like this one are rare for a reason... Overall, the Dobsonian is just so much more practical... I have an RV-6 as well as a 12.5 inch F/6 on an equatorial mount that is over 30 years old. They do provide wonderful views but so do my Dobsonians and the Dobsonians are just so much more comfortable for viewing. With a GEM mounted Newtonian, one is always fighting to get a comfortable viewing position, the tube rotates as you move across the sky, so you have to rotate it to a reasonable position.
So... look at some Dobsonians and if you really do want a 6 inch on a GEM, I would look for a Criterion RV-6...
Jon
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xenonightx
newbie
Reged: 07/30/08
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Re: TAL 150P8
[Re: Jon Isaacs]
#5535913 - 11/23/12 05:30 PM
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You all may be right on that eq vs dob subject. A dob certainly has more bang for buck. The only reason I would perfer the eq mount is so that my girlfriend can look through the scope without having to find the object (shes not very good at that). That scope in particular just has it all, including the rave reviews... Sad to hear that TAL went mostly military.
I have definitely considered buying a more basic 6in scope and modifying it as I go, and thats probably what I will end up doing. Thanks for giving me that nudge. 
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Mike E.
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/26/10
Loc: Moonstone Observatory
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Re: TAL 150P8
[Re: xenonightx]
#5537199 - 11/24/12 12:52 PM
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This will give you a rough idea of what shipping a scope Internationally will cost.
Earlier this year I shipped three crates from California to the UK. For "one" of the crates which weighed ninety three pounds, the invoice (minus the insurance) was billed at...
SHIPMENT CHARGES:
Worldwide Expedited.... $852.25
Fuel Surcharge........... $104.34
Service Options.......... $***.**
Large Pkg Fee............. $55.00
CMS Processing Fee........$0.20
_______________________________
Total ..................$908.88
With the insurance added on, it cost well over a thousand to ship, and this was by UPS which had the lowest price at the time; and this was for a weight of under 100 lbs.
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Pat Rochford
member
Reged: 09/30/08
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Re: TAL 150P8
[Re: Mike E.]
#5538564 - 11/25/12 11:26 AM
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Worldwide Expedited vs ??? What would it have cost to ship it a little slower?
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Mike E.
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/26/10
Loc: Moonstone Observatory
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Re: TAL 150P8
[Re: Pat Rochford]
#5538644 - 11/25/12 12:17 PM
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Quote:
Worldwide Expedited vs ??? What would it have cost to ship it a little slower?
Ahh, sorry, I wasn't thinking about the slow boat route when I posted. 
I opted for air cargo with UPS, as I had to be sure of a timely delivery. UPS was the most economical compared to DHL and other air cargo companies.
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astro_baby
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 06/17/08
Loc: United Kingdom
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Re: TAL 150P8
[Re: Mike E.]
#5538842 - 11/25/12 02:27 PM
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TALS are very wonderful scopes - in the UK they turn up quite frequently 2nd hand and fetch as little as £200. A good vintage one in nice condition complete with its wooden case would fetch a little more.
Although well regarded they lose their value fast because even in the UK the shipment costs from mother Russia eat up a fair ammount of the 'new' cost price tag. Obviously a 2nd user isnst interested in the original ship costs hence the drop in prices.
By the way even with an EQ mount you will still have to find stuff - EQ doesnt equal GoTo. You would get tracking so once you havefound something the scope would track for your g/f.
As an aside the TAL 100RS Frac has an excellent reputation i the UK but I guess that would be unavailable in the US as well.
TAL is only one small part of a Russian company whose main interest is military. As a result TAL is very much an add on business to the factorys main business and as a result they dont seem to put much focus (pardon pun) on the telescopes.
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xenonightx
newbie
Reged: 07/30/08
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Re: TAL 150P8
[Re: astro_baby]
#5543208 - 11/28/12 01:47 AM
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Jeeze.... yeah I would take the slow boat route, I have quite a bit of patience. My gf on the other hand does not, which is why I would prefer tracking. I doubt I would get much joy out of GoTo honestly, I have found a LOT with binoculars and I know where most of the best views are already.
It seems these things are indeed pretty rare in America though. With shipping and all you guys are right, its hard to justify the cost when there are other options. Back to the drawing board.
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