Synta finder shoes

[Moonshane]

Hi all

the standard Skywatcher finder shoes seem always to be made the wrong way round to me. The shoes is like this

with a cut out for the tab which is on the back / bottom of the finder bracket

Does anyone know why they are made this way round? It would seem more logical to me to have the tab and cut out at the top/front given this would provide a 'safety catch' in the event that the finder thumbscrew is/becomes loose.

Cheers

Shane

[philthy]

I had the same thoughts, after my finder fell out. I managed to catch it so it did not hit the ground, but it scratched my dob.

I now check that it is tight every time I get the scope out.

[alan potts]

Shane,

Could not agree more, I have 2 Baader shoes which are the same as the SW I have but just look a bit better and cost three times as much. The times I have wondered the same. Meade LX 200 is the other way around and it works, whether that is by design or just me I don't know, it seems you could put it on either way.

Give us a wave when I land tomorrow at 1500.

Alan.

[Stargazer_00]

weather's good at the moment Alan. i have clear skies for the rest of the week it seems!

[John]

You are right about it not being entirely logical design. A lot of Skywatcher / Synta stuff was a direct copy of what Vixen were doing in Japan around a decade or more ago. The finder shoe on my Vixen looks just the same as the Skywatcher design.

[JamesF]

I guess having the foot located the way it is means that it's easy to make the shoe as part of the focuser assembly on a 'frac.

James

[Stargazer_00]

This may sound dumb but Synta refractors have integrated shoes in the focuser. If you attempted to insert a Synta bracket into that arrangement I dont think it would work very well as the focusers are tapered. I hope that sort of makes sense?

Obviously for manufaturing purposes they create them all the same shape and so the legacy design required to allow the design to function on a refractor is forced to perpetuate across all their scopes.

[Stargazer_00]

beaten to it

[E621Keith]

You are right about it not being entirely logical design. A lot of Skywatcher / Synta stuff was a direct copy of what Vixen were doing in Japan around a decade or more ago. The finder shoe on my Vixen looks just the same as the Skywatcher design.

I think it's intuitive to install finder from the eyepiece end. The stop is to prevent people from pushing the finder all the way through. Furthermore, Vixen and SW refractors have integrated finder shoe in the focuser. Often the focuser diameter is smaller than the main tube, so you will not be able to use a front fitted finder shoe in it.

http://www.telescope-service.com/vixen/refractors/refractors.html

Skywatcher's finder shoe is not a direct copy of Vixen. Vixen's shoe is slightly narrower and finder with SW dovetail base will not fit in a Vixen's shoe, at least not the current one.

Recently I bought a scope with a Vixen like finder shoe (but even narrower). The finder slot into place from the front. I found that very strange, may be because I'm got used to the SW format.

[E621Keith]

This may sound dumb but Synta refractors have integrated shoes in the focuser. If you attempted to insert a Synta bracket into that arrangement I dont think it would work very well as the focusers are tapered. I hope that sort of makes sense?

Obviously for manufaturing purposes they create them all the same shape and so the legacy design required to allow the design to function on a refractor is forced to perpetuate across all their scopes.

Oops, didn't see this post earlier.

[Macavity]

If you are using the same finder in the one shoe, maybe give a quick burst with a power drill (smaller diameter bit) through the hole, with the finder in place? This creates a small indentation on the finder base, allowing the thumbscrew more positive purchase. Maybe even "sharpen" the screw... But personal ingenuity rules on this one.

[Moonshane]

all good stuff, thanks. I suppose it does make sense in a way given the incorporation of the finder shoe into the focuser casting on many scopes. to make two types would seem wasteful in some respects so that must be the reason.

[Stargazer_00]

it's decisions like this that keep their costs low which is good for all of us really. the lower they keep the costs the more accessible the hobby becomes and therefore the more takeup there is and ultimately the lower the prices should get as the country gets more buying power

[Moonshane]

agreed!

[Macavity]

I'd even quibble with the basic placement of most finders. With the objective of scope balance, the finder invariably stands out like a *sore thumb* (sic)! Moving it "on axis" (both axes) solves so many problems. One rarely has to flit between eyepiece and finder anyway? Relocation... relocation...

[rwilkey]

Moonlite focusers have two Synta shoes attached, I've always found them OK and attach my finder when the telescope is facing slightly downwards to ensure it is screwed in tight before raising the telescope. See attached photo, looks like the one that was on the FLO website, that's because that's the one I bought:

[Stargazer_00]

I wish newts came with 2 synta shoes on them. I have a RACI coming for my dob which means I need a straight through of some sort to get the first star to begin hopping inthe RACI. This means I have to use my Telrad, which id sooner not use instead I'd rather have a straight through finder of some kind but dont want to drill another finder shoe onto the OTA and devalue it's resale value.

I was thinking of creating a sight tube and sticking it to a parallel flat surface on the RACI and just looking through that. Like a drinking straw or something. I saw a similar idea for narrow sight tubes integrated into spotting scopes.

[John]

My old Intes MN61 Mak-newtonian had two finder mounting points provided as standard. If you were using the scope on an EQ mount and one finder position became awkward, you could quickly switch the finder in it's mount from to the other and the machining was accurate enough that the finder was still accurately aligned with the main scope after move. Nice piece of design, that.

[rwilkey]

I wish newts came with 2 synta shoes on them. I have a RACI coming for my dob which means I need a straight through of some sort to get the first star to begin hopping inthe RACI. This means I have to use my Telrad, which id sooner not use instead I'd rather have a straight through finder of some kind but dont want to drill another finder shoe onto the OTA and devalue it's resale value.

I was thinking of creating a sight tube and sticking it to a parallel flat surface on the RACI and just looking through that. Like a drinking straw or something. I saw a similar idea for narrow sight tubes integrated into spotting scopes.

Surely you get the star (or your align object) in the main scope to start with, and then align the finder to it, why do you need another finder to align the new finder? RACI's are no different to align than any other finder, or have I misunderstood your meaning?

[Mr Fiery Jack]

I have spare Baader shoe from a Sky Surfer V RDF if you need one Shane. Much better quality than SW

[Stargazer_00]

Surely you get the star (or your align object) in the main scope to start with, and then align the finder to it, why do you need another finder to align the new finder? RACI's are no different to align than any other finder, or have I misunderstood your meaning?

Hi Robin,

What I meant was I can't use just a RACI as it's impossible (in my opinion) to orient the scope without looking along the scopes body and pointing it at a star, like how you use a telrad. Once you are on the spot you want to start from (pick random bright star) then go to the RACI and hop along in greater comfort here and then when finally at your destination transfer to eyepiece.

What I want to do is not need a Telrad. Ideally I'd stuck a second straight through finder on the OTA and use that to get my first point and then follow the process described above.

I dont want to have to screw into my OTA to fit a second finder so I either use the telrad or come up with some other way to locate the first star to hop from. I was considering sticking a straw to the RACI and looking through the straw as a crude zero point finder to ensure the scope is roughly oriented on a starting star and then move to the RACI to navigate as described and then view at eyepiece.

Hope that makes more sense this time

Graham

[Moonshane]

cheers matey - sent a pm

[Moonshane]

Hi Robin,

What I meant was I can't use just a RACI as it's impossible (in my opinion) to orient the scope without looking along the scopes body and pointing it at a star, like how you use a telrad. Once you are on the spot you want to start from (pick random bright star) then go to the RACI and hop along in greater comfort here and then when finally at your destination transfer to eyepiece.

What I want to do is not need a Telrad. Ideally I'd stuck a second straight through finder on the OTA and use that to get my first point and then follow the process described above.

I dont want to have to screw into my OTA to fit a second finder so I either use the telrad or come up with some other way to locate the first star to hop from. I was considering sticking a straw to the RACI and looking through the straw as a crude zero point finder to ensure the scope is roughly oriented on a starting star and then move to the RACI to navigate as described and then view at eyepiece.

Hope that makes more sense this time

Graham

could you not buy two finder shoes and make a dovetail for the existing shoe with some 5mm thick ali flat bar and connect the two shoes?

personally I use a Telrad to get around this problem.

[Stargazer_00]

I do have a telrad already but am fast developing an irrational phobia for all things powered. I should just get on with it really and be grateful I have it and use it!