I am after an easy to use finder to mount on my 8" Skywatcher Newtonian. It has been suggested to me to use a Telrad, and that may be what I do. But I am interested in the pros & cons of other variations, I know another one that I have read about is the RACI Illuminated 9x50 Finderscope from Celestron and the cheaper range of non-illuminated versions of the same/similar size.
It will obviously be used for initial alignment but also for star hopping.
I have seen some with double illuminated cross hairs, does this make it easier?
The telescope will be mounted on an EQ6 if that helps at all.
I am heading to Melbourne next week to purchase this.
I love finder scopes! Can't have too many....I have two on my scope.
Is the EQ6 goto? If not I'd say get a Telrad and a RACI.
On my 10" Newt on my non GOTO EQ mount I like to look along the tube to get in the general area and then use a RACI finder.
Illuminated double cross hairs are nice, specially at a dark site. Orion make a straight through one I have as well as a RACI. A bit expensive but worth it.
Had a couple of GSO finders which aren't quite as good, not as sharp specially in the outer FOV as the Synta Skywatcher/ Orion ones.
You could always go a bit mad and get an Orion ST80mm Refractor and use that...a bit harder to mount but the EQ6 will take both and then you have a very nice Rich Field scope and finder in one...get the Telrad as well.
Look up Myastro shop. Steve has a black ST80 for $150-$160, much cheaper than Bintel's Orion white one but the same scope. Use a 24mm 68º eyepiece...RFT heaven, even better a 2" focuser with an ES 34mm 68º.
I like scopes to look good as well as perform, so I'd choose a white one to match the rest of the scope!!
Are the 90mm rings guidscope ones...that is with the 3 adjusting screws on each ring?
The Orion rings are cheap and good. I use them on my 90mm f11.1 refractor no problems.
Personally I do not like any of the red dot type finders, probably because with my bad eyes I can't use them (have to take my glasses off to use the EP but then put them on again to do anything else).
Big finder scopes mean weight, regardless of your mount you need to keep that in mind if you want to image at some stage. Imaging payload capacity for the NEQ6 is around 15kg to ensure tracking accuracy, and precision guiding - yes its rated much high if your visual only.
A simple achro refractor is fine, but do you need 80mm aperture? My advice would be to try and find one that could be used as a guidescope one day - you never know when you might want to get into imaging; so that means a finderscope that has a focuser (helical is ok). Good luck
I have several- but my fave by far has been the stellarvue right angled finder with focuser. A quality item that has been my main stay for a number of years and is top notch, though not the cheapest. Could probably use it as an imaging wide scope as well!!
Graham
Hi Andrew,
Just to clarify, if your eq6 has goto capabilities, why do you want to star hop?
You can easily use a stellarium program to see where your scope is pointed and where you want to go next. You can either do this on a stand alone computer or have it connected to the mount via a EQDIR module http://www.store.shoestringastronomy...roducts_eq.htm
If you are reasonably accurate with your polar alignment and entered the date, time and position data correctly, your mount should place the object within the finder.
I use a 50mm RACI Finder (non-illuminated) and a illuminated eyepiece like this one http://www.bintel.com.au/Eyepieces-a...oductview.aspx
The advantage is that you can be doubly sure by centering the object in the crosshairs of the eyepiece and then adjust the three thumb screws of the finder to make sure they are aligned with each other (of course you can use a illuminated Finder with a illuminated eyepiece, but that's overkill IMHO).
Hope that helps.
Bo
I have several- but my fave by far has been the stellarvue right angled finder with focuser. A quality item that has been my main stay for a number of years and is top notch, though not the cheapest. Could probably use it as an imaging wide scope as well!!
Graham
+1
Buy one and never look back!!
OK, that's a bit over the top, but it's a great bit of kit.
I use mine with an Orion 20mm illuminated reticle EP and its the Bee's knees.
Its also a nice little wide angle scope in its own right giving very pleasing views.
Hard to fault.
Would the magnification be too great to utilise this as a finder?
I understand the concept of straight through finderscopes being the broadest range of view, but by utilising the array of EP's would this not end up with more accurate pointing?
I apologise if I am thrashing this around too much instead of just throwing money at it. I am just trying to utilise what I have and hopefully end up with acceptable results.
The 70mm is exactly what I used as a finder on my scopes.
I used a 20mm 70º double cross hair eypiece that gave 2.7º TFOV. Can get 3.5º or close enough TFOV with a 24mm 68º eyepiece.
A tiny bit of field curvature with this scope and 20mm eyepiece, not enough to be a nusance. I had it with guidscope rings. The worst part is the plastic focuser but as it only had one eyepiece in it that was fine too.
Thank you for your reply. I had this one given to me (from some very generous users on here), have done a little work on it, bought the extender and right angle for it, it is now sitting in a set of guidescope rings awaiting the chance to be aligned.
I am just wondering if there is advantage to using this with an cross hair eyepiece as indicated or would I still need/want something like a Telrad?
as well as perform, so I'd choose a white one to match the rest of the scope!!
