Finding objects with a Newtonian

[alan potts]

Firstly I know my scope is not a Newtonian but it has the same drawback for me at least. With an angled finder and the same sort of arrangement with the scope I find it very difficult to point it at say Saturn and get it on target.

With a FOV on the finder I would have though most things would be difficult to miss, but I seem to be able to do it. With the refractors and the SC it is not a problem because you are looking up the tube.

I know it is a Goto but I rarely use it as such, it is just to much messing for me most of the time. So all you Newtonian users, any tips on pointing and hitting the target first time, without having to get on knees and siight the scope that way?

Alan.

[ronin]

Hate to say it but set up and use the goto. If setting it up is not a problem and if then it does locate and place the objects in view then get used to it.

To me we do astronomy to observe things, we are observers, to not see anything is pretty pointless at the end of the day.

Went to an observing night not too long back and something like 80% of the scopes were goto's, so like them or not they must be doing something right.

[Ouroboros]

Is the right angled finder scope the problem. Would a straight through be easier? Mine is a straight through and I don't have your problem.

My problem in not having GOTO is finding things I can't see by eye. I can spend ages star hopping around until I find a fainter object.

[Radar2312]

I too have a straight through finder and don't encounter this problem, anything I can see by eye, I can get straight on to.

[nightfisher]

Have you considered a Telrad red dot reflex finder

[todd8137]

Hi from me and echoes the above about a telrad or some gadget like hat also try and learn your constelations it the number one thing every seems to miss ,its a lot easier to find things ,if you no were to look to start with

so as well as getting a telrad angle finders and all the rest. Learn the constelation as its easier to find thkngs once you no those hope you have fun doing it

pat

[Mattscar]

+1 for a straight through finder.

Or, find yourself a terrestrial landmark/point that you can easily see from your observing site and use that to align the finder first before you head skyward, that way you still may not be 100% accurate but atleast you'll be in the right area.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

On my old Newtonian I had a home-made straight-through 10x50 finder. That got me most targets easily. On my C8 I first aim at a bright star with the 6x30 straight-through finder, preferably low in the sky so I do not need to kneel, centre the object in the main scope (first with eth Nagler 31T5, and refine with the XW10, and then align the 14x70 RACI. Once aligned, I do all my searches with the RACI without problems.

[chiltonstar]

I have similar problems with any scope, not just a newt. For me, the combination of a straight through 10x50 finder + a red dot finder works best (taped on the 10x50). I use the rdf to point to the right place in the sky, and then the optical finder to find the object or nearby star.

Chris

[Tinker1947]

Stick a Telrad on it,,,,,your not be sorry......

[alan potts]

Thanks,

I like the striagth through idea and can give it a try without any problem I have one on the Meade, just forgot it. I could also put on a red dot finder but it is a closed tube and the RD had a different shoe to all my others which are now standard.

I am sure it is the rightangle that was the problem but wondered if someone had a instant fix that worked.

Ronin, I know to use the Goto is the answer but I don't need these things to locate the likes of Saturn and Antares and the Moon, I was doing a test with eyepieces and didn't want to waste time. Goto's though are good things but only for stuff you can't see. I have to say of the two I have i think the Meade is streets ahead of the SW version.

Alan

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Does your right angle finder produce a correct image? I find that much nicer to work with than straight through, especially around zenith.

One thing I have done is to insert my finder specs into the Ocular plug-in of Stellarium. I can then print maps which show the view through the finder scope. That really helps

[moffer]

Rigel Quickfinder 9x50 RACI combination works a treat for me.

[swamp thing]

On my 10" Dob I use a RACI finder along side a Telrad on a 2" riser bracket. This keeps one off ones hands and knees.

They do make a 4" riser bracket which I reckon would be even better. This may well be my next purchase

[Stargazer_00]

No way to align a scope efficiently using only a raci. You must have some form of finder you look through aligned to the scope but that you can also see the sky with. a zero point finder works best with a raci and and is only to get you close and the raci is used to do the hopping it needn't be a telrad. a Rigel qf is as good for this function and is much lighter and has a smaller footprint.

I'll be getting rqf to go on my new dob with a raci. For sure.

[Moonshane]

if it won't annoy anyone you can shine a laser down the finder and it points at the sky (apparently - never tried it). I would be lost without my telrad and raci 9x50.

[Ouroboros]

Funny, I was thinking of getting a right angled finder because sometimes I can't get my eye to the finder whilst tweaking the RA and declination knobs without impossible contortions. Having read the OP's problems I might not bother.

[Moonshane]

definitely get one although this is assuming you have a rdf too.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

No way to align a scope efficiently using only a raci. You must have some form of finder you look through aligned to the scope but that you can also see the sky with. a zero point finder works best with a raci and and is only to get you close and the raci is used to do the hopping it needn't be a telrad. a Rigel qf is as good for this function and is much lighter and has a smaller footprint.

I'll be getting rqf to go on my new dob with a raci. For sure.

Given that I have had several 30+ DSO sessions, using the RACI only after aligning it with the scope, your statement might need some qualification

[RikM]

I couldn't find the sky without my Rigel QuikFinder. It sticks onto the tube with a couple of sticky pads next to my RACI 9x50 finder. For me, this is the perfect combo The Telrad is good too but I find the Rigel easier to use because it naturally sits that little bit taller and had a bit smaller footprint.

[KaStern_Former_Member]

Hi Alan,

the right angke Finder is a nice thing to have.

But you need one more :

A red dot finder, Telrad finder, Rigel Quickfinder.

With one of these you point your newtonian-like scope towards to object

and then you are naer enough to center it in the right-angle- finderscope

and the see it in your eyepiece.

This is the way I do it with my Newt + 90° Finder + Rigel Quickfinder.

In most cases this works very fast.

Cheers, Karsten

[John]

I couldn't find the sky without my Rigel QuikFinder. It sticks onto the tube with a couple of sticky pads next to my RACI 9x50 finder. For me, this is the perfect combo The Telrad is good too but I find the Rigel easier to use because it naturally sits that little bit taller and had a bit smaller footprint.

Thats the setup I use on my 12" dob. Sometimes I just use the QuikFinder but it's always nice to have the optical RACI as well.

[martynzilla]

You could get a universal red dot finder that sticks to the side of the main tube . I've got one on mine

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

[alan potts]

Well thank-you all for the many replies. I can try a few things, the red dot I have is a very small shoe affair and there is no way a sticky pad would do the job for more than half an hour.

Michael, I have a few combos on left right right left and of course upside down and the wrong way around, it can throw you sometimes but it is a good thing the computer based star charts can be changed in seconds. I don't have a correct image finder they are all left is right and vica versa. I don't know what the Meade is, it's a straight through but I aways use the goto on that scope so it's rarely used. Is the correct image finder something you have to buy or is it the diagonal? I ask because I have a baader Vario finder and could get a prism or whatever.

Alan

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Well thank-you all for the many replies. I can try a few things, the red dot I have is a very small shoe affair and there is no way a sticky pad would do the job for more than half an hour.

Michael, I have a few combos on left right right left and of course upside down and the wrong way around, it can throw you sometimes but it is a good thing the computer based star charts can be changed in seconds. I don't have a correct image finder they are all left is right and vica versa. I don't know what the Meade is, it's a straight through but I aways use the goto on that scope so it's rarely used. Is the correct image finder something you have to buy or is it the diagonal? I ask because I have a baader Vario finder and could get a prism or whatever.

Alan

I built mine from a simple 70mm F/5 frac. It had a 45^o amici prism, which was OK, but I replaced it with a 90^o amici prism for more comfort. It really is handy, compared to straight through and the star-diagonal kind, I find. The Varo finder I have seen as straight-through versions, or they come a 45^o amici prism, or a 90^o star diagonal (left-right mirrored). Replacing the latter with a 90^o amici prism would be a simple solution