I own 2 scopes smaller than this finder!

[DirkSteele]

Some of you in years gone by might have read some of the issues I was having with the balance point of my LZOS 180mm triplet Apo. Weighing 23kg as a barebones OTA, the balance point is only a few cm behind the lens cell. This meant I would be virtually on my knees when pointing at the zenith. As well as pier extension and a magnetic counterweight set, I also bought a hefty 80mm finder to shift more weight to the back of the scope so I could get of my knees. Looking at my new 130mm f/9 refractor which is almost as long and fairly front heavy, I think I will try it out on that scope as well. 

Its not bad optically, but it does make me smile to think I am using a finder which is larger in aperture than my Takahashi scopes. I am not sure my Taks would forgive me though if I used them as a finder!?

 

A standard 50mm finder in the pic for reference.

 

I am am sure this will be the moment when some rocks up in this thread, and says that is nothing, I use a 120mm frac on my 20” Dob!

[Peter Drew]

You called?. I have a 6" F8 refractor as a finder on my 16" SCT.     ?

[LukeSkywatcher]

5 minutes ago, Peter Drew said:

You called?. I have a 6" F8 refractor as a finder on my 16" SCT.     ?

Course you do, and i was thinking the smaller would be a good finder.

That big black is lovely.

[paulastro]

This all sounds like a young child's argument in the school play ground.........'mine's bigger than yours',...............'oh not it's not!'    ?

Quote

 

 

[Peter Drew]

We have to grow old but we don't have to grow up.    ?

[spillage]

That's it I'm telling my dad.

[andrew s]

Well I use the whole of my 16inch ODK as a finder. Slew, image, plate solve, jog a few arc seconds.

Regards Andrew 

[Stub Mandrel]

?

I was sent this picture from the Dark Star catalogue...

[timwetherell]

I have a WO66 as a finder on my 7" refractor, not quite 80mm but still a reasonable instrument in its own right. I figure that if you can afford the extra weight (and in your case need the extra) you may as well have a versatile second instrument on there. Like you I have a helical focuser so the "finder" is actually usable in other roles and I do use it quite often as a super wide field scope. With a 31 Nagler it has a well corrected 7 degree field of view which coupled with an OIII filter works really well for things like the North America nebula

[Peter Drew]

My 6" finder is also not just for "show", it has several roles. Apart from being a finder, (the 16" has no goto), we use it to give visitors a comparison between different telescope types and apertures, we also fit a camera to the 6" to show images of the Moon and planets on a large screen which is much easier for the very young to see.   ?

[Stub Mandrel]

I have homebrew a 60mm finder-guider on my 150PL as well as a standard finder. Sometimes when imaging planets I pop a 10mm ep into it and enjoy a wide view of the planet.