Red dot or finder scope?

[glen whitehead]

Hi everyone

I finally got a 130p synscan goto as my first scope and the only trouble i'm having so far is that i try to pick a somewhat isolated star for my alignment to make it easier but then looking through the finder lots more stars appear and although the one which was visible to the naked eye should be brighter there is not always a lot in it. Do i just need more practice or should i get a red dot finder so i still have an isolated star?

Cheers

Glen

[AstroJOE]

A red dot finder would help with this I suppose although I think its more a case of practice to help with this particular problem. In my experience the star you are trying to align to should be fairly obvious through the finder. Try to pick one of the brightest stars you can see, that way it should really stand out in the finder compared to the others you can see. I remember being in a similar position this time last year when I got my first scope but after a few attempts I got the hang of it. Haven't looked back since! Good luck!

[twotter]

Practice makes perfect but I could not get on with the wrong way round, upside down shenanigans with the 9x50 finder scope that came with my 200P dob. I replaced it with a simple red dot finder, with adjustable brightness, which has served me very well. There are a number of other finders which are very popular including Telrads, Rigel Quikfinders, Baader Skysurfers etc...the choice is yours!

Strangely enough I find the 6x30 finder on my refractor to be very easy to use

[msh1]

i had that problem when i first started so i now use a red dot finder so much easier

[nephilim]

+1 for the Telrad, fantastic bit of kit!! but as you've got goto it'd probably be a little redundant, I had an RDF that came with my scope & got along well with it, no inverteed image , easy to align,cheap & shows the sky exactly as ur eye see's it.

[glen whitehead]

Thanks everybody. Guess theres no harm in owning both so i will get a red dot finder but keep the finder scope as well.

[swamp thing]

You will get there with practice, I guess it just depends how patient you are. I used the regular straight through finders for years never knew any different. They always get you to where you wanna be, and as said you do get used to em but, the RACI is a godsend IMO, and far better for navigation. Admittedly after using the old types or so long it took a while to get used to the correct image. I also have a Telrad on my Dob for quick pointing, it's tough to beat. The Telrad is very intuitive and it's tough to say which is best. Perhaps in LP areas a RACI is better and at a dark sky site the Telrad may nudge it.

[rwilkey]

It's best to align your finder scope during the day, align to a distant ariel or church steeple or something, it's much easier to align in daylight. Nothing wrong with straight through finders, many don't get on with red dot finders, although Telrad and Rigel are exceptions. I find the RACI (right angle, corrected image) finder the best for me. I don't get on with red dot finders.

[bingevader]

As everyone has already said, I'd practice first.

Make sure the finder is accurately aligned with the 'scope too.

I haven't used a synscan, but the meade autostar used to give you the option of choosing from the brightest stars in the sky at the time.

If not, get out a star chart, look at stellarium or a planisphere and pick the brightest.

At the moment the contenders would be Capella in Auriga almost right overhead, Procyon in Canis Minor, Castor or Pollux in Gemini.

They are all much brighter than the surrounding stars.

If they're not to low for your site, Rigel in Orion, Regulus in Leo and of course Sirius!

Or, you can't miss them next to their neighbours because of their colour, how about Aldebaran (close to Jupiter atm) or Betelgeuse in Orion.

I know why, but it's a shame 'scopes don't come with the right angle finder as standard!

Cheers

[Alfian]

Hi Glen,

worth clarifying that not all red dor finders are the same! The Telrad and Rigel mentioned have an illuminated concentric "bullseye" projected into the finder. The Telrad is 4 degrees and the Rigel 2 degrees. These are much better to use than the rifle sight type od RDF. I have the Rigel which saved my sanity (arguably) but I can well understand other people similar enthusiasm for the Telrad.

With a Goto and a standard finder you shouldn't really need one - but if you do - I'd go for one of these two.

[ShellShock]

I have just bought a Telrad finder for my telescope, which came with a red dot finder anyway. The Telrad has the advantage of a central red circle instead of a dot, so you position the star in the circle, unlike red dot finders which obscure the star and so are not quite so easy to use. But the Telrad is much bigger. I don't know why it needs to be so long, as all the clever bits seem to be at one end, batteries at the other, with a lot of nothing in between.

[munro]

I have the same problem as OP so just ordered a Telrad on recommendation of forum members.

[emadmoussa]

I think it's a matter of personal preference. Personally, I'd go for a finderscope.

[gkec]

I have both. If I can't see the target in the viewfinder I use the red dot finder. My previous telescope was a Newtonian and I found the finder really hard to use being at the aperture end. I realise now a right angled eyepiece adapter or moving it to the mirror end would have helped.

[Moonshane]

I use a Telrad and a right angle correct image finder on all my scopes. that said your scope is relatively small so both may be a problem and a Rigel Quikfinder may be better. I definitely find the right angle finder works well.

When using straight finders (assuming it's already aligned properly) you'll find it easier to keep both eyes open. try it on Jupiter and strangely it works.

[tich]

I couldn't get on with my straight through finder so I tried a right angled finder thinking that would help but it didn't so ended up fitting a Telrad & found it so much easier. I do use the straight through finder on the Refractor & I find it much easier for some strange reason.

[Planetesimal]

The reason I think some people prefer the straight through to RACI finder is that you can keep an eye open and see the background sky, whereas with RACI you're looking perpendicular to the direction of the 'scope.

That said I prefer to use the RACI combined with a Telrad. Start with the Telrad to get centred on the right area, then switch to RACI for finer adjustments (comparing to S&T atlas) and finally to the EP - your target should be right there, all going well!

[Catweazel]

I use a RACI and a Telrad om my 2 larger scopes & A RACI and RDF on my Megrez 72; I find the RDF & Telrad an immense help, particularly the Telrad.

[Lenny147]

RDF and Telrad combo

[bendiddley]

i've got both, a rigel quikfinder and a 9x50 raci finder scope and use them both every night i observe, sometimes i don't need to use the 9x50 as the rigel gets me where i want to be, but mostly i use the rigel to get me in the right direction and the finderscope to fine tune. good luck with it all