jimmyh1555
09-03-2018, 04:05 PM
I reckon that the best finder scope of all is the tried and trusted Telrad! I have all sorts of finders - starting with those little finder scopes that come with most telescopes - to various red dot finders. They all pale into insignificence compared with the Telrad.....
Why????
First of all, you can actually adjust the brightness of the red circle from nothing to dazzling red. Most of the red dot finders are useless because when they switch on, they are much too bright and swamp most stars. Who would ever use the brightest setting?
Second, the Telrad is solid box construction and doesn't bend , and seems to fit into its fitting nice and solidly .
Third, You can easily adjust the red circle to line up with the main scope by just twiddling three little knobs situated on the rear of the unit. On one red dot finder I have, I have to go into my workshop to find an Allen key before I can adjust it!
On the fancier finder scopes, you have no less than 6 - yes - 6 knobs to twiddle/loosen/overtighten etc . in order to accurately align the scope!!
Another absolutely crazy disadvantage with standard finders, I discovered last night.....
Looking to polar align my scope, I told the scope to point to Alpha Cen . It swivelled round and pointed in the general direction of A Cen, but I could not see it in the pointer scope. I moved the scope around a bit, saw a bright star and centered on that! All my subsequent operations with the scope were hopeless. What had gone wrong? Simple, I had - with the help of the guide scope - centered on Beta Cen instead of Alpha Cen! All because the view through the finder scope was no good. In the Telrad (and I might add the other red dots) you can see the sky and the red dot and the star, and you can easily tell which way to point the main scope.
So Newbies beware, even the finder scope can stuff things up for you :lol:;)
Why????
First of all, you can actually adjust the brightness of the red circle from nothing to dazzling red. Most of the red dot finders are useless because when they switch on, they are much too bright and swamp most stars. Who would ever use the brightest setting?
Second, the Telrad is solid box construction and doesn't bend , and seems to fit into its fitting nice and solidly .
Third, You can easily adjust the red circle to line up with the main scope by just twiddling three little knobs situated on the rear of the unit. On one red dot finder I have, I have to go into my workshop to find an Allen key before I can adjust it!
On the fancier finder scopes, you have no less than 6 - yes - 6 knobs to twiddle/loosen/overtighten etc . in order to accurately align the scope!!
Another absolutely crazy disadvantage with standard finders, I discovered last night.....
Looking to polar align my scope, I told the scope to point to Alpha Cen . It swivelled round and pointed in the general direction of A Cen, but I could not see it in the pointer scope. I moved the scope around a bit, saw a bright star and centered on that! All my subsequent operations with the scope were hopeless. What had gone wrong? Simple, I had - with the help of the guide scope - centered on Beta Cen instead of Alpha Cen! All because the view through the finder scope was no good. In the Telrad (and I might add the other red dots) you can see the sky and the red dot and the star, and you can easily tell which way to point the main scope.
So Newbies beware, even the finder scope can stuff things up for you :lol:;)