Sacrilege I know...anyone any idea how to fit a SW finder to a Tak?

[Alien_Photons]

Mount a bar between the top of the rings and then mount the finder to that whereever it works best. I have been doing this for years and its works well for other things also. Had a guider on it a laser pointer bracket it even became a handle.

 

[Highburymark]

Paul - I bought a finder base from Intercon in Germany for my FC-100DC - I just use a Baader red dot finder so didn't want to spend hundreds on a Tak finder. See pic. It was Gavster on this forum who alerted me to the idea. Fits beautifully and I think looks ok too. Presume it would also take a SW finder - though I'm not certain.

[paulastro]

1 hour ago, John said:

I use a Skywatcher RACI 6x30mm on my FC-100DL. Initially I put the SW finder into the Tak 30mm finder mount and it fitted fine. Now I've an alternative arrangement where I can remove the finder for transport / storage by using a standard SW type shoe and a couple of alloy tubes as stand offs. The other advantage is that I can pop on a SW compatible RDF type finder as and when I want to:

 

Many thanks John, that's really useful information. I might well follow your lead and obtain the 30mm version as a stop gap and use the Tak bracket.  Did you have to remove the end of the finder to get it in the holder? That's an ingenious arrangement you made for the quick release version with the SW finder foot too. Were the holes is the SW foot a match for those used for the Tak bracket - at least that's what it looks like.

Thanks again John, also for the time you took to take the images, it's much appreciated.

[paulastro]

1 hour ago, Alien_Photons said:

Mount a bar between the top of the rings and then mount the finder to that whereever it works best. I have been doing this for years and its works well for other things also. Had a guider on it a laser pointer bracket it even became a handle.

 

Many thanks for your suggestion, I actually use the Tak tube clamp rather than rings, and someone got in touch and suggested I mount the finder on it.  It may be problematical however as when I balance the tube by moving it through the clamp the finder could be too far away to reach at times.  Good suggestion though.

[paulastro]

16 minutes ago, Highburymark said:

Paul - I bought a finder base from Intercon in Germany for my FC-100DC - I just use a Baader red dot finder so didn't want to spend hundreds on a Tak finder. See pic. It was Gavster on this forum who alerted me to the idea. Fits beautifully and I think looks ok too. Presume it would also take a SW finder - though I'm not certain.

Many thanks, that looks great.  Have you a link at all, to either Intercon or the item itself.  I Googled Intercon and didn't have much joy - if I found the correct place I certainly didn't recognise it.

[John]

Hi Paul,

The finder and shoe are standard items and fit snugly together. The shoe is this one I think:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TS-Optics-Finder-telescope-TSSCSucherschuh/dp/B004SG4BC0

I got it for a fiver used though ! Astroboot has them from time to time as well.

I had the alloy tubes for the stand offs and bolts the right length in my "bits box" and the whole lot just went together fine and is very stable. You need to stand the shoe off the tube a bit to stop it being in contact with the wider part of the scope tube just beyond the flat Tak finder mounting area. I could cut the stand offs and bolts down a few mm and still clear the tube but I think it looks OK as it is.

Trouble is, I've now got the original (and expensive !) Tak 6x30 finder and mount finder mount knocking around unused

PS: I think Mark's rig uses the same finder shoe - looks the samy anyway.

[nightfisher]

Paul, i am pleased my 127/finder thread got you into action, i have ordered my 9x50 RACI from FLO, should have it all set up early next week, the finder might be a bit on the big side for my old Mak but better than to small

[paulastro]

10 minutes ago, John said:

Hi Paul,

The finder and shoe are standard items and fit snugly together. The shoe is this one I think:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TS-Optics-Finder-telescope-TSSCSucherschuh/dp/B004SG4BC0

I got it for a fiver used though ! Astroboot has them from time to time as well.

I had the alloy tubes for the stand offs and bolts the right length in my "bits box" and the whole lot just went together fine and is very stable. You need to stand the shoe off the tube a bit to stop it being in contact with the wider part of the scope tube just beyond the flat Tak finder mounting area. I could cut the stand offs and bolts down a few mm and still clear the tube but I think it looks OK as it is.

Trouble is, I've now got the original (and expensive !) Tak 6x30 finder and mount finder mount knocking around unused

PS: I think Mark's rig uses the same finder shoe - looks the samy anyway.

Many thanks again John.  I presume either of these would also fit?

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/finders/baader-universal-quick-release-finder-base.html

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/finders/finder-mounting-shoe.html 

I suppose the Tak would be an easy sale if you didn't have any use for it anymore.

[paulastro]

11 minutes ago, nightfisher said:

Paul, i am pleased my 127/finder thread got you into action, i have ordered my 9x50 RACI from FLO, should have it all set up early next week, the finder might be a bit on the big side for my old Mak but better than to small

Hi jules.  Yes it certainly has, thanks for that.  The 50mm finder would look even bigger on my 4 inch refractor, but the extra aperture compared with 30mm will be useful I expect, especially when the transparency isn't that good and you're looking for a faint fuzzy .

[John]

6 minutes ago, paulastro said:

Many thanks again John.  I presume either of these would also fit?

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/finders/baader-universal-quick-release-finder-base.html

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/finders/finder-mounting-shoe.html 

I suppose the Tak would be an easy sale if you didn't have any use for it anymore.

The first one (Baader) yes - that will work (Ed Harrison of Harrison Scopes recommends that one on the CN forum). I think it might fit straight onto the Tak finder mounting area.

The 2nd one possibly not because there is no flexibility over where the screws go - Tak don't quite match SW on this I fear !

 

[AstroSylv1]

20€ on Aliexpress, look at my ad (TSA120 in the sales and swap), a bracket made for Tak refractors and Synta finders...

[ollypenrice]

Taks may generally be seen as aristocrats of astronomy.

Huh!

When they arrive at my place they get a wake up call. Astronomy here is strictly Working Class. Definition? You work or you'll soon be gone. Whatever is needed to get a Tak working will be done. Microfocus. Three quid later, sorted...

It ain't matching hospital green but it is better than the Feathertouch on our TEC 140 and it is way better than the Tak dual speed.

Take no prisoners, fear no style police, just do it. Take pictures.

Olly

[RT65CB-SWL]

 <--- How about one of these? 

I use them on my ETX105 & C6 - available from AstroBoot.

[Ricochet]

4 hours ago, paulastro said:

Is anyone aware of a straight through 50mm correct image finder by the way - perhaps now I'm really asking too much!! 

http://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/explore-scientific-es-8-x-50-illuminated-finderscope.html

But then you'll need a solution to fit a Meade type shoe instead of a Synta one. 

[paulastro]

1 hour ago, John said:

The first one (Baader) yes - that will work (Ed Harrison of Harrison Scopes recommends that one on the CN forum). I think it might fit straight onto the Tak finder mounting area.

The 2nd one possibly not because there is no flexibility over where the screws go - Tak don't quite match SW on this I fear !

 

Thanks again John, invaluable information.

[paulastro]

1 hour ago, ollypenrice said:

Taks may generally be seen as aristocrats of astronomy.

Huh!

When they arrive at my place they get a wake up call. Astronomy here is strictly Working Class. Definition? You work or you'll soon be gone. Whatever is needed to get a Tak working will be done. Microfocus. Three quid later, sorted...

It ain't matching hospital green but it is better than the Feathertouch on our TEC 140 and it is way better than the Tak dual speed.

Take no prisoners, fear no style police, just do it. Take pictures.

Olly

Excellent Olly, it reminds me of The Astronomy Centre

[paulastro]

33 minutes ago, Ricochet said:

http://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/explore-scientific-es-8-x-50-illuminated-finderscope.html

But then you'll need a solution to fit a Meade type shoe instead of a Synta one. 

Many thanks, my pocket money wouldn't stretch that far, so I'll stick with SW, many thanks for sorting it out for me though, it's appreciated.

[John]

This thread made me put my Tak FC-100DL out. There are a few gaps in the clouds and I might just get lucky with Saturn later

I've owned this scope just over a year now. I get fonder of it each time I use it

[Highburymark]

2 hours ago, paulastro said:

Many thanks, that looks great.  Have you a link at all, to either Intercon or the item itself.  I Googled Intercon and didn't have much joy - if I found the correct place I certainly didn't recognise it.

Paul - the website  is Intercon-spacetec.de

[paulastro]

2 minutes ago, Highburymark said:

Paul - the website  is Intercon-spacetec.de

Many thanks

[paulastro]

6 minutes ago, John said:

This thread made me put my Tak FC-100DL out. There are a few gaps in the clouds and I might just get lucky with Saturn later

I've owned this scope just over a year now. I get fonder of it each time I use it

I hope you have some clear skies John.  I do admire your taste in telescopes .

[Stu]

10 hours ago, paulastro said:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/finders/baader-universal-quick-release-finder-base.html

I have one of these on another scope Paul and they are nicely made bits of kit. The curved base should sit ok against the curve of the Tak. Not a perfect match but better than a flat based one.

[paulastro]

3 hours ago, Stu said:

I have one of these on another scope Paul and they are nicely made bits of kit. The curved base should sit ok against the curve of the Tak. Not a perfect match but better than a flat based one.

Many thanks Stu, that's very kind of you.  That's the one I'll buy, thanks very much. .

[festoon]

Apologies for rekindling an old thread @paulastro...but did you ever try any of these options on your old FC100DL?

my neck is really taking a strain with the tak finder

[25585]

On 06/07/2017 at 11:50, Dr_Ju_ju said:

Sticky pads, I know a lot of BBC studios held together with them  ....

But not the brand used by Conservative Party conference organisers