Spotting Scopes as Finders

[rainwatcher (Peter)]

Has anyone tried to use a spotting scope, normally sold for terrestial work, as a finder scope, and if so what were the results.

[eskimo]

i was wondering about the same thing?
can it work?..would it work?
why would'nt it work?

[The Mekon (John Briggs)]

I use a Vixen 60mm F7 "subscope" as the finder on my 130mm refractor. I reckon I find things easier with this set up than with a 9x50 stellarvue finder fitted to my smaller 106mm scope.
This 60mm has all the same characteristics as a 15x spotting scope, ie an erecting prism and around a 3 degree field of view.
The only matter you may have to address is alignment with the main scope.

[acropolite (Phil)]

My understanding is that it works very well, Orion now sell guidescope packages using finderscopes. There has already been some discussion on this subject in this thread

[Waxing_Gibbous (Peter)]

I'm trying it tonight!
I suspect less than total success as it can only be moved in one axis (side-side), however a small ball head tripod head or an x/y guidescope bracket could be used.
The main problem, as I see it, is the size of the spotting scope.
Mine (a Celstron Regal 80ED) is about 2kg. That's pretty hefty for a finder.
I don't see the point in going much lower in aperture (unless you want it to double-up for widefield and terrestrial viewing as well) as there are excellent finderscopes in the 50-80mm range that are half the price and 1/4 the weight.
But...
We'll see how she goes.

[Waxing_Gibbous (Peter)]

Have to call this on "busted".
At least on my set-up (an 8" Mak on an EQ6).
The spotter - attached directly to the Mak - made the rig very back-heavy Also, the problem of axis movement still remains and and any set of rings or guidscope brackets would be unlikely to fit the odd shape.
I dunno about a ball-head and I'm not really bothered.
Makes a great wide-field companion scope though!

Stellarvue makes an excellent 50mm finder that doubles as a spotting scope. It has quite a flat field and is virtually coulour-free. It also has a 1.25" RACI diagonal with a helical focuser that can accomodate any 1.25" EP, and a standard tripod mount for attachement to same. It's a corker and about $180-200 imported from OPT.
There are 60 & 80mm models as well, but I've read many places that they are not as good optically.

Unless you are truly determined, I'd give it a miss.