Finder as a guidescope

[TrevorW]

I have a 60mm finderscope with helical focuser that can take EP's. Just wondering has anyone used their finder as a guidescope with an autoguider attached to it

Cheers

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

It shouldn't be a problem Trevor.....as long as you can get focus that is. I find with my Stellar View finderscope getting focus with any eyepiece below about 15-20mm can be problematic. Using a webcam/autoguider you may have to use a barlow or just a barlow tube(extension tube) without the lens to get it to come to focus.

[Mighty_oz (Marcus)]

Yeah i've been trying that out myself, had to make my own extension tube out of pvc to come to focus with the toucam, just got to find the right setting for phd and i'll be a goer

Know it can be done

[gbeal]

It works, and well, I did this for quite a while. Used an old 9x50 finder, unscrewed the rear section which was the eyepiece. Fluked a T thread fitting that accepted the QHY5 and away I went. Easy to find guide-stars, and for the imaging scope I was using, an 80mm triplet, it was just the bee's knees.
Try it, I am sure you will find it so simple, and remember SBIG offer this very same principle as their "E Finder".
Gary

[AlexN]

There are quite a few people doing this around the web... there are examples on the EQMOD website, people using 9x50 finders to guide 12" SCT's with stunning results. As always, you just need to make sure the guiding setup has a higher resolution than the imaging setup to ensure sub-pixel accuracy...

Alex.