Finderscope upgrade

[Stargazer_00]

hi all,

I currently have a standard SW 6x30 finderscope

First Light Optics - Skywatcher Explorer 150P EQ3-2 / EQ3 PRO GOTO

I would like to upgrade it to something with a wider FOV, and perhaps a slightly different targetting system. The cross hairs are kinda annoying in that they occlude what you want to point at and are difficult to see in dark skies...

I looked at telrads on FLO and although they are rated highly im not sure if thats what I want. Can anyone shed some operational advice on good finderscopes? I'm open to the telrad I think...

Ideally id want something that sits in the same mounts as the current finderscope (mine is the scope in that link above)

EDIT: I wouldnt mind being able to remove the finderscope and use it as a low power telescope on its own. I occasionally do this when I want to just sit in a deck chair and look up, it helps add a little more detail to what I'm seeing, pity its all upside down. too tight to shell out for a decent set of bins for this task so ideally a finderscope that works for this function too would be useful.

[Tinker1947]

Think about a Telrad, there popular and there's a load of free maps, and there circles are inbuilt in Stellarium, my Scope came with a 9 X 50 but doesn't get much use, not sure if anything bigger than what you have will be a real benefit.

[Stargazer_00]

Does a telrad provide any magnification? I just got the impression it was like a HUD over whatyou can see with your naked eye?

[symesie04]

No the Telrad has no magnification as far as im aware. Strangely im looking to go the other way from you. I have a red dot finder and hate it. I synched it all nice with the scope during daylight hours, however come use time I can never match where i had my eye during synch. In fact every time i try to use it my eye seems to be at a different point and i just end up slewing the scope about with a low power EP trying to find the things i want. Very frustrating. So im going the other way and getting a straight through 9 x 50 i think.

[ollypenrice]

A Telrad is for getting to within a degree or so and that it does briliantly, better than any other reflex sight I've tried. Having circles, it does not obscure the target and the circles give an indication of scale on the sky, which dots obviously don't.

An illuminated finder is nice and the bigger the better, providing the FOV remains wide enough. Holding a red light across the objective is a good quick way of illuminating the reticle. Altair Astro do a nice 60mm finder which is illuminated.

What I do is this, on the scopes without Telrads; I use a common or garden 50 or 60mm finder and begin by firing a green laser through it. This is pointed in the same direction as the main scope so that gets me close. Then I centre up in the finder, illuminating it with a red light as above.

Olly

[Stargazer_00]

i dont get the ratings for finderscopes, what is the first and last part of the sum? a 9 x 50 is 9 degrees FOV and 50x mag?

Personally I want to keep a straight through. I just would like to increase the FOV a little and up the mag a fraction

[Stargazer_00]

A Telrad is for getting to within a degree or so and that it does briliantly, better than any other reflex sight I've tried. Having circles it does not obscure the target and the circles give an indication of scale on the sky, which dots obviously don't.

An illuminated finder is nice and the bigger the better providing the FOV remains wide enough. Holding a red light across the objective is a good quick way of iluminating the reticle. Altair Astro do a nice 60mm finder which is illuminated.

What I do is this, on the scopes without Telrads; I use a common or garden 50 or 60mm finder and begin by firing a green laser through it. This is pointed in the same drection as the mains scope so that gets me close. Then I centre up in the finder, illuminating it with a red light as above.

Olly

Hang on a sec... so you use a low power telescope on its own mount and fire a laser pen through it, presumably this is clearly visible when left projecting the point beam on it own.

You then align to that laser point using a finderscope on your main telescope.

Is that the technique you are describing?

[symesie04]

i dont get the ratings for finderscopes, what is the first and last part of the sum? a 9 x 50 is 9 degrees FOV and 50x mag?

Personally I want to keep a straight through. I just would like to increase the FOV a little and up the mag a fraction

Other way round. 9 is the magnification, 50 the field of view. Same as bins.

[Stargazer_00]

great, thank you

[Thirdway]

I use the Rigel. Only had a a week or so and it's superb. I can find objects really fast now. I have the standard star finder on the scope and use the Rigel to get close ( usually I can get it spot on with just the Rigel), and if needed use the magnified finder for the final nudge, did that once the other night.

[ismangil]

If you want something that can double as a refractor, search for Altair Astro 12x60 finder with interchangeable eyepieces.

Perry on mobile (so blame strange words on text prediction!)