Baader Sky Surfer V RDF

[Pig]

I am well impressed with Baader.

My new RDF is the second item I have bought of theirs and it is as well built as the Steeltrack focuser.

It also comes with all the brackets one could need to fit it to your scope and only took about 2 minutes to attach.

Two dew shields are also included for both the front and the rear of the unit, a neat little surprise.

It also comes with two transparent fronted caps that can supposedly be left in situ whilst you locate your observing object. I don't know how effective the caps will be until I try them out but as a minimum I am sure they will help keep the dew away from the glass..

I think it can only be adjusted using a screwdriver so it may be a little tricky to set up in the dark, it looks rigid enough not to move once set up so hopefully this shouldn't be an issue.

I will set it up during the day this coming weekend and if it performs as good as it is put together it will be a very worthwhile purchase.

[M4lcs67]

Great choice, Shaun. You wont regret buying it. I am a complete Baader convert. Their gear is so well thought out with loads of nice features. Get yourself a Baader 2" quicklock and also a 2" diagonal. Your 9.25 is crying out for it. I ended up with the Williams Optics carbon 2" diagonal as the Baader one is just so expensive. The Williams is a fantastic diagonal anyway. Couple that to the 2" quicklock and the price of the two items is still cheaper than the Baader 2" diagonal on it's own and the Williams also has an adapter included so you can use 1.25 and 2" eyepieces, whereas you have to pay extra for the converter for the Baader digonal.

[Pig]

Woo Hoo some one has replied 

[faulksy]

Great choice, Shaun. You wont regret buying it. I am a complete Baader convert. Their gear is so well thought out with loads of nice features. Get yourself a Baader 2" quicklock and also a 2" diagonal. Your 9.25 is crying out for it. I ended up with the Williams Optics carbon 2" diagonal as the Baader one is just so expensive. The Williams is a fantastic diagonal anyway. Couple that to the 2" quicklock and the price of the two items is still cheaper than the Baader 2" diagonal on it's own and the Williams also has an adapter included so you can use 1.25 and 2" eyepieces, whereas you have to pay extra for the converter for the Baader digonal.

i did tell shaun this but he wouldnt listen

[M4lcs67]

Maybe he will now.

[Macavity]

A 20p works rather well... Or if you're feeling less flush, a One Pee piece.

(It certainly stays put). As ever, I can forget to turn the bloomin' thing off,

But at (Typical) low brightness settings, batteries last reasonably well. 

I think it can only be adjusted using a screwdriver so it may be a little tricky to set up in the dark, it looks rigid enough not to move once set up so hopefully this shouldn't be an issue.

[Luke]

Gotta love that Baader stuff. I've had various bits, from focusers to filters to binoviewer, and I can't think of any of it disappointing. Good to excellent quality at a reasonable price for what you get.

[Pig]

i did tell shaun this but he wouldnt listen

I should have listened to the master

But you are selling it !!!!

[Pig]

A 20p works rather well... Or if you're feeling less flush, a One Pee piece.

(It certainly stays put). As ever, I can forget to turn the bloomin' thing off,

But at (Typical) low brightness settings, batteries last reasonably well. 

Not sure about a 20p, what if I loose it in the dark

Thank you for the tip though

[Pig]

I am going to go and set it up in a little while, It doesn't look like it is going to rain

[faulksy]

I should have listened to the master

But you are selling it !!!!

maybe

[Pig]

What will your next choice be ?

[Pig]

Well I have just adjusted the red dot so it is the centre of my FOV and what a breeze it is, nice feel to the deliberate clicks in between adjustments  

[Caldwell14]

Baader Skysurfer V are the RR of red dot finders IMHO. The clicklock clamp is the perfect replacement for those horrible Synta thumb screw fittings on the end focuser. I replaced the ones on my ED120 the same day my scope arrived from FLO, it totally transforms your focuses 

[cyborg421]

Just got this for Christmas but try as I might I cannot get the red dot to move and centre the object no matter what I try,

I've turned the adjustment screws all which ways but cannot seem to get anywhere near to aligning the target.

Has anyone else had this issue? The Telrad was a breeze by comparison.

Simon

[M4lcs67]

Have you tried moving the mounting shoe a little? Then you should be then able to align the rdf. Yes, it is trial and error, but you will get there. I struggled myself a little. I just set my rig up in the daylight and pointed it at a distant object (so the object was in the centre of my eyepiece), then aligned the rdf accordingly. That is all I can offer up. Luckily you will only have to do it once (unless you have to remove it at some point).  

[cyborg421]

Thanks for that.

The mounting shoe supplied only allows me to fit the shoe with a single screw on my focuser (a starlight 3"). It actually butts up nicely onto an edge on the focuser and can't rotate in that position, so I am reluctant to move it fot that reason. My target object is definintely way off centre but there is no easy way to adjust it. The suppled shoe can only be tightened and there is no room for movement at the top. I can see no way to adjust it.

The amount of movement by turning the adjustment screws seems minimal so unless your target is vaguely central in the finder initially, I can see no way of getting the red dot in the right place.

An additional problem is that is must be removeable each time, so I don't want to set up a Heath Robinson sytem that is not easily repeatable.

I have to say that after having spent that amount of money and reading the reviews I am very disappointed.

Simon

[Macavity]

The adjustment range is *limited* - The question (to me) is does the click-stop work at ALL?

If not, it's defective! On the other hand, some of my finder shoes were badly "out of whack"...

The click-stop notably tightens (loosens) at the end of travel. I took that a warning, and (since

it was possible) readjusted the shoe position...  

It is somewhat unfortunate that the finder cannot *instantly* be SHARED between scopes -

Each have their own particular "offsets". But, with a single scope, I found the "re-setability"

(reinserting the finder into the shoe) rather GOOD! I still view the finder as among the best.

Telrad might be "the best", but still looks like it originated in a 18/19th Century Laboratory?

[cyborg421]

"The adjustment range is *limited* - The question (to me) is does the click-stop work at ALL? "

That was my thought but I have no point of reference with which to judge that. I have contacted FLO and hopefully it can be resolved in the New Year.

I only need it to work with one scope but it must be removeable and replaceable between sessions to store the scope.

"Telrad might be "the best", but still looks like it originated in a 18/19th Century Laboratory? "

Gadzooks Sir! Are you impuning the pulchritude of Messrs Telrad's fine optical instrument?

Fie to you.

[Macavity]

Gadzooks Sir! Are you impuning the pulchritude of Messrs Telrad's optical instrument? Fie to you.

Excellent!  Glad you took it in good part... Hope you get things solved.

[cyborg421]

Thx

Simon

[M4lcs67]

Yeah. Sounds like you are having a bit of a mare with it. Perhaps in your circumstances it may have not been the best choice, but you don't know until you get it and try it. On my system it is excellent. Just one of those things. They are a very good rdf (the best in my opinion), but sometimes for whatever reason they don't work well with every ota. And the fact that you have to remove it everytime is not good, so you would have to go through the rigmarole of aligning it everytime. Mine is fixed and is never taken off, so I am lucky that it is centralised all the time. FLO will definitely get it sorted for you.

[Pig]

Cy,

I managed to adjust mine ok yesterday, after trying yours the other night Its quite clear the adjusters are not working properly,

It is unusual for both adjusters not be working so I am guessing something else is broken /  assembled correctly.

Even though its a pain I'm sure Flo will sort it for you.

[mylatestwhim]

I ordered one today on the strength of this and other reviews. looking forward to getting it bolted on to my 8SE. prays for clear skies... 

[mylatestwhim]

Arrived from 365 this morning and it's now on my scope. VERY impressed. Rock solid and beautifully made. So many lovely touches and design features. Looks great on my nexstar and bolts right on where the stock finder was. Lovely product.

Still cloudy though :-/