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Rigel QuikFinder or the Telrad

acme

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acme

acme

Posted
Posted

Hi,

I think I need a red dot finder, I would like to be able to use it on all of my scopes.

Opinions plus the good and bad points on either of these would be much appreciated

Thanks in advance..:)

Acme.

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johninderby

johninderby

Posted
Posted

The Rigel Quikfinder is almost as good as the Telrad. There really isn't much to choose between them. The Telrad has three concentric rings that are very usefull for star hopping but the Quikfinder's two rings still work well. I would base my choice on the size of the scopes concerned.

If you haven't actually seen one in person the Telrad is surprisingly big and bulky and best suited to larger scopes (dobs etc.). The Quikfinder is only a fraction of the size of the Telrad so it works well on refractors and smaller scopes.

John

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Moonshane

Moonshane

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I have both and totally agree with John.

I have a Telrad on my Dob and a Rigel on my Refractor.

in truth I find the Telrad easier to get my eye in line as it has a bigger 'screen' but this is possibly due to the fact I use the dob more than the refractor these days. what surprised me is that they have approximately the same height. as John says though the footprint of the two is very different.

one thing is for sure, you will never look back whichever you buy - this is the one accessory that has transformed my ability to find targets, closely followed by a wide angle 2" eyepiece.

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marcdearn

marcdearn

Posted
Posted

I have only been "stargazing" since Xmas after getting a AstroMaster 130 for a gift.

The RDF fitted was pretty useless as it suffered from parallax quite badly and I was very unsure what I was seeing through the ep was what I had in the RDF.

At SGL5 I bought a Rigel from FLO and My ability was transformed immediately.

I can totally recommend one and as the above posts say it is very small and light.

I can't comment on the Telrad.

(Just a comment...when you stick it on to the ota make sure it is the right way round....it is a hell of a task to unstick it!!!)

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Moonshane

Moonshane

Posted
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(Just a comment...when you stick it on to the ota make sure it is the right way round....it is a hell of a task to unstick it!!!)

I agree with this advice as the way you look seems to be 'the wrong way round'. my tip for removing the sticky tape is a plastic ruler using a sawing motion. this removes all but a little bit. then scratch off with your finger nail and then clean up with lighter fluid.

I resited my Telrad (it came with the scope) the first night I got it. Halfords sell really good sticky pads for number plates.

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johninderby

johninderby

Posted
Posted

OK here's a few photos to give you an idea of the sizes of the finders. I've just placed the Telrad and Quikfinder on top of the OTA.

First photo: Celestron C102 f/5 with Telrad

Second photo: Celestron C102 f/5 with Rigel Quikfinder

Third Photo: Celestron C102 f/5 with WO type RDF

John

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John

John

Posted
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I've used both and like them both. The Telrad works really well but is a bit oversized for what it does - there is a lot of "air" iside it's casing. I also found that the Quickfinder is more resistant to dewing although you can get a dew shield for the Telrad as an add-on. Unless you use the add-on riser for the Telrad, its viewing window is lower (closer to the scope tube) than the Quikfinder which means a little more neck-cricking at times.

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russ

russ

Posted
Posted

I have option 3 in John's photos.......the WO style MRF. Wouldn't be without it. Small and compact, better than the usual RDF. Swaps easily between scopes. Has various dots, crosses and circles but i prefer the plain old dot.

Had a Telrad on my dob a while back, it was very good but couldn't be bothered this time. I'm happy with the MRF.

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simon84

simon84

Posted
Posted

I've only really used the Telrad, a fantastic device but yes it is rather large. I've been looking into reducing the casing of it to make more suitable for using on a frac.

As for removing them, warm the tape up with a small hairdryer once its warmed up it should peel off fairly easily.

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ahlberto

ahlberto

Posted
Posted

Hi.For mi the RDF is the best by far.Its accurate and small and you can left it turned on for days and the batery still holds is charge.Ive the rigel and if i left it turned on for a nigth,goodbye batery...

The telrad is ridiculous huge and ugly for my taste.

Just my 2 cents:D

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robhal9000

robhal9000

Posted
Posted

Hi,

The Skysurfer V is basically a military grade red dot sight totally sealed and waterproof. A bit pricy and nowhere near as good as the el cheapo quikfinder, but could be useful if you own a 'scope and an automatic rifle.

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Llamanaut

Llamanaut

Posted
Posted

getting back to means of attachment, B&Q sell 'no more nails' permanent and temporary double sided tape. I used the temporary and its really easy to just twist the finder off the scope. It sticks really well however and holds the finder firmly. Its good for stuff up to 2.5kg

http://www.makingdiyeasier.co.uk/unibond/nomorenails-strips-removable.html

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Chris_J

Chris_J

Posted
Posted

Great thread...

Think I'm going to get myself a Quickfinder. I can get the scope close to the desired object by remembering the location in the sky and almost looking down the length of the tube. Takes a few goes though!

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  • 4 years later...
ghostdance

ghostdance

Posted
Posted

If you go with the Rigel option (I have one) get the extra battery holder which uses AA batteries instead of the large watch type batteries!

Thought of doing this, but are the gains significant in battery life? I like the ultra-lightweight of the button cell but always interested in new toys!

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ronl

ronl

Posted
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Thought of doing this, but are the gains significant in battery life? I like the ultra-lightweight of the button cell but always interested in new toys!

The button cell lasts a long time, that's if you remember to switch it off while observing,

I bought extra cells not long after I first used it, haven't had to use one yet, that's after

months and months of use. The Rigel has made finding targets much, much, easier, I

think it's a godsend.

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