Second Scope Advice

[Stardaze]

8 hours ago, johninderby said:

Yes take yourtime and buy other eyepieces when you find a need for them.

The 24mm Panoptic is a fantasric eyepiece with one little problem ££££££ 🙀

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/tele-vue-eyepieces/tele-vue-panoptic-68-eyepieces.html

Maybe that’s the one to ‘aspire to’ but there’s not much difference in price between the 24 and 27, so there’s the dilemma right there - but a nice one to have 😁

[Stardaze]

Have been looking for a little bag to carry maybe 3-4 EPs and Cheshire etc, can’t seem to find anything. There’s plenty of little bits bags in fishing that could be converted I think for next to nothing. 

[johninderby]

Lots of little flight cases on Amazon with foam that make ideal eyepiece cases.

[Stardaze]

I have to say that I'm happier with the feel of the Telrad but can't help think that surely it can be made smaller? Is there a gap in the market? Scope delivery due tomorrow... actually first time I've been excited about new kit for quite a while! 

[John]

7 minutes ago, Stardaze said:

I have to say that I'm happier with the feel of the Telrad but can't help think that surely it can be made smaller?....

Yes, it can:

Neater job:

https://astronomyconnect.com/forums/media/short-telrad.130/

[johninderby]

Interesting read. 👍🏻

The Telrad Story

https://astronomyconnect.com/forums/articles/the-telrad-story.5/

Edited April 30, 2020 by johninderby

[Stardaze]

11 minutes ago, John said:

Yes, it can:

Neater job:

https://astronomyconnect.com/forums/media/short-telrad.130/

 

8 minutes ago, johninderby said:

Interesting read. 👍🏻

The Telrad Story

https://astronomyconnect.com/forums/articles/the-telrad-story.5/

Cheers chaps, I'll have a read tonight 👍

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

10 hours ago, Stardaze said:

Have been looking for a little bag to carry maybe 3-4 EPs and Cheshire etc, can’t seem to find anything. There’s plenty of little bits bags in fishing that could be converted I think for next to nothing. 

 

Mine:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Max-MAX004S-IP67-Rated-Accessory/dp/B0192PLKSO/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=max+ip67&qid=1588265223&sprefix=max+ip&sr=8-7

The innards are a bit scruffy now. It's been rearranged a couple of times...

Edited April 30, 2020 by ScouseSpaceCadet

[johninderby]

I have a smaller version. Originaly used for holding 4mm, 7mm and 16mm Nirvana eyepieces..

[Stardaze]

14 minutes ago, ScouseSpaceCadet said:

 

Mine:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Max-MAX004S-IP67-Rated-Accessory/dp/B0192PLKSO/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=max+ip67&qid=1588265223&sprefix=max+ip&sr=8-7

The innards are a bit scruffy now. It's been rearranged a couple of times...

Thanks for this, looks just the job, I’ll check it out!

[Stardaze]

1 hour ago, Stardaze said:

Thanks for this, looks just the job, I’ll check it out!

I do have to work on filling one first though.....🤣

[Louis D]

14 hours ago, Stardaze said:

Have been looking for a little bag to carry maybe 3-4 EPs and Cheshire etc, can’t seem to find anything. There’s plenty of little bits bags in fishing that could be converted I think for next to nothing. 

I picked up a B&W Type 1000 Outdoor Case for $10 on sale from Fry's to put my 6 Paradigm (Starguider BST) eyepieces in vertically.  Perhaps you could find something similar from a discounter near you.

[Stardaze]

4 hours ago, John said:

Yes, it can:

Neater job:

https://astronomyconnect.com/forums/media/short-telrad.130/

Thanks for the info John. I think on balance, it's more of a faff to find a little enclosure to strap the batteries onto the side in. I'll live with it, shouldn't look too out of place on a 10"?

[John]

The Telrad would look fine on the 10" dob.

I feel that they are an iconic design despite their size. I've enjoyed the ones that I've owned but with my current dob I want the smaller "footprint" of the Rigel.

 

[johninderby]

Think on the 10” you might need to move the regular finder over a little bit to make room for the Telrad. Probably only need to drill one new mounting hole for the finder shoe as you could still use one of the existing mounting holes. 

 

Edit:

Just measured and the distance between the focuser base and the Baader finder foot is about 50mm so just a bit too close but moving the finder shoe over would give enough clearance and you could use the cheap Skywatcher finder shoe.

Edited April 30, 2020 by johninderby

[Stardaze]

38 minutes ago, johninderby said:

Think on the 10” you might need to move the regular finder over a little bit to make room for the Telrad. Probably only need to drill one new mounting hole for the finder shoe as you could still use one of the existing mounting holes. 

 

Edit:

Just measured and the distance between the focuser base and the Baader finder foot is about 50mm so just a bit too close but moving the finder shoe over would give enough clearance and you could use the cheap Skywatcher finder shoe.

Ah [removed word]! Just measured the telrad base as 59mm wide. Didn't want to drill my new toy. I bought the Baader foot, they're widest in the least ideal orientation. 

[johninderby]

There is a little room for movement with the elongated holes in the Baader foot. Maybe moving the foot over as far as possible you might get away with trimming  a few mm from the corner of the plastic Telrad base. 

Or you might be able to put the Telrad on the other side of the finder. See if it is usable 5hat far over.

Edited April 30, 2020 by johninderby

[Stardaze]

6 minutes ago, johninderby said:

There is a little room for movement with the elongated holes in the Baader foot. Maybe moving the foot over as far as possible you might get away with trimming  a few mm from the corner of the plastic Telrad base. 

Or you might be able to put the Telrad on the other side of the finder. See if it is usable 5hat far over.

I’ll suss it out. The new finder is the one thing that is on a longer lead time, but I can sort it in readiness.

[Stardaze]

Might be just as easy to saw a piece out of the base of the Telrad to sit around the shoe? Itching for the delivery now...

[johninderby]

The Telrad body might cause clearance problems with the optical finder if the base is trimmed too much and you can’t trim much off the corners.

[Stardaze]

1 hour ago, johninderby said:

The Telrad body might cause clearance problems with the optical finder if the base is trimmed too much and you can’t trim much off the corners.

I think I'll wait till the new finder turns up to see how it sits before I get the hack saw or drill out. Let's hope this cloud clears this week.

[Ricochet]

Put the Telrad on the far side of the finder, that's how I've got mine set up. You want a RACI finder set up so that you can move easily between that and your eyepiece. The Telrad is just for the initial star hops after which it is RACI and eyepiece. 

[Stardaze]

3 hours ago, johninderby said:

The Telrad body might cause clearance problems with the optical finder if the base is trimmed too much and you can’t trim much off the corners.

Is this correct John, I suspect that I have two of the same sided ‘half moon’ brackets? I assume that the tabs sit on the inside so that it can’t fall off either side? See mine here:

[johninderby]

Yes the alt brackets are a handed pair with the tabs on the inside. 

Edited May 1, 2020 by johninderby

[johninderby]

Think you got it from Telrscope House?

Ask them to send you a new alt bearing and insist on keeping the old one. You could simply drill holes through the alt bearing and fit lttle nuts and bolts to hold the tab on the correct side.. Would at least allow you to use the scope while waiting for the correct alt bearing to show up.

Edited May 1, 2020 by johninderby