Telrad finder is awesome

[ajg]

Title about sums it up.

After soliciting recommendations on here, I picked up a Telrad and a 4" riser from Altair Astro. The recommendations were spot-on. It's a great piece of kit. Dead easy and comfortable to use.

[Bizibilder]

Yup - they are good. The only downside is that they can be real Dew Magnets!!

This thread:

http://stargazerslounge.com/diy-astronomer/80544-simple-telrad-dew-heater.html

gives you an easy to make solution!

[Rusty Strings]

Completely agree with the above, some kind of dew control is necessary, I did the simple dew heater mod and it works great. I also soon got tired of forgetting to turn the battery off so I fitted a 12v to 3v DC converter so I can run it off the powerpack.

[stafford_stargazer]

Mine should be here tuesday:) now where did i put that double sided sticky tape;)

[JAO]

They are great and I use them as the only finder on my two dobs. I think they are a bit like Marmite though people either love them or hate them!

[mindburner]

will definately have to get one of these I think. The mod is a great idea

[Moonshane]

Mine should be here tuesday:) now where did i put that double sided sticky tape;)

go to your local car factor and buy some number plate stickers. cheap and work a treat.

[stafford_stargazer]

cheers shane,will do that monday while off

[msinclairinork]

I totaly agree with BB's "dew magnet" statement.

You really have to get the dew heater for it!

Michael

[ollypenrice]

Does anyone hate them? Why? Wonderful things.

Olly

[JAO]

Yep, in my observing group there are several very experienced observers (using 18"-22" scopes) who really don't like them at all and prefer a traditional finder. Strange but true!

[ajg]

Weirdness. Ah well, each to his own!

Good ideas WRT anti-dewing arrangements - I'll look into it! Some Google-fu also discovered this

[cs1cjc]

The Telrad finder does indeed attract dew, however a heater is unnecessary. The optics are very accessible and I find an occasional wipe with a tissue works fine...

[Moonshane]

The Telrad finder does indeed attract dew, however a heater is unnecessary. The optics are very accessible and I find an occasional wipe with a tissue works fine...

so obvious really, don't know why I didn't think of it - I suppose it's the drilled into me, 'don't ever wipe damp optics with a cloth in the field' mentality.

reminds me of the urban myth that NASA spent millions on a zero gravity pen, yet the Soviets used a pencil.....