Red Dot or Telrad on a 150mm f5 Newt?

[Alan White]

Have any of you fitted a Red Dot or Telrad or similar finder in addition to a Finder Scope?
If you have done this on a 6" or 1500 Newtonian I would like to hear you comments on it and pictures would be great too?
Thanks.

[wookie1965]

Both are going to enhance your ability to find objects. I would go for the Telrad I had one on my 150p. When I sold that scope after buying a goto mount I thought I would not need one my mistake. 

I have now purchased another one and going to buy a another foot plate so I can swap it over from my refractor to my 200p.

You can download Telrad maps for free as well great way to find objects. 

[Ricochet]

I have a Telrad and RACI on my 8" dob. Prior to getting the Telrad I just used the standard RDF in addition to the RACI. The Telrad is a better finder than the RDF but it is considerably larger and so you have to take this into account. With respect to the focuser I had the RDF on the near side and the RACI on the far side. However, the length of the Telrad meant that it would get in the way when using the RACI. I shifted the RACI to the nearside and put the Telrad on the far side to get around this. It is a bit sub-optimal for using the Telrad but I figured prioritising the RACI eyepiece position was more important. If I had chosen the smaller Rigel Quickfinder instead I could have fitted it up near the objective end of the RACI with no worry of it interfering at the eyepiece end. 

And some comparative pictures of the two setups. 

[Paz]

My preferred set up is a telrad plus a 9x50 raci finder. I much prefer circle finders to dot finders, you can aim at fainter stars and you can offset from a star or hop to a target with much more accuracy. Here's the setup on my Newtonian. You may notice a little red dot finder mount just under the telrad but that is there as a hand hold.

 

[Littleguy80]

I started out with a RDF on my SkyWatcher 130 and then replaced that with a Telrad. Was a massive improvement. That was my only finder on that scope. My 10” dob has a 9x50 finder. I tried using just that to start with but felt absolutely lost without my Telrad. By the next session, the Telrad has made it’s way onto the dob  The size of the Telrad never bothered me, even on the 130mm scope. 

[niallk]

+1 for a Telrad

... on my 10", and my 15" has a second one

[Alan White]

Thank you all for the information and the images, very helpful.

A shopping trip for a Telrad or Rigel is calling, I will post an image once I have one and it’s fitted.

 

[Ricochet]

17 minutes ago, Alan White said:

Thank you all for the information and the images, very helpful.

A shopping trip for a Telrad or Rigel is calling, I will post an image once I have one and it’s fitted.

 

As a warning you have to be careful when fitting the Telrad baseplate. The slightest touch and the sticky pads instantly bond to the tube, there's no scope for adjustment if it isn't quite right. 

[niallk]

1 minute ago, Ricochet said:

As a warning you have to be careful when fitting the Telrad baseplate. The slightest touch and the sticky pads instantly bond to the tube, there's no scope for adjustment if it isn't quite right. 

Good point. I used some masking tape to attach the base plate to try out the position I chose for several sessions before committing to sticking it on permanently.

[Ricochet]

Just now, niallk said:

Good point. I used some masking tape to attach the base plate to try out the position I chose for several sessions before committing to sticking it on permanently.

I chained cable ties around the tube. They held the Telrad pretty solidly but at each join there was a small "eye poker" waiting to cause damage in the dark. Tape would be much safer! 

[Alan White]

Thanks for the words of wisdom guy, hard won wisdom I think.

[Demonperformer]

I used to find the rdf that came with my scope to be unuseable, because of the light pollution I then had - sodium lights. The telrad became an instant success and have never looked back. Whether I would have had the same problem with an rdf under the new led lights I don't know.

I don't have your scope, but I lined mine up using a rim around the front end of the scope, butting the edge of the base up against it, and this got me more or less aligned so I was in-place when I removed the sticky strips and attached it.

[25585]

This sight is all metal. 

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p7892_TS-Optics-RDAC-LED-Red-Dot-Finder-for-astronomy-and-daytime-observation.html

[iPeace]

I use a combo of RACI and RDF on my 6" f/6 Newt. I wasn't ready to drill extra holes for another finder shoe, or even to buy one of those nifty finder shoe trees for two finders, so I just stuck the RDF on the RACI with some tape.

I have since made all this even uglier with DIY dew shields. All utterly naff, but very effective.

P.S. I actually prefer a red dot to a Telrad or Rigel, having tried them all. I find it easier to get my eye in, easier to get myself lined up to see the red stuff on the glass, while with the Telrad and Rigel I was bobbing my head around trying to make the red circles appear. As for the circles, yes it's a neat way to work but I never used them for actual star hopping, that's always been work for a wide angle eyepiece, or, with the Newt, the RACI.

[25585]

1 hour ago, iPeace said:

I use a combo of RACI and RDF on my 6" f/6 Newt. I wasn't ready to drill extra holes for another finder shoe, or even to buy one of those nifty finder shoe trees for two finders, so I just stuck the RDF on the RACI with some tape.

I have since made all this even uglier with DIY dew shields. All utterly naff, but very effective.

P.S. I actually prefer a red dot to a Telrad or Rigel, having tried them all. I find it easier to get my eye in, easier to get myself lined up to see the red stuff on the glass, while with the Telrad and Rigel I was bobbing my head around trying to make the red circles appear. As for the circles, yes it's a neat way to work but I never used them for actual star hopping, that's always been work for a wide angle eyepiece, or, with the Newt, the RACI.

Do you lean right over the OTA to peer through your SkySurfer? I have a Telrad where the finder scope was fitted originally (neatly covering the holes), and fitted a bigger better finder on the Telrad's other side. Not quite a sandwitch due to tube curvature.

[iPeace]

[ollypenrice]

I have a couple of Telrads and a red dot on different scopes. The red dot is used for a one star alignment on an imaging rig and for that purpose I like it. I just put the dot on the alignment star and it will then be on the camera chip for precise alignment.

However, for celestial navigation give me the Telrad any day. It gives you a scale because the outer circle defines 4 degrees. There is no scale defined by a dot! And you can put a Telrad circle on a chart and note its position, very often, relative to naked eye stars. When you replicate this on the sky you can usually find your object without star hopping. Also the Telrad is robust, my oldest pushing twenty years, and uses proper batteries rather those infernal aspirin things!

Olly

[25585]

Apps sometimes have a Telrad feature as well, Red Shift for example. 

The Telrad & finder I linked to above both have dew zappers & hoods made for them. 

[Saganite]

Hi Alan,

 

I use just a Telrad on my Dob, and star hopping 4 degrees at a time is a doddle.

[Pondus]

+1 Telrad. Like the above posters say : makes very easy star hopping 2 or 4 degrees. 

It dews pretty quickly though..

[Littleguy80]

46 minutes ago, Pondus said:

+1 Telrad. Like the above posters say : makes very easy star hopping 2 or 4 degrees. 

It dews pretty quickly though..

You can make a dew shield for the Telrad cheaply and easily. Even I managed it!

 

[Pondus]

2 minutes ago, Littleguy80 said:

You can make a dew shield for the Telrad cheaply and easily. Even I managed it!

 

Yes, I read that post ,  I`m making a New, improved light shroud for the Heritage, and while I`m at it I`ll make a Shield for the telrad.

[Alan White]

Well having had a first ever sit and view through a Dobsonian and a 10" OO UK one to boot with a Telrad only fitted.
Thanks Ed @NGC1502

What a scope, how nice to sit and use in comfort, I can see my destiny lies in a Dobsonian direction......but for now,
The Telrad was interesting to see and look through.
I can see the red dot / telard is the way to go to keep thing simple and Luddite for me. perfect.
But which one?    URRRRGHHHHHH!   (Frustration at my self here).
 

[marcus_z]

What about the Rigel Quick Finder?

[Alan White]

7 hours ago, marcus_z said:

What about the Rigel Quick Finder?

Yes, that is under consideration too.