updating finder scope

[Astro-Nova]

I seen people talking about updating their finder scope.

Why is this important? I mean, I thought it was just aim (finderscope) and fire (telescope).

Is this because some objects are not visible to find with a standard finder scope?

[Tinker1947]

There are many types of finders, the RDF the 9X50 they work to a degree, when you get to finding objects that are a bit on the dim side it can get a bit difficult, so thats when you start looking at a better bit of Kit, I like the Telrad, the free maps, the way its built into Stellarium, so that would be my choice, other people have there own ideas. But my memory's of aim the finder then fire the scope, it was never that easy...

[brantuk]

A lot of folks upgrade a straight through finder to a right angled one purely for viewing comfort or to ease back and neck strain. Some prefer a corrected image rather than upside down and wrong way round becuse it's easier for them to find stuff, you can also get them in different sizes with different magnifications and fov's.

Some add red dot finders or Telrads, graduated reticles and illuminated reticles. You can get some quite sophisticated designs that enable you to change eyepieces and/or take measurements of distances to objects. There are many reasons

[paul schofield]

I intend to upgrade mine soon, and this is purely for ease of use and comfort.

[RikM]

I have upgraded to a right angle one for comfort and added a QuikFinder next to it because it makes star hopping easier if you know which star you are starting from.

Unless it is a recognisable double or strongly coloured, through a finder scope one star looks much like any other, so I find myself getting confused exactly which star the scope is pointing at. With a QuikFinder or other RDF type thing, this is easily solved. You always know where you are pointing.