Finder Scopes

[Dan J]

I have an Celestron 8SE and it came with a star pointer finder scope. After trying it out I don't feel that there is any quality there. I am considering a Telrad finder due its popularity and price point. I am also considering a maybe a standard 6 x 30 finder scope. Is there advantages over either type of finder scope or just an individuals preference?

Thanks

[cletrac1922]

Dan

Comes down to personal choice

I use a 9 X 50 right angle spotting scope on my SW 10" collapsible dob

Right angle saves having to lay on the ground, when observing  something directly overhead

John

[Louis D]

Being in the US, you might also investigate mounting a green laser sight to get you quickly in the neighborhood and to save your neck and back.

I like the compactness of the Rigel QuikFinder over the Telrad for shorter scopes.

A 9x50 or larger RACI finder scope would indeed be helpful given the 2000mm focal length of your scope.

[cletrac1922]

8 minutes ago, Louis D said:

Being in the US, you might also investigate mounting a green laser sight to get you quickly in the neighborhood and to save your neck and back.

I like the compactness of the Rigel QuikFinder over the Telrad for shorter scopes.

A 9x50 or larger RACI finder scope would indeed be helpful given the 2000mm focal length of your scope.

Use laser pointer as well

Just lay laser along the wedge of the spotting scope, and aim laser to object want to observe

Then use finderscope to fine tune

Also there is adjusters on your finderscope, and adjust to see same image in both finderscope and eyepiece

I usually do in day light, and pick out an object some distance away, like a tree, or mobile phone tower

 

[Sunshine]

Look at the Baader Skysurfer V, you won’t look back again. I found the link to the FLO site there in the UK.

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/finders/baader-40mm-super-sky-surfer-v.html

 

[Greg6498]

1 hour ago, cletrac1922 said:

Dan

Comes down to personal choice

I use a 9 X 50 right angle spotting scope on my SW 10" collapsible dob

Right angle saves having to lay on the ground, when observing  something directly overhead

John

I also use a right angle 8x50 Explore Scientific finder scope on my dob. Had a Telrad and a Rigel and just got tired of contorting myself into uncomfortable positions! Life is MUCH more pleasant now!

[cletrac1922]

21 minutes ago, Greg6498 said:

I also use a right angle 8x50 Explore Scientific finder scope on my dob. Had a Telrad and a Rigel and just got tired of contorting myself into uncomfortable positions! Life is MUCH more pleasant now!

Greg

Welcome from Land Down Under

John

[Klitwo]

My homemade periscope-style off-set magnetic base all-plywood 40mm finder I use on my homemade all-plywood 10-inch f/4 Dob-Buster.

P.S.  The image also shows my all-plywood horizontal lead screw (two speed) sled focuser with my homemade 2-inch PVC 32mm 5-element Erfle eyepiece.

Klitwo

Edited February 7, 2019 by Klitwo

[Sunshine]

27 minutes ago, Klitwo said:

My homemade periscope-style off-set magnetic base all-plywood 40mm finder I use on my homemade all-plywood 10-inch f/4 Dob-Buster.

P.S.  The image also shows my all-plywood horizontal lead screw (two speed) sled focuser with my homemade 32mm PVC Erfle eyepiece.

Ok well that's a piece of art of a telescope if I ever saw one, I love it! how long did it take you to make that? hpw does a sled focuser work? that's cool as heck!

Edited February 7, 2019 by Sunshine

[Klitwo]

19 hours ago, Sunshine said:

Ok well that's a piece of art of a telescope if I ever saw one, I love it! how long did it take you to make that?

Thanks for the kind words.  It was basically all hand-made out of 1/4-inch plywood with some 1/2-inch plywood thrown in places for good measure.....Strictly made in the same tradition as Sir Isaac Newton hand-crafted his splendid wooden Newtonian telescopes.  All of the plywood was cut by hand...same with any drilled holes with the use of a non-electric hand drill.  Lots of wood glue, hand sanding and some redwood stain.  I hand-ground and polished the 10-inch f/4 Pyrex mirror back in the early 1960s and still found use for it in my Dob-Buster (See 4th. image)....All-in-all it was about 12 month project.  Note that the four brass knobs on the top four corners of the primary mirror's optical box (3 brass knobs for collimating and the 4th for locking the primary mirror in place once collimated via black O-rings and small hand-made wooden pulleys - See 3rd. image).  Collimation of the primary mirror is accomplished by adjusting the three brass knobs in a sequence while looking through the 2-inch PVC eyepiece holder with the eyepiece removed.

How does a sled focuser work? that's cool as heck!   

Because you kindly asked....>

The low profile two-speed horizontal lead screw sled focuser carries a secondary mirror and it's PVC secondary mirror holder on a single 1/8-inch dia. 6-inch long stainless steel strut that is attached by a threaded insert into the bottom of the wooden sled (slide). Simply said...The secondary mirror and it's holder moves horizontally via the 2-speed horizontal threaded (coarse/fine) two-speed lead screw....forward or backward along the primary mirror's optical axis (cone of light) for focusing the 2-inch Erfle eyepiece....See 2nd. image.

Klitwo

Edited February 7, 2019 by Klitwo

[Cosmic Geoff]

I agree that the red dot finder supplied with the C8 SE is not 'quality', but the C8 SE is a GoTo outfit, so you only have to use the finder once or twice, at the start of the session. So why spend money changing an item you only use at the start of the session?   I found the red-dot finder adequate before I added the Starsense.

More recently I added a Sky-watcher 9x50 RACI finder, which is  only attached while I do planetary imaging.  The red-dot finder is still in place.

BTW, take care when ordering, as not all Skywatcher 9x50 right-angle finders are RACI. 

[John]

For a GOTO scope like the C8 SE I tend to agree with the above and the basic RDF supplied does the job.

I don't use GOTO so finding is an important business for me. My preference is a RACI optical finder mounted alongside a Rigel Quikfinder (similar to a Telrad). For really detailed star hopping a low power / wide angle eyepiece adds the final touch:

 

[cloudsweeper]

I agree with John ^^^ .  I have an 8SE, and the stock RDF is fine.  It is however, a bit flimsy, and the adjustment is not great, so I have upgraded to a Baader Skysurfer III - not expensive, but much better to use, slightly larger, and has inbuilt dewshield. 

Also like @John, I use a Rigel and a RACI on the Dob.  Different gear for different 'scopes and styles of observing!

Doug.

[Dan J]

Thank you all for your advice. It took me a few but I figured out what RACI meant. I'm still a nub... lol.  I think that I'll stay with the current finder for now.  Thank you Cosmic Geoff, for your advice. I'll save some cash and look into other improvements for my scope.

Klitwo, Btw, your scope looks great. Some day I'd like to build one myself!  

[barnabeeuk]

On 07/02/2019 at 01:32, Sunshine said:

Look at the Baader Skysurfer V, you won’t look back again. I found the link to the FLO site there in the UK.

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/finders/baader-40mm-super-sky-surfer-v.html

 

Couldn't agree more - just bought one of these myself from FLO and really impressed with the quality. 

[fiestazetecmk2]

Hi 

I use a ts optics 10x60 finderscope. 

Great finder.and can use all my eyepieces in it.

Edited March 18, 2020 by fiestazetecmk2
Picture

[Carbon Brush]

I fully agree that a finder is a personal choice. There is no right answer.

My suggestion (without telling you what to do) is to buy a used right angle finder. Something around 8x50 or 9x50.

This will give you the feel of a finder scope with light gather and magnification. A feel for whether you like a right angle scope, and possibly whether you want raci.

If you like it great - keep it.

If you don't like it. Or want a bigger finder (I have a couple of 60mm finders!) or want something else, sell it.
If you buy used, you can usually sell on for little or no loss and try again.

HTH, David.