Finderscopes/Telrad Red Dot Finder

[cyborg421]

I find that to use my finderscope with my skywatcher it is a bit awkward to use. A right angle finder would be easier but I wonder how people have found the Telrad dot finder especially with big Dobs.

Simon

[johninderby]

I use a Telrad and a 9x50 RA finder, which is a combination that a lot of people use. While the Telrad with it's red circles is very easy to use it is still a non-magnifying finder, so if you have light polluted skies it can be harder to see fainter targets but you can see a large area of the sky. With the 9x50 finder you can see fainter targets more easily but you're looking at a much smaller area of the sky. That's why the combination of the two finders works so well as they compliment each other.

You can get a riser base for the Telrad to lift it farther from the OTA that makes it easier to use.

John

[Capricorn]

No direct experience myself but reading the various posts it seems that many like/prefer them.

The straight through ones are not the easiest to use on a Dob, so a right angle helps with the simple act and ease of looking through a finder.

The Telrads are liked as they have a wide view and have circles that aid the positioning of the scope with respect to nearby stars when attempting to locate dim objects.

As with many things however it depends on how you "click" with the item of equipment. Which means buying it to find out.

[brantuk]

I've seen 100's of dobs, especially the big ones found at star parties, with telrads on. And dob owners I've spoken with allways recommend very strongly for ease of use in pointing.

Personally I use an Orion right angle correct image (raci) 9x50 finder wich gives very good views and saves a heck of a lot of back bending.

Some people even use both

[ollypenrice]

I'm one of Brantuk's big Dob users and would never be without my Telrad. Its red circles give you an instant reference regarding scale, far better than a dot IMO.

They are reliable and don't use irksome watch batteries.

Often I go from Telrad to 1 deg field in the 35 Panoptic but having a finder as well is a bonus. I second having both.

Olly

[cyborg421]

Thanks guys, looks like Telrad is a useful addition. How does it attach to the scope?

Simon

[SirFoo]

I agree with everyone above. Buying a telrad has made my life a lot easier!

[callisto]

Yes, The Telrad makes finding objects soooo much easier

[johninderby]

Thanks guys, looks like Telrad is a useful addition. How does it attach to the scope?

Simon

The baseplate is attached with double-sided foam tape (comes with the base) to the OTA. Holds everything very well. Just fit it indoors in a warm place as the adhesive used in the tape takes about 24 hours to reach full strength. If fitted in the cold it doesn't always hold on that well.

The Telrad then simply fits onto the base and is held in place by two small thumbscrews.

John

[BAZ Senior]

I use a Telrad and a 9x50 RA finder. The Telrad gets you somewhere near and the RA finder gets you even closer.

I got the RA as it killed my back trying to look up the finder that came with the scope.

[smulx]

I use a Telrad on my 10" Dob. It's really useful. I discovered that a dew shield for it is essential as mine becomes completely unusable after 5 minutes in the cold.

[HappySachs]

How accurate (directionwise) do you have to be when sticking on the base plate?

I assume there are fine adjustment controls on the actually skope? (that feels like a bit of a silly question)

[johninderby]

The easy way to get it straight is to take a sheet of A4 paper and hold it up against the top of the tube and that will give you your straight edge down the tube to align the baseplate with.

There's a fair bit of adjustment in the Telrad itself, so even if you're a bit off it wont be a problem.

This link will explain a lot about the Telrad.

http://www.company7.com/telrad/products/telrad.html

John

[HappySachs]

That makes sense, thanks for explaining it

I'll take a look at that link

[cotterless45]

Telrad is great and you get to use these;

Sky Maps

There is also a very satisfying click off sound that sounds different from click on, or have been out in the dark too long?

It's better than the Meade finder on the Lightbridge, which is a pain to adjust and easy to leave on.

[bigstu]

I also have a telrad on my skywatcher 200p sitting right next to the original finderscope.

Just remember to turn it off. I am always forgetting but am still on my first set of batteries.

Only problem is dew. The telrad tends to mist up but there is a dew cover available as an addition. Not sure how effectively it works as I just wipe the dew off and carry on going.

[pvaz]

To me the telrad is the best extra I ever bought (even more useful then my TV eyepieces).

You can make a cheap dew shield: Home Built Astronomy - Telrad Dew Shield

Mine was made with plastic instead of foam and doesn't look as nice as the one on the link, but it's very effective.

[gedmac]

i agree the ra finder is a must,much easier on the back(i actually bought mine from johninderby:D) an orion 9x50 raci.also find the telrad invaluable,best advice i can give as a novice is mount as high up the tube you can:p good luck

[bigstu]

Thanks Pvaz for the info. Looks like I have a new mini project making a dew shield for my Telview.

[bigstu]

sorry, meant to say telrad

[cyborg421]

I love the dew shield! The best ideas are often the simplest.

Simon

[brantuk]

Simon - just another idea for you - have you tried using a "Wixey" angle guage with your dob? They're magnetic so they stick to the tube very easily (remove after use) and only cost about £25.

You can set the altitude then just pan around in azimuth till you find the object. Combined with the telrad makes it a pretty useful combination for finding stuff

[Matt Scunthorpe]

Telrad is great and you get to use these;

Sky Maps

There is also a very satisfying click off sound that sounds different from click on, or have been out in the dark too long?

It's better than the Meade finder on the Lightbridge, which is a pain to adjust and easy to leave on.

Revising an old thread here but hey, why not. On those sky maps, how would you find some of the Messiers that dont have any starts marked in the circles, im guessing this would be a Finderscope job? Im looking at getting a Telrad, just dont want to spend £45 on something and it turn out not to help..

[richardjpicot]

Is it possible to have a telrad in place alongside a finderscope or is it a case of detaching when needed?

[Spec-Chum]

I have mine side by side. I use the telrad to get me in the general area then use the finder to home in using the images and text in TLAO.