Red dot finders

[Louie the dog]

I am using a 10 inch Skywatcher pds as a dobbo It has a right angle,right way up finder at the moment.I am seriously interested in a decent red dot finderscope.Any ideas.Can you get them to fit in the finderscope shoe?

[Tinker1947]

I am using a 10 inch Skywatcher pds as a dobbo It has a right angle,right way up finder at the moment.I am seriously interested in a decent red dot finderscope.Any ideas.Can you get them to fit in the finderscope shoe?

I have one if you want to collect it. it's free, but you should really consider a Telrad.

[Stargazer_00]

The standard supplied RDFs with Skywatcher scopes only cost around £15 - £30 I think and fit in a standard SW finder shoe.

you'd be better off with a TelRad or an Rigel quickfinder though, these just stick on the OTA directly with double sided sticky foam (my Rigel falls off alot so I think you might need to get stronger stuff potentially)

You'll find that they compliment each other very well, an RDF/Reflex and a RACI.

how you ever observe with just a RACI is beyond me, how do you orient the scope to the sky when you aren't looking at it?

Incidentally I see you are in Swanage. I have spent many years going to swanage on holidays and love it there. Where do you observe there? I'd imagine around Tilly Whim is nice. Or up on the hill near Priestway? Or perhaps the other end where they do the Zorbing, on the way to Old Harry's rock?

The next time I venture down to Swanage I'll be bringing a scope for sure

[Louie the dog]

Hello spaceball.I actually live in Cheshunt in Hertfordshire,but spend loads of time at the in-laws here in Swanage.I really like going up to Durlston.The Wessex astronomy group have an observatory there. Have a look at their web site,they have some open evenings.

I think that a Telrad is on the cards.

Martin.

[Louie the dog]

Thanks Tinker for the offer.I think that I will get a Telrad.

[Stargazer_00]

Cheshunt is just down the road from me too my in laws are in Broxbourne! I'll check out their webpage cheers

[twotter]

I find a simple red dot finder does the job very well. Fits straight onto the finder shoe, doesn't dew up and it's helped me find so many targets in the night sky. Cheap as chips too

[cs1cjc]

I have used a Telrad for some time, but I find myself pleasantly surprised by how nice an ordinary one like this is to use: http://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/skywatcher-red-dot-finder_d3149.html

[Tinker1947]

If you ho the Telrad route there are free Telrad maps to download and Stellarium has the Telrad circled installed both these make finding DSO so much easier.....

[Mav359]

+1 for the Telrad, i put of getting one for ages and felt like a complete idiot for not getting one sooner after i used it the first time, its brilliant

[ollypenrice]

Yup, a 4 degree circle (Telrad) gives an indication of scale on the sky. A dot doesn't. Also the Telrad lasts and uses sensible batteries, not headache tablets. My oldest Telrad dates back to the late nineties and is perfect.

Olly

[Mr Bond]

The little WO type is great too. It also has multiple reticules including a Telrad style. It takes 2032 button cells which are peanuts from the £ shop these days.

It's accurate, lightweight, and a tiny fraction of the hugeness that is Telrad.

I've used Telrad and Rigel (prefferred the Rigel as it naturally stands off from the scope), but I opted for the WO type.

Don't take this wrong, the Telrad is fantastic, well made and uses normal tesco stylee batteries. Olly is quite correct!

For what it's worth, my WO is on smaller Apo refractors, not big Dobs, so this may sway your view of the above.

Hope I helped in some way.

[NickK]

I have a Baader sky surfer (http://www.firstligh...y-surfer-v.html) which is very good. The batteries last ages (I've left the thing on for a week and it's still going strong), the hoods prevent dew and the red dot has 11 brightness levels.

It doesn't magnify, just place the dot on the sky. There are covered adjustment dials so you can move the dot around.

The only thing I have against it is that it needs a 90 degree bend so at high elevation you can see through it easily.

I've used a Telerad and it's good - the only thing I have against it is that I would have preferred to adjust the dot and the circle brightness differently.

[Wyvern]

Got myself a simple RDF from Ebay some months back to wack on the then almost ready 10" reflector. It's the sort of gadget you wonder how you ever managed to do without. So simple, so cheap...... so buy one ! No regrets.

[Paul81]

I have the TS red dot finder on my 10" dob. It makes finding things far easier. The TS one is very well made. My only slight niggle is the LED brightness goes from 1-7 - I have never used it on anything other than 1 (dimmest) and I think it would be better if it went dimmer rather than brighter. In reality though, it is no big deal, as you tend to sight the red dot onto a bright star anyway and the home in on the target using a regular finder scope from there on in.

I found the best method of alignment (on an untracked dob anyway) is to center Polaris in a high powered eyepiece and then align the RDF from there. I have only done this once and never had to do it again!

Infact, I am pretty sure if I got the 21mm Ethos I would get to most targets with just the RDF and skip the finder and go straight to the eyepiece...

[AlexB67]

I love the RDF, easy to use, point and shoot, that being said in LP areas and not having many reference stars it can become a problem.

Yup, a 4 degree circle (Telrad) gives an indication of scale on the sky. A dot doesn't. Also the Telrad lasts and uses sensible batteries, not headache tablets. My oldest Telrad dates back to the late nineties and is perfect.

Olly

While I've never used a Telrad and would love it if I had one no doubt for ease of use. I do find having observed a few months now when I stick my scope up in the sky with the red dot, I pretty much know what 2 degrees in sky is around that dot, my 25mm gives just over that figure, so when I point at something I know how much around that spot I will see, more or less. Granted, not with precision accuracy, but with a little experience you can develop a feel for that.

If you ho the Telrad route there are free Telrad maps to download and Stellarium has the Telrad circled installed both these make finding DSO so much easier.....

Using Stellarium really helped my get a feel for that as well, what 2 or 4 degrees really means in sky terms.