Zhumell and telrad

[tripleped]

I’m thinking about getting a Zuhmell z130 as a grab and go option for driving to darker sky sites.  My 10” DOB is too heavy to transport as I have some back problems. This would be mostly  for DSO observing. I’ve seen lots of good reviews online and on this forum. My question is about the included red dot finder. Is it as good as a telrad? If not can a telrad be attached or is it too heavy for this scope? Lastly what are recommended apps to use for navigating with one of these devices? Appreciate any advice I can get! Thsnks

[wulfrun]

A Telrad is a pretty large "brick" of a finder but it should fit - might just look OTT but do you care? A Rigel has a much smaller footprint but it's taller, it might be the better option though. It'll probably be easier to get "behind" to look through, especially at higher elevations. Either of them will knock the proverbial off a standard RDF. For starters, you can turn them down way dimmer than most RDFs, helpful in dark skies.

I use Skeye (I believe it's Android only though) on the phone and Stellarium on the laptop. Skysafari is popular too. Try them out beforehand and see what you like best.

[tripleped]

Thank you very much! Never heard of the Rigel but it does look easier to sight being a taller device. Appreciate the help!

[Louis D]

The Telrad would be fine for your 10" Dob, but would be a bit of a tight fit on your Z130.  The Rigel works well on smaller scopes, and it has a built in pulsing circuit to boot.

[tripleped]

Ok thanks ! Looks like I’ll go for the Rigel👌