Telrad, Red Dot finder

[norm]

Hi All,

I'm curious if anyone else forgets to swtich off their telrad or red dot finder after a nights viewing and what you do to remind yourself to turn it off afterwards.

I can't recall how many times I've left mine on and only when viewing again a week later or sometimes more, I've realised I've left the damn thing on:doh:. Fortunately it doesn't comsume much power at all, so its not major issue.

Have you left other equipment on, fans etc after viewing and worse still damaged anything later on by doing so?

I normally have a mental check of things to do at the end of night but the Telrad gets me all the time:whistle:.

Norm

[Chippy]

I'm the same Norm. I normally have a pretty good memory and don't forget to turn things off, but the red dot finders have gotten me on more than a few occasions. I don't have a solution for it either, except not to use them lol

[Crusader]

I just make it a point to check that my RDF is off when I carry the scope back inside. Once I got out of bed to make sure, and I did in fact forget the darn thing on. Luckily it was only for 10mins or so...

[stephenb]

Not long ago I left my Telrad on... and realised a week later it was still going strong! Admittedly, it was not on full brightness.

[GrahamL]

Thanks Norm , I just went and checked and it was on again :thumbsup::whistle:

I have probably left it on every time out this year(which hasn't been that often) so can't vote in the poll,but do check every now and then , and still havn't changed the batteries yet.

[Starkler]

Yep my telrad has been left on for weeks in total and im still on my first set of batteries 2 years after I got it.

Best bet is to always have a spare set of batteries on hand for anything that needs it rather than drive to site and have a nights viewing ruined.

[Omaroo]

I constantly forget to turn my RDF's off. I keep three or four spare CR2032 button batteries in my kit.

I try to set a regimen for myself - "locate, then turn off"... but it hardly ever works. An RDF left on for a week is often useless thereafter.

[BerrieK]

I too try to make a habbit of turning off my RDF before carrying my scope back inside. The few times I have forgotten I have found it a few hours later when putting the cover on (after letting moisture evaporate from gear), and as such haven't killed any batteries completely as yet. I guess if I had a permanant setup that I didnt have to move in and out of the house I would be much more prone to leaving it turned on though.

Kerrie

[mozzie]

i always make a point to check it as chris said i also have spare batteries just in case heres one for the electronic wizards can you put a sensor in so if you dont turn it of for say 15 minutes it will turn its self of (dam theres a million dollar idea:doh:should have said nothing)
mozzie

[Paddy]

T'would be foolish to answer that one does not forget as this would guarantee the onset of such forgetting.

[Tamtarn]

I try to remember to turn the telrad off when the image is framed and I am ready to start taking images,but there has been the occasion where it has been left on overnight.
Thank goodness the batteries last for such a long time.

David

[TheCrazedLog]

I make a habit of once I've found the area I'm looking for, I turn the telrad off. Then I go to finderscope as an initial point then to eyepiece. If I need to reaim, telrad goes back on.

[M54]

How about a nicely printed note stuck to the fridge door:

Is the telrad on,
or off?:poke:

:D

[Greenswale]

Yep, I'm a bit forgetful, herself often suggests that I'm living in La La land.

So not turning the Telrad off is an occasional event. (I just went and checked - it was off!)

It used to be easy to tell if I had left it on - my scope lives in the bedroom (!), and if the Telrad was left on, I could see a nice fuzzy red glow on the wall once the lights were switched off. But then I fitted a dew shield to the Telrad. Turns out that it is also a fuzy red glow shield as well........

La La land is ok if one gets to keep one's scope in the bedroom!!!

[norm]

Thats not such a bad idea Mozzie!

Something with a piezo buzzer, mercury switch, hmmm:whistle::)

[Moon]

The Nexstar 8SE has a reminder on the hand controller - after you finish the alignment it says something like "Finder off".
Don't know how many times it has saved me.

[Don Pensack]

Telrad off or on.
Yes?
No?
What is the poll asking? Whether I accidentally leave it on?
Or is the poll asking whether I leave it off or on on the scope?
Or leave it on or off the the scope altogether?
Or whether I prefer one or the other.
This poll is poorly phrased, and inscrutable.
What is it asking?

[norm]

Sorry, but 12 others have seemed to reply without too many issues, so if you can't figure it out, don't waste time trying. Sorry thats the way it is.:P

[Inmykombi]

Hi Don, If you look at the first Post it explains the Poll.
It wasn't until I read the first post that I understood the Poll as well.
Cheers.

geoffro.

[GraemeT]

Not until I looked at the posts, did I realise the thread was an old one.
After flattening the battery, I took to the on/off/brightness knob with yellow paint, marking the off position prominently and a smaller mark on the lowest brightness setting. Easier to adjust under red light and a reminder to turn off when putting everything away.

[wavelandscott]

Leave it on the scope and regularly leave it on...good thing it lasts a long time.

[Davi5678]

After leaving it on twice, I only switch it on as I use it then switch it off immediately after.

[cookie8]

Only once as far as I can remember. But it was turned all the way down so still fine the next day.

[that_guy]

i forgot to turn mine off for a few days, its still going as bright as it was the first time i put the batteries in... i got it at astrofest in august last year and havent looked back since and replaced my finder all together :thumbsup: its soo much easier to align and use!

[Sylvain]

I have a rubberised cover for the screen of my RDF. Whenever I put it back on after a night out, I check it's off. Because I have to do this for the RDF it's easy to remember to check if it's on or off :)

[mikerr]

I'm replacing the battery with a Solar Cell. That should solve the problem.;)

Rgds

Michael.

[Deeno]

Yea; I'm a shocker at forgetting to turn things off. Telrad battery seems to last forever but, the red dot finder on the 6" doesn't. I'm pretty sure its on right now...............

[bartman]

Thats like the solar powered flashlight.......right?:confused2:: question:
Bartman