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Old 30-03-2017, 08:18 AM
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sil (Steve)
Not even a speck of dust

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Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Canberra
Posts: 1,474
I use a Telrad on scopes smaller than yours. Its indispensable for me. The rings are easy to see and easy to line up a target inside them. The red dot types can be difficult to find the red dot especially on an eq mount where you almost have to stand on your head at times depending where the scope is pointing. Plus in practice the dot is bigger than the star or planet you are trying to place it on so when you move back to the eyepiece you dont know which direction it is when its not in the immediate field of view. The Telrad circles just work out so much better in practice to use and more accurate. Also the adjustments for red dot positions can be easy to move by accident in the dark when you go to turn it on or off, which is another drawback of these.. they are dark and silent, so its easy to forget its on as you're busy moving back to the eyepiece and handset setting up. At least the ugly bulk of the telrad is a more visible reminder plus the easy viewing angle and larger ring means if you leave it on you might catch a glimpse of the ring during the your session so it doesnt stay on all night. Dont know if any of these have an auto off feature, its a bad night when you set everything up and go to start alignment and find your finder still on from your last session and no dot or ring to be seen.

Adjusting the ring positions in the telrad view when you initially align your finder seems to be much broader than the red dot ones I have. So its more forgiving about mounting position being out a little bit. The downside of the telrad is its bulk, mine are double sided taped to my scopes, so storage and transport can knock it off. The scopes I use regularly are always on tripod ready to wheel outside with dust covers over them so for me its not a concern.

I've never felt the need to try a green laser with a scope. Its useful with friends to point out things in the sky and helpful for comet hunting with my DSLR where I'll use a star map to work out where a comet is and if its not near a prominent item I get my eye-in on the sky where it will be then point my camera there and lay a laser along the top and side of the lens to make sure its pointed at the patch of sky the comet is hiding in. Plus i do have a red dot finder that can mount into the flash hot shoe on the camera if I want to use that to align instead.
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