how good is a telrad finderscope

[Alma]

Very surprized to hear of unreliability. I have two, both going strong after about ten years in commercial use. As for suddenly being raved about, not so! I've been raving about them from the first time I used one ten years ago.

The key thing is that a circle gives you a reference for scale. 4 degree circle. A dot is a dot is a dot. Not much information in a dot.

Olly

Hi Olly. I think if you use a Telrad for it's intended purpose, i.e. star hopping from a chart, then the ringed reticle makes sense. However, most people seem to to use them as a simple pointer, in which case the reticle pattern can get in the way and a single dot would be better (that was my experience, anyway).

I might just have been unlucky with mine .. the first went in the bin but I had a spare base so decided to get a second one, which I sold to a chap who thought he could fix it when that too failed ! I realised at that point that after two failed units, plus the dew shade thingy, that I'd actually spent rather a lot of money and could have bought a premium unit for the outlay.

I might be tempted to get another if I ever bought a large Dob, but in the meantime I'm perfectly happy with my Baader Sky Surfer V for my C8 and 4" refractor - best RDF I've ever used and I think I've tried them all, Rigel excepted.

Edited December 21, 2011 by Alma

[Alma]

Since when did Astro kit have to be asthetically pleasing?

According to that analogy we should all be using brass refractors.

I see you own a 200p Dob, hardly the worlds answer to a great looking scope.

Regards Steve

Good point... however, there's no way I'm sticking one of those horrible rectangular, plasticy bases on to my beautiful and rather expensive apo refractor. If you've ever tried to remove a Telrad base you'll understand why!

[Quatermass]

use what suits your needs I had a red dot finder but now only use my finder scope. i recal someone slagging me off for using a green lazer pointer once I thought to myself ok so your not a fan of lazers dont use one then. I also made an offensive gesture and aimed it in there general direction not the lazer mind

Sent from my GT-S5670 using Tapatalk

[luna 2011]

hi all thanks 4 all the info and likes and hates lol.looks like they have got a really good reputation from what i see.tho they seem big and boxy ive seen they are lightweight which is good in one way,to much on the ota could over balance it ect.im going to shop about for a good deal so thanks to those recomending good dealersive been put of by the finder on my astromaster but not the scope itself as its a great well built unit shame the finder is not.celestron need to review the situation and come up with a better solution for new scopes and the chance to existing astromaster users to replace their current finder.a new years resolution to celestron lol redesign their astromaster finder scopes :-)

[jasonbirder]

Hope they're good...picked one up from RVO today

Obviously its cloudy here right now...so no chance of a road test LOL!

[Teflon]

I love mine, as others have said its at it's best when you are using the reticules to measure and hop your way to a specific target. Otherwise I guess a dot finder would do the trick.

I have also dealt with Green Witch - they were very impressive. Quick delivery and helpful. I got one of their scope covers for my 200p and its great!

[cabby]

just made mine even better by following this: http://stargazerslounge.com/diy-astronomer/165353-homemade-dew-preventer-telrad-eyepieces.html. Just need some cloudless nights to try it out

[ollypenrice]

On 21/12/2011 at 22:49, ollypenrice said:

Very surprized to hear of unreliability. I have two, both going strong after about ten years in commercial use. As for suddenly being raved about, not so! I've been raving about them from the first time I used one ten years ago.

The key thing is that a circle gives you a reference for scale. 4 degree circle. A dot is a dot is a dot. Not much information in a dot.

Olly

Update: this post is ten years old. Telrads still going strong.

Olly

[Neil H]

If you want a telrad FLO have 10 in stock £42 worth every penny have one on my 8 inch newt first up grade I did 

[Louis D]

2 hours ago, ollypenrice said:

Update: this post is ten years old. Telrads still going strong.

Olly

Keep a close watch on your batteries.  Once mine corroded inside the Telrad after 12 years, I couldn't get it working again even with a new battery holder soldered in.  No such problems with the 20 year old lithium button cell in the Rigel QuikFinder.

[fozzybear]

My telrad is at least 17 years old with the Alloy battery holder  still have the original cardboard box with foam 

[Stu1smartcookie]

ok ... going to have my say . I've owned a telrad ... very good too ... but , and there is a but ... its the worst looking accessory to grace your scope and quite possibly has some of the worst build quality you are likely to come accross . Look , honestly i do like them , but why haven't they made them a lot smaller so people like me can use them on smaller scopes ... oh , wait a sec ... they did .... its called a RIGEL .

[fozzybear]

8 minutes ago, fozzybear said:

My telrad is at least 17 years old with the Alloy battery holder  still have the original cardboard box with foam 

Actually it is more likely 20 years as when back in the UK my son was involved at BAS club in Manchester  we purchased this crikey how time goes by

[fozzybear]

6 minutes ago, Stu1smartcookie said:

ok ... going to have my say . I've owned a telrad ... very good too ... but , and there is a but ... its the worst looking accessory to grace your scope and quite possibly has some of the worst build quality you are likely to come accross . Look , honestly i do like them , but why haven't they made them a lot smaller so people like me can use them on smaller scopes ... oh , wait a sec ... they did .... its called a RIGEL .

when the telrad came to birth it was for the dob community. but to be honest never tried one so cannot comment maybe better. But i am old school

[ollypenrice]

1 hour ago, Stu1smartcookie said:

ok ... going to have my say . I've owned a telrad ... very good too ... but , and there is a but ... its the worst looking accessory to grace your scope and quite possibly has some of the worst build quality you are likely to come accross . Look , honestly i do like them , but why haven't they made them a lot smaller so people like me can use them on smaller scopes ... oh , wait a sec ... they did .... its called a RIGEL .

Hang on, people are saying that they are using the same ones after over twenty years. What can be wrong with the build quality?

They are quite big, yes, but they use proper batteries, not those festering little watch batteries which you can't just buy in a supermarket.

Worst looking accessory? Who is to say. Some people like the look of William Optics telescopes. I think they look as if they belong in a Paris bordello but each to their own.

lly

Edited May 7, 2021 by ollypenrice

[Louis D]

1 hour ago, fozzybear said:

My telrad is at least 17 years old with the Alloy battery holder  still have the original cardboard box with foam 

Still on the original AA batteries?

[Louis D]

7 minutes ago, ollypenrice said:

Hang on, people are saying that they are using the same ones after over twenty years. What can be wrong with the build quality?

They are quite big, yes, but they use proper batteries, not those festering little watch batteries which you can't just buy in 

Yes, easily available and easily corrodible batteries.  Perhaps this isn't an issue in SE France, but it's a big issue in central Texas.  I also had an expensive camera flash and a vintage Viewmaster viewer die this way.  No amount of cleaning contacts will help.

Do you remove the batteries from your Telrad after each use?  I do this with my flashes, laser collimator and other infrequently used, disposable battery operated devices now.

Edited May 7, 2021 by Louis D

[johninderby]

It’s OK to leave the AA batteries in if you are using the Telrad often but remove them if it isn’t going to be used for a while.

I can buy the little coin cell batteries at my local supermarket so not a problem but do prefer something longer lasting.

[ollypenrice]

11 minutes ago, Louis D said:

Yes, easily available and easily corrodible batteries.  Perhaps this isn't an issue in SE France, but it's a big issue in central Texas.  I also had an expensive camera flash and a vintage Viewmaster viewer die this way.  No amount of cleaning contacts will help.

Do you remove the batteries from your Telrad after each use?  I do this with my flashes, laser collimator and other infrequently used, disposable battery operated devices now.

No, I never give it a thought. I've left dead batteries in there on occasion but the holder is a plastic thing and has never minded. I'm quite surprised by this line in the thread. Twenty-odd years on and all is well. On three occasions I've bought smaller red dot finders all of which are now in the bin.

Olly

Edited May 7, 2021 by ollypenrice
typo

[fozzybear]

15 minutes ago, ollypenrice said:

No, I never give it a thought. I've left dead batteries in there on occasion but the holder is a plastic thing and has never minded. I'm quite surprised by this line in the thread. Twenty-odd years on and all is well. On three occasions I've bought smaller red dot finders all of which are now in the bin.

Olly

bins  look what the wife did 

[fozzybear]

expletives removed  the horror on arrival ."honey i've done some cleaning " No sh@t shock sherlock" 

[johninderby]

Just gather all her shoes together and ram them into one box and tell her see what I did for you. 😁

Then duck……..😁😁😁

[fozzybear]

1 minute ago, johninderby said:

Just gather all her shoes together and ram them into one box and tell her see what I did for you. 😁

Then duck……..😁😁😁

thats not possible she has a room full of them believe me

 

[Louis D]

2 hours ago, fozzybear said:

thats not possible she has a room full of them believe me

 

Amazon seems to have a room sized box.

[SuburbanMak]

I’ve mounted a Telrad & a 9x50 finder on my 127 Mak as the field is narrow & I need all the help I can get. The combination was revolutionary, Telrad allows measured star-hops then the finder gives the local field.  Personally I like the “spitfire pilot gunsight” vibe of the Telrad & don’t give a monkey’s about aesthetics if I can reliably find the mind blowing stuff I want to see.
As for dew, yes they fog up all the time but it’s a bit of glass not a lens, may be heresy but I take a bit of kitchen roll & wipe it when needed. 
If it’s dark enough to find what I’m looking for, I can’t see my gear at all - but each to their own

Edited May 8, 2021 by SuburbanMak