Where's the dot?

[Demonperformer]

OK, I know this is going to sound really stupid, but I find it extremely difficult to find the red dot in my red dot finder. Don't get me wrong, on the odd occasion when I do stumble across it, I find it a great way of lining things up, but most of the time all I can see is a red glow [which is not particularly helpful]. I then spend about five minutes waving my head up and down, right and left, backwards and forwards and sometimes stumble across it, but the same position does not seem to work next time - or maybe I'm just not paying enough attention to the right criteria. (The fact that I do occasionally stumble across it proves it can't be the battery [only got the scope in Sept, so would expect it to last a lot longer than that]). On other occasions I give up and just line the scope up by looking along it, putting in a wide angle eyepiece and doing a spiral search. Also probably doesn't help the awkward positions I have to get in to line up on some objects high up, even with the tripod fully extended.

So, before I splash out on a second hand 6x30 finder, has anyone else ever had this problem? Is there an approved technique for finding the dot that I am totally missing? Am I too close, too far, just plain hopeless?

[that would probably be me!]

Thanks.

[Breakintheclouds]

Just one thought - can you see the dot if you try it indoors (say in a dark room)? I'm wondering if your finder is getting covered in condensation when you're using it out in the cold, and this is causing the messy red glow you describe. I've had exactly that problem with a Telrad finder - a messy red glow which was resolved when I wiped the condensation of the clear screen.

[Demonperformer]

Now that hadn't occurred to me. Will try that next time I get out - maybe I need to create a dewshield for it!!!!

BTW - got my first view of Saturn through the 6SE this morning [horrible eastern horizon, blocked by houses, so have to wait for it to get well up in the sky] Nice - but didn't have time to image it - that is also for next time.

DP

[TheThing]

DP - are you keeping both eyes open? I sometimes lose the red dot too, but find that just moving my head around normally brings it back into the FOV eventually. Sometimes helps if I turn it up really bright until I find it then turn it back down again.

[jimhaleysscomet]

Perhaps it would help to "practice" finding it indoors in a room as dark as you can make it. Once you locate it, keep it in view while moving the scope all over the "sky".

[Sparrow]

I don't use one any more but I now the exact problem you're having. I used to always put it on full brightness and then turn it down as needed. My big problem was remembering to turn the darned thing off so I was for ever having to replace the battery.

[tinvek]

with all this trouble perhaps we could do with a "red dot finder" for our red dot finders

i'll get my coat

[Demonperformer]

Thanks for your input guys.

Due to this morning's wonderful rainy skies, I decided to try the indoor idea. Got it first time - even managed to get it when the room light was on! But most importantly, I wasn't desperate to start observing, so I had time to consider exactly what I was doing. Chin [corner of mouth really] just touching the corner of the star diagonal worked perfectly. Once I got it I could pull back and still follow it as I moved the scope. [Keeping it once found has never really been a problem].

Only ever really use it for my first alignment star anyway. Now that I have started taking much more care in levelling the tripod when I set up, once the first star is aligned, the scope seems to go to my second alignment star pretty well - it is usually well within FOV of my 32mm.

So, procedure will be: slew level scope az so it is pointing in roughly the right direction - find dot while level using the 'chin' method - pull back to a comfortable/safe distance - adjust alt and little bit of az to get star in eyepiece.

Piece of cake.

But then you haven't tasted some of my cooking....

DP

[Jupiter Martin]

Yea the only problem I have is remembering to turn it off. In fact reading this thread I realised I had not turned it off again from last night pmsl. Thanks for the reminder