Baader Vario 13x60 vs Stellarvue Finderscope.

[Pingster]

I am looking to upgrade my finder scope. Which of these two has the best opyical quality and edge of field sharpness. I am prepared to put a 16mm nagler or 24mm pans.

Also can the baader be change to have. 90deg erect image diaginal?

Thanks xD

[johninderby]

I found that while the Stellarvue had good optics I wasn't all that impressed. Good yes, but not what I'd call exceptional. Haven't tried the Baader but there have been some pretty disparaging reviews of it.

I prefer the Lumicon 50 Super Finder over the Stellarvue 60, Not cheap but it can be used in straight through or RA mode and far better build quality.

http://www.lumicon.com/astronomy-accessories.php?cid=3

Of course for the ultimate finder there's the Lumicon 80, but you could buy an 80mm APO for the same price.

John

[johninderby]

Ahh.......the lack of edit.

Forgot to mention I've also had the 50mm Stellarvue and I found the Stellarue 50 optics were better than he 60mm.

John

[Pingster]

Thanks for the recommendation. Can anyone else suggest a great finder scope that can double as a minimal coma RFT to piggy back on a 12in and a 16in dob. My budget is £500. Thanks.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I built a big finder from a cheap 70mm F/5 achromat. Works a treat as a finder. Not the greatest optical quality, but that is in part due to the Erfle cross-hair EP. Details here (although I now have a 90 deg amici prism):

You could go for an ST80 of course. TS also have a 12x80 finder for 239 euro (80mm F=330mm with 1.25" EP fitting)

[johninderby]

One little scope worth considering is the Revelation 4-Element 62mm Refractor at only £139.00. Small and light but very well built and would make a great finder as well as a nice little travel scope.

http://www.telescope...or__Black_.html

John

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

A 520mm focal length and 1.25" focuser yields a 21.6x magnification and 3.1deg FOV using a 24mm Panoptic (compared to 16.6x and 4.08 deg FOV for an ST80). The magnification is a bit high, and the FOV a bit tight for a finder, in my opinion. Good travel scope, however.

[Pingster]

Thanks again . I think i did a bad job of exsplaining what im after. Lets start over.

Budget £500

looking for a quality richfield scope (idearly APO) that can be used as a finder, but will be mainly used as a low mag rich field scope piggy backed onto a 12in and 16in dob.

I like to have a low poer view for showing friends what the yltarget looks like naked eye, then show it to friends at low mag, then use te dob for the close up. I finding viewing like this is a very satisfying experience as it puts "scale to what is being seen in the dob.

Would like an APO with minimal coma. Will use 24mm panoptic eyepiece.

90deg diaginal "correct view" essential.

I already have a telrad as the main "finder".

I normally read lot of reviews but i find that can lead to error as one tends to read outdated reviews.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Coma is generally not the biggest problem in apo scopes. How about this offer from TS:

http://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/language/en/info/p5445_TS-ED-APO-70-420mm---2--Crayford-1-10---Carbon-Tubus---Koffer.html

It can even hold 2" EPs (and there is a correct image diagonal for that too). If my experience with the 80mm F/6 is anything to go by (mine is APM branded, but the same as the TS) it should be fine.

[Pingster]

Hey Micheal thanks for your help, i bought the one you recommended from TS.

Sadly upon delivery today i noticed it had huge scratches on the side and somthing loose and rattleing inside the housing of the scope.

The sharpness indeed is good. However the edge stars are not good at all. I used a 31nag and 17ethos and both had bad coma, or what appears to be coma.

I hope the coma issue is becuase this scope is faulty. They are sending me out a replacement on monday.

Will report back.

[Pingster]

Btw, i thought reflectors did not suffer from edge smeared stars? TS sell a field flattener and they claim it can be used for visual use. Has anyone tried it and does it fix the edge stars?

[Andyfx]

@Pingster. I have that very same carbon tube scope and it is indeed lovely, you are right however in that it will require a field flattener. I bought the Skywatcher flattener from FLO and am still getting the corner star issue, which I believe to be due to the spacing between my flattener and dslr. You may find though that by using eyepieces you don't get this issue. I will post again once I have a clear night and have tried the spacers.

[Pingster]

Hey Andy, thanks for the reply and lookig forward to seeing your results. I use the scope only for visual, and hemce the smeared edge stars are very disturbing.

The TS flattener apearsvto work differently than other designs i have seen. The otherd looks like it will be impossible to achieve infinity focus.

From what i can see on TS website. You would unscrew the tube from your diaginal, the side that goes into the focuser. Then screw on the flattener. As it does not effect th FL, it does not effect the way the scope focuses. Anyone else can help?

[Andyfx]

Well by using a 30mm spacer after my flattener, the corner stars are almost perfect with my dslr. I need more time to fiddle but the forecast is rain for the next week unfortunately :-(

Not sure about your focus to infinity question, sure someone can help though.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I use the TS Flattener in my 80mm F/6, and it works well for visual by screwing it into the diagonal (especially with the 31T5, for the 22T4 I notice no difference). It came with a spacing assembly for imaging (have not used that yet). Disturbing to hear you first got a faulty scope (scratches, etc). Not good at all!

[alan potts]

I have the Baader Vario Finder and i am not happy with it at all. I have sent it back and TS in Germany were happy to say it was good enough which neither me of the local dealer agreed with. They sent it to Baader who made a special selection for me. It is not good, not for for 360 Euros with holder. However when I remove the prisum and eyepiece and replace with my own it is really nice. Lets face it we are being ripped off too much, this in my opinion is one example of over price gear, don't buy one, I did and regret it!

What I have done for quality is to buy the 70mm Ed carbon fibre refractor with short F/L from TS ( sorry i have to go through them of pay the earth ) and just use a normal eyepiece. I soon got used to no recticale.

Alan.

[Pingster]

Alan, thanks for the input, i am sure others will find your experience useful. I can't believe somthing with Carl Ziess name on it could be so bad. I was so close to buying it reading their marketing stuff. Lucky this forum got me on the right track.

As for my TS Individual ED APO 70/420mm - 2", TS told me that the flattener is best for visual only as the spacers need to be changed for each eyepiece.

I felt i would not be happy with this scope even as a finder as the stars are no perfect dots... but smear very badly 50% out of the FOV and onwards.

For daytime use.... this scope is amazing, no complaints there, but for astro... it lacks the perfection i was looking for.

TS have recommended the TS Super Apo 80/480mm F/6 - Triplet FPL-53, im going to give it a go and report back her.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I have the 80mm F/6 (but APM branded), and the views with a 31T5 Nagler are fine down to the edges, so the FOV of a Panoptic 24 should be fine.