Guide Scope

[heretic]

Is it practical to use a Orion 13022 Deluxe Mini 50mm Guide Scope with Helical Focuser temporarily as a simple finder until I can afford to get the Orion StarShoot AutoGuider camera?

[bobro]

I've used the standard Orion Mini Guide Scope (no helical focuser) as a simple finder by attaching a standard eyepiece. The main issue was finding the correct spacing for the eyepiece : as the scope is designed for use with a guide camera, the prime focus is some way behind the rear flange of the scope. That meant a standard eyepiece needed a bit of extending. To achieve this I cut down the plastic barrel from a Barlow lens and also shortened the eyepiece metal collar - no doubt there are other ways to achieve this. It did take a bit of working out measurements.

Unfortunately I don't have the measurements as I glued a camera board onto the (modified again!) cut down Barlow to make a guide camera for use with the scope.