RACI finderscope 9x50 or 6x30?

[PatrickO]

I'm planning to get Right Angle Correct Image finderscope.

A 6x30 will give a wider view, but the 9x50 will "see" smaller/fainter objects.

Any advice on which to buy? I'm very much a beginner astronomer.

[Raph-in-the-sky]

16 minutes ago, PatrickO said:

I'm planning to get Right Angle Correct Image finderscope.

A 6x30 will give a wider view, but the 9x50 will "see" smaller/fainter objects.

Any advice on which to buy? I'm very much a beginner astronomer.

Do you use another finder on the side? If you use a Telrad or red dot finder on the side I would choose the 9x50. The Telrad/RFD should be enough to get you to the general area. Then again if you don't use another finder I wouldn't get a RACI (difficult for initial alignment)

[laudropb]

I prefer the 9x50. I live in a suburban area with Bortle 5/6 skies and the extra aperture helps. I also use the RACI along side a Rigel quick finder which helps get into the general area of interest before fine tuning with the Raci.

[PatrickO]

7 minutes ago, Raph-in-the-sky said:

Do you use another finder on the side? If you use a Telrad or red dot finder on the side I would choose the 9x50. The Telrad/RFD should be enough to get you to the general area. Then again if you don't use another finder I wouldn't get a RACI (difficult for initial alignment)

 

6 minutes ago, laudropb said:

I prefer the 9x50. I live in a suburban area with Bortle 5/6 skies and the extra aperture helps. I also use the RACI along side a Rigel quick finder which helps get into the general area of interest before fine tuning with the Raci.

Many thanks. I've just received a Telrad, but haven't had a chance to use it yet. Planning to use the Telrad and RACI in combination.

[Barry-W-Fenner]

Hi,

I am also a fan of using a Non magnifying Rigel quick finder to get in the general location and then fine tuning with my RACI 9x50 - I find these two methods complement each other well.

 

Baz

[Frank the Troll]

+1 for the Rigel - RACI 9x50 Combo

[johninderby]

Agree with the above. 🙂

[Raph-in-the-sky]

2 hours ago, PatrickO said:

 

Many thanks. I've just received a Telrad, but haven't had a chance to use it yet. Planning to use the Telrad and RACI in combination.

Well done. Telrad + 9x50 RACI is a strong combination.

As for which to buy, I would go cheap but reliable. Skywatcher or TS optics are fine. Our sponsor FLO, sells pretty much the same one under its brand "astro essentials" which is the cheapest I ve seen. 

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/finders/astro-essentials-9x50-right-angled-erecting-finderscope.html

 

Edited February 24, 2020 by Raph-in-the-sky

[Paz]

The 6x30 is a 7 degree field of view and the 9x50 is 5 degrees. When the stars available are bright enough the 6x30 is easier to use as it can cover more ground quicker. It's also lighter.

I have both and tend to use 6x30 with small scopes (up to 120mn) and a 9x50 with bigger scopes, mostly because it's lighter rather than for the field of view advantage.

[pjsmith_6198]

A telrad and a 50mm RACI is a very powerful combination  for star hopping if your telescope is big enough to  handle both.   Under my skies which aren't very good, the 9x50 will pretty much match the stars shown in the S&T Pocket Sky Atlas.  I have a clear plastic overlay with a 5 degree circle matching the PSA scale so what I see within the circle matches what I see through the finder.   That combination has helped me more than anything I can think of.    You can do the same thing with the 6x30 finder but you may lose some of the fainter stars but it's still way better than not having a RACI,

 

Phil

[PatrickO]

Many thanks for all replies\advice. I've ordered a 9x50