Lose the Skyliner finder scope all together?

[NIGHTBOY]

I've got a Rigel quick finder coming and after looking at a few pics of peoples 200p dobs I'm wondering if I should of gone for the telrad and get rid of the stock finder all together?? I bought the Rigel as I didn't think there would be space foe the telrad but when you lose the finder scope there clearly is...

Does anyone use a quick finder and the normal finder scope on their dob??? I'd like to roughly line things up with the quick finder, then centre it bang on with the finder scope as I've set it more accurate than a gun scope!!

[Moonshane]

that's just what I do. I have a telrad and a right angle finder on the school's 200mm dob and all of my own scopes. works really well. I'd recommend the right angle version in due course.

[emadmoussa]

I don't have a dob, but I use quick finders quite often. I use a Telrad on my C11 accompanied with a RACI finder, and a Baader Sky Surfer V on the refractors - with/without optical finder. Sometimes I swap them around though.

If I'm star hopping I tend not to use the optical finder -which includes 70% of the time. However, sometime I need to use the optical finder to get a faint object in the eyepiece. For instance, M81 and M82 on high magnification require that I use an optical finder.

[emadmoussa]

And yes, a straight through finder on a dob - I could imagine - is quite a pain unless you're a contortionist of course.

[NIGHTBOY]

To be fair the straight through finder dosnt bother me, I just hope theres room to get the Rigel in a good place??

[Moonshane]

even on my 6" scope a telrad and finder work ok

I usually put the telrad (in your case rigel which will work well too) between the focuser and optical but usually a bit further forward. in fact just found this http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/76499-ongoing-mods-on-my-orion-optics-uk-6-f11-planetary-dobsonian/ I used to have a rigel on my 6" scope.

[John]

The Rigel has quite a small "footprint". It's base plate is 6cm long by 5cm wide. There should be room on the tube to fit it beside your optical finder so your eye can switch easily between the two.

[floppygoose]

Keep telling myself to change the normal finder on my dob and replace it with something useful - In the meantime I will continue to clamber / contort around the scope when trying to align with anything. At least it's good exercise. 

Phil

[NIGHTBOY]

I want to put it just to the left of the finder scope but because of the black front end of the scope, it creates a small step so if I was to stick it there it would be slanting up slightly, would this matter or does it need to be dead parallel with the scope??

[Moonshane]

it should really be as close to in line with the scope as possible. there is adjustment but it needs to be fairly close.

[floppygoose]

I want to put it just to the left of the finder scope but because of the black front end of the scope, it creates a small step so if I was to stick it there it would be slanting up slightly, would this matter or does it need to be dead parallel with the scope??

The closer to parallel you can get the finder scope to the tube the less adjustment you will need when aligning.

[NIGHTBOY]

Trying to find a pic of one that has one on aswell as the stock finder scope but no joy

[Moonshane]

[Moonshane]

[NIGHTBOY]

Yes in that pic you can see what I mean about it going onto the black end which will cause it to be slightly out of parallel with the scope

[NIGHTBOY]

If the base plate is 6cm long, I think I'm going to struggle :/

[emadmoussa]

Can't you squeeze it in like this?

[NIGHTBOY]

That's a Telrad, the one I've got is a Rigel

[emadmoussa]

Same principle really - the rigel will even fit easier.

[Moonshane]

a telrad is about 4x bigger than a Rigel. I tend to use the back edge of the black band as a straight edge and put the rigel/telrad base right against in (the back edge lip) to ensure accurate placement. wait until it comes and then try as you are guessing otherwise. it will fit I am sure of it.

[NIGHTBOY]

And who's ever scope that is has moved the stock view finder over, the gap between the focuser and the finder on mine is only 20mm

[emadmoussa]

What I'm saying is, if you can fit a telrad in that tight area, surely a Rigel will be an easier job.

[bingevader]

I know it's a cost saving issue, but a raci as standard on the skyliner would be lovely.

I'd change mine, but the standard finder isn't actually that bad and the PanaView is a pretty good finder anyway.

@emad: the plastic flower should be fitted as standard too!

Cheers

[NIGHTBOY]

Yeah I get ya but from the looks of your pic he's mived the stock finder over and that's something I didn't want to do as its bad enough getting to it where it is now. We'll see...

[Moonshane]

I see your problem now. in all honesty, I am sure there will be enough adjustment in the rigel to accommodate the lip being under the base as in the previous photo. if not you could just raise the back of the base a little with a packer.