Problem finding

[scarp15]

A RACI finderscope (right angle corrected image) will assist refining a search for locating objects, enabling more pointer stars to be located - that can be referenced from a sky-chart such as mentioned; Sky and Telescope Pocket Atlas. A reflex type finder, such as a Telrad enables positioning by sight the illuminated target rings (that can be dimmed). Combining the two, the i.e. Telrad, would guide your scope to point into a star field and the expected position, the finder scope would subsequently refine the search if required, particularly if the magnitude of certain 'location' stars are not quite visible. 

[Mark at Beaufort]

Anthony a RDF simply puts a red dot into the sky so you can place it over the object. The finderscope gives a FOV of about 5 degrees so you can normally pick up the object in the field of view.

On my various scopes I use both a RDF and a finderscope. My 6" Skywatcher has a 9x50 correct image finderscope and a RDF.

[John]

20 hours ago, John said:

Here is a reliable star hopping route to M81 and M82 - thanks to Stu on this forum for pointing this one out to me .....

I've just realised that Stu had in fact already posted these directions earlier in this very thread !

Sorry for the repitition - they are good though

With an RDF, pointng the scope at the right part of the sky, to within a degree of the correct spot, becomes very intuative - you just look though the finder window and get the red dot / red cross / red circle (they vary) on the same part of the sky as the chart indicates your target object is. Provided that your scope and the finder are correctly aligned with each other, the target object should be somewhere within the field of view of a low power eyepiece, or at least not far off.

An optical finder that magnifies (eg: 6x30, 8x50 etc) is also useful for more detailed positioning and aiming and if this is of the right angle / correct image type so that it matches what your eyes see and what the star chart shows, so much the better.

Often though, I find the RDF type finder enough.

[Anthony1979]

thank you everyone for the advise... just got to wait for clear skies and try again

[Nyctimene]

On 05/05/2019 at 13:43, Anthony1979 said:

I spent nearly 4 hours outside last night and couldnt find anything at all.

You seem to be equipped with the two most valuable items in a stargazer's toolbox - patience and perseverance! Keep going, and start under Bortle 8 skies not with galaxies, but open or globular clusters, double or coloured stars, asterisms and planets. At the moment, I'd suggest to try the open cluster M 35 in Gemini (in the evening already deep in the west), M 44, The Beehive, and it's southern companion, M 67. Start with the lowest magnification (= the eyepiece with the largest number). Good luck!

Stephan

[bingevader]

I'd have said M81 and M82 are quite difficult to find and M3 is way out on its own!

Just for another alternative, Hercules is rising, what about M13? About 1/3 of the way down the right hand side of the trapezium (between eta and zeta) and very splendid it is too!