Finderscopes

[Kedvenc]

It seems to me that the finderscope always ends up in the most difficult to access position. I've got a skywatcher explorer 200p on an Eq5 mount with the finder that came with it. How do people generally use their scope? Is there a position in the holders that works best or do you have to keep turning the OTA and re-balancing etc

[Carbon Brush]

Sorry but turning the OTA is part of living with a newt.

If you buy another ring, you can fix this firmly to the tube, just above a mount ring. Then to rotate the tube you slacken the mount rings and the tube doesn't fall to the floor. This reduces the rebalancing.

However, if you get really into balancing, you will see that rotating the tube moves the finder and focusser relative to the mount, so introduces some change in balance.

Visually the mount and scope combination you have will perform OK off balance so stopping the tube falling down is the main consideration.

Hope this is useful.

[Kedvenc]

thanks for the reply. Using another ring is something I must do to make it easier to rotate the OTA. The other problem that winds me up is the finderscope being in awkward positions meaning I'm often my knees using the 'wrong' eye etc.

[Zachariah]

You could buy a right angle finder.

[Moonshane]

Sorry but turning the OTA is part of living with a newt.

maybe owning an EQ mounted newt. the eyepiece angle on my dobs never changes.