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Skywatcher 9 x 50 finderscope


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I've recently bought a Skywatcher telescope that came with a straight through 9 x 50 finderscope.

Rather than buy a new right-angle version of the same scope does anyone know if you can just buy the right angle part?

Seems odd to me that you have to buy a whole new finderscope.  I'm not being tight, just doing my bit to save the planet! ?

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8 minutes ago, Jammy said:

I've recently bought a Skywatcher telescope that came with a straight through 9 x 50 finderscope.

Rather than buy a new right-angle version of the same scope does anyone know if you can just buy the right angle part?

Seems odd to me that you have to buy a whole new finderscope.  I'm not being tight, just doing my bit to save the planet! ?

Not that I know of because the body of the right angled version is significantly shorter to account for the distance taken up by the right angled part and mirror.

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The Skywatcher RA finder isn’t that expensive and after selling the straight through one won’t cost a lot in total.

There are finders that can be used straight through or with a diagonal but they’re not cheap. I have Lumicon Super Finder that has a drawtube that lets you adjust the length of the tube but you could buy a boxfull of the Skywatcher finders for the price. 

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You can use a camera right angled viewfinder just held in place but it will still show the original inverted image, these devices are however an absolute must if you want to polar align with a polarscope without injuring your back or getting wet knees.

1437396061_Seagullrightanglefinder-7.jpg.b4b24b0b2649648d5dc8717f37b0d4d4.jpg

I would however agree with others in that a proper RA finder would be best.

Alan

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There are two types of RA finders: RA and RACI (Correct Image). The latter is more common. It's relatively easy to convert the straight-through into RA or RACI. An Amici prism could be found for around $6 on Alibaba, for example. Then you just need to cut your finder's OTA getting into the account the light path change, prism size, prism mount size. I can see a single piece 3d printed to achieve all of that. The scope mount might need modification as well.

A couple of decades ago I have converted a couple of finders myself using just a hacksaw, round file, and the epoxy glue. One got a hole in the side and the stock EP piece glued above it after filing an arch shape in its side, while the flat mirror had been installed on the 3 screws rocking collimation table fitting in the original EP opening. Another one has been cut at 45 degrees and shaved to be precisely 45 degrees with the file, then halves had been glued at 90 deg after installing the RA prism in the wooden block going into the objective halve.

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