telrad viewfinders

[Bendeavour]

I don't understand why they are so popular, from what I've seen my stock viewfinder is better because it magnifies

[steve_bham]

Telrads are useful if you want to star hop as you can use the rings to jump a set number of degrees etc.

They also give u the sky as u see it with out inverting the image etc

[long_arms]

Since I have gotten a telrad I cannot remember the last time I looked through the stock finder scope!

I am sure it is different for everyone but it has enabled me as a beginner to find many deep sky objects that I frustratingly could not find with the 9 x 50.

I just print off a chart from cdc (which puts the telrad's FOV on top) and use that outside.

I suppose unlike other red dot finders you can actually see what you are pointing at thanks to the inner circle rather than a dot.

Dan

[Bendeavour]

thanks, maybe I should get one as they sound very useful!

[long_arms]

Whilst I found the ring nebula and andromeda and a couple of other obvious deep sky objects I completely failed to find the globular clusters around hercules with the stock finder. First night out with a telrad I got both of them first time!

Someone more skilled than me could find everything in the catalogues without one I'm sure, but as a beginner it really did make life easier. I haven't tried any other red dot finders so can't comment on how good they really are.

Stellarium also has a plugin which puts the telrad fov on top of whatever you are looking at. I can't recommend a telrad enough! ( pretty obviously )

Dan

[Lenny147]

Dont knock them till you have tried them, great bit of kit

[MorningMajor]

A Telrad sat next to a magnifying finder scope and the worlds at your (freezing) fingertips!

[Bendeavour]

A Telrad sat next to a magnifying finder scope and the worlds at your (freezing) fingertips!

What a good idea

[cs1cjc]

I have used a Telrad for some time on my Newtonians, but I could not see how it would fit on the new 120mm refractor. Kindly, Father Christmas brought me a little red dot finder which I find just as useful, in some ways easier to use and is better made. I use no finder at all with the little 70mm, with which the 24mm ES68 gives nearly 4 degrees.

[Lee M]

A Telrad sat next to a magnifying finder scope and the worlds at your (freezing) fingertips!

Keep a couple of fingers warm as you'll need them to melt the frost on your Telrad window so you can see through it a bit

[UHF]

I have one and never found it any help in heavily light polluted skies. i have whole areas where there are no visible stars with the naked eye so its impossible to use. i can't star hop without magnification, either that or a huge telrad to bridge the expanse!

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

[LeeB]

as above , you need to try one, I can hit 80-90% of previous finds first time. Its like you have a picture in your head for each and the next time you remember it. Hope that makes sence. I also make my own sights as I like a larger screen than on the telrad.

great things telrads , especially with a normal finder alongside when searching new finds.

[jason.p]

I would imagine the Telrad alongside a RACI finder would be the ideal set up, I find it quite difficult to turn things round in my head I'm sure the Telrad is going to be brilliant for starhopping.

I find dew is a problem, even with a dew shield. I find a hair drier set on cool (I'm fortunate in having a mains supply nearby) does the job.

[Carbon Brush]

I have used both Telrad and the (less popular) Rigel Quikfinder.

I got on better with the Rigel so sold the Telrad.

It is often used in conjunction with a 9x50 RACI.

You can't please everyone with one finder type.

[CSM]

Everyone has to find the best way of working. Often it depends on both the kit and the location, especially the level of light pollution. I didn't find a red dot finder much help and ended up with a Telrad and a 9 x 50 finderscope. Used together they worked very well for finding objects.

[jabberwocky]

I tend to use my telrad as a RDF, too much light pollution at home to use it as it should be. It sits just the other side of my RACI on a 4 inch riser.

[nephilim]

Telrad all the way for me.

[brantuk]

As mentioned - Telrads are great for star hopping a manual scope - you tend to find that most large dob owners predominantly star hop and they nearly all have a Telrad on them. Some like to have a finder (straight through or raf/raci) as well. Telrads do need to be used from a dark site though - they don't magnify so can be rendered useless in light polluted areas. But it's all down to personal preference in the end.

[yesteryeargames]

Hi

Is it possible to mount an iphone right next to a telrad finder,

in a car gps style mount,

Then use an app that offers realtime gps gyro starhopping, so as you point at the sky you can use both the telrad and iphone as a manual go to system ?