Have to buy a finder - Telrad, Rigel or Red dot? Also dovetail for Skymax 127

[roarke80]

Hi, another newbie with my first scope setup. Have a skymax 127 arriving soon without a finder and need to get hold of one.

Have managed to find a secondhand Telrad for about the same price as a brand new Rigel from FLO. Are Telrads really twice as good as Rigel Quikfinders? The skymax 127 is pretty small, should I go for the smaller Rigel?

Or should I get a red point finder, or even a stock optical one? This is my first scope so I'm thinking I might need more help with finding my way?

Also, does anyone know if I need to buy a dovetail bar to fit the Skymax 127 onto my EQ3-2 mount?

Thanks!

[John]

Telrads are great but Rigel Quickfinders are 90% as good and don't take up so much room on the tube of the scope - the Mak 127 has a small tube !.

As an alternative the Baader Skysurfer III finder is a great single red dot finder and comes with a number of bases including one which fits into the standard Skywatcher finder mounting shoe.

First Light Optics (see link at the top of the page) sell these finders plus dovetail bars.

[AWR]

The 127 Mak should fit straight onto a EQ3-2.

I use both a Rigel Quikfinder and a 9x50 finderscope on both my mak and my dob. I find the quikfinder brilliant for getting in the general area and the finderscope invaluable for finding dimmer guide stars against my orange London sky.

Andrew

[Sarah]

I really like the Rigel. Not used a Telrad so can't compare. As John says, the Rigel takes up little space. As well as the small footprint, I also like that it is very lightweight.

[Cornelius Varley]

If you have purchased the 127OTA you will need to get a dovetail bar First Light Optics - Replacement mounting bar for Skywatcher Skymax 127 OTA

Peter

[AWR]

If you have purchased the 127OTA you will need to get a dovetail bar First Light Optics - Replacement mounting bar for Skywatcher Skymax 127 OTA

Peter

The 127 Mak should fit straight onto a EQ3-2.

Andrew

My mistake. As Peter said!

Andrew

[Catweazel]

I have a telrad on my frac, and they are quite a size, but work very well. I also have a red dot finder on my 200P and that works well too. On your smaller scope I would probably go for a red dot.

[Jarndyce]

I'd also recommend the Rigel due to its small footprint. Build quality is a bit questionable. It all feels a bit cheap'n'nasty, but I haven't any trouble with it. Worth getting the AA battery pack.

[AWR]

I'd also recommend the Rigel due to its small footprint. Build quality is a bit questionable. It all feels a bit cheap'n'nasty, but I haven't any trouble with it. Worth getting the AA battery pack.

It does look and feel cheap and nasty but it does work and keeps on working. I've had no trouble with either of mine (except for when I've forgotten to turn them off an dthe battery has gone flat)

Andrew

[paul schofield]

It's a shame you can't try before you buy, or can you? My first scope had a RDF I thought it was simplicity itself in design, but found it next to useless. Good luck with your choice of finder. I think it's a personal choice really. I believe the SkyWatcher 9x50 finder is so much better & more reliable than the red dot thingy. Some swear by the RDF, some hate them. I am part of the latter.

[rory]

i had no finder at all on my scope ,so all locating was done with a low mag e/p. a month or so ago i got a telrad, and its helped me locate most objects in a fraction of the time,sometimes litterally seconds.

[roarke80]

Thanks for all your replies guys. I suppose I'm definitely going for either a Telrad / Rigel. Right now I'm gearing for the Rigel cos it's smaller like you guys said, but is there a reason why the Telrad is twice the price of the Rigel? Is it much better built?

Thanks so much for the heads up on the dovetail adaptor, i didn't know that!!

[dmahon]

I prefer a "gun" type MRF red dot finder. You can usually pick them up for about £30-40 (the cheapest one [although they are very similar, just branded differently as they come out the Chinese factory] is also branded Rigel, funnily enough, and sold through Pulsar Optical)