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Old 08-12-2010, 12:41 PM
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mental4astro (Alexander)
kids+wife+scopes=happyman

mental4astro is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: sydney, australia
Posts: 5,005
Hi Trent,

Mate, a red dot finder & a Telrad work on the same principle of a red dot or target image projected onto a specially coated glass that makes the image some-what holographic - you move, but the dot or target seems to stay in the same place.

They are great as they can be easier to use with both eyes open.

The two pics below show my two red dot finders. One is "surgically enhanced" with a longer stalk on my 8" dobbie. Its original stalk was too short to make it comfortable to use. The other is mounted on a 3" reflector that inturn is a giant finder on my 17.5" dob (the picture shows the white tube of the giant before I rebuilt it. I still use this RDF & reflector finder on the rebuilt behemouth). Depending on the object I'm after, most times I don't need to use the 3" big finder, just the red dot.

These red dot finders a really easy to install, they even come with their own mounting block.

My 8" only has the RDF. I love to use this scope from my home in Sydney. I really don't have a problem with not having a 'traditional' finder on it.

BTW, my 17.5" has three finders on it, , the RDF & 3" on its back, and a 2" up on the secondary cage next to the focuser. I really need to take a picture of the thing fully decked out...
Attached Thumbnails
Click for full-size image (astro 005.jpg)
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Click for full-size image (astro 006.jpg)
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Click for full-size image (big finder 006.jpg)
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Click for full-size image (big finder 008.jpg)
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