Advice on mounting a finderscope and guidescope

[Belcher]

Hi. I am looking for some help. What I want to do is the following:

1) Mount my Revelation Advance Red Dot Finder onto my Skywatcher ED80 Pro

2) Mount my existing Skywatcher finderscope onto my Skywatcher ED80 Pro

3) Ensure that they can be easily removed to enable the OTA to go back into its ally case

The original finderscope has been converted to a guidescope with a QHY5 guide camera. The RDF has a shoe that allows it to fit where the original finder goes.

So, how do I do it? I have looked through the various dovetails available to see what I can mount along the top of the OTA tube rings to allow one or the other to clip onto it, but cannot see anything. The RDF has no sticky pad base, and I would rather not use them anyway. So I need a way of mounting two of the mini wedge type shoes onto a scope that currently has one bracket.

Help?

[Bizibilder]

You may be ablt to put a simple aluminium bar across the tube rings on top of the main scope. Something like a piece of 6mmx50mm (1/4" x 2") should do. You could then mount the finder and guide scope onto that? It may mean a bit of "metal bashing" but it will work.

[Belcher]

Thanks for the reply.

I have figured that perhaps the best way is to mount a Mini Dovetail System bar across the two threaded holes at the top of the OTA rings on the main scope. The Red Dot Finder will then clamp onto that, plus give me flexibility to add other accessories as and when needed. The original finder (now a guider) can then stay where it belongs.

However, I cannot find anywhere that sells just the MDS bar. I can only find places selling the bar plus rings, or the bar plus something else. As these are quite expensive, I would rather not fork out only to never use the other parts and just the bar. I only need the MDS bar. Any pointers where I can get this from (in the UK)?

Cheers

[Belcher]

Anyone help me out there with my question on my previous post. I wonder if i type in invisible ink sometimes you know! I have even emailed 2 of our favorite suppliers and had no reply either. Feeling lonely here. Please help

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2

[Odd Thomas]

ADM do list them as a seperate part, in different lengths, so an ADM dealer in the UK should be able to get one for you. They seem VERY expensive for what they are though. Is there not a small Engineering workshop near you that could mill one for you? Might be more cost effective.

Tom

[johninderby]

Would these findershoes for mounting on tube rings be what you are looking for?

TS Optics finder shoe (for Vixen, Skywatcher...) with flat base

http://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p2734_TS-Optics-finder-shoe--for-Vixen--Skywatcher-----with-flat-base.html

John

[Belcher]

Thanks people. That last link and image looks promising, but it comes up in German. Or at least that's what it looks like ?

[johninderby]

Try this link

http://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/language/en/info/p2734_TS-Optics-finder-shoe--for-Vixen--Skywatcher-----with-flat-base.html

John

[JamesF]

They come up on astroboot every so often, too. I've picked up a couple of spares for projects for little more than a few quid.

James

[Belcher]

The bars or the finder shoe James?