Rigel Quickfinder for Nexstar 6SE

[ABC1234]

Well, the Celestron finder that came with my 6SE died last night. I tried changing the batteries already and it still didn't work.

Honestly, it was a POS and I would have changed it anyway.

Now I have been looking for finders to replace it and I really liked the Telrad, but it's probably too large and awkward on a 6" SCT, so I decided on a Rigel.

I'm going to buy the Rigel soon but I'm not so sure on how exactly I should put it on and whether I need to buy all those extra bases and stuff. Do I just put it on the rail thingy on the OTA? Or can I use double sided tape to put it on?


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[bornfree]

u can use double sided tape on the base and align it as straight as possible. use a strong brand. Rigel is pretty tall and u wont like it to wobble on its base too much.

[Gary]

Welcome to the forum!

I use blu-tack so that I can transfer the whole finder from one telescope to another if need be. IIRC, a brand new Rigel Quikfinder comes with 2 base.

Not sure if you have use the Quikfinder before but some users find the parallax error too high for high precision finding on a manual mount system and/or have difficulty positioning their head/eyes to see the red rings.

If you prefer higher precision and longer battery life regardless of bulk/appearance, the Telrad may be a better choice.

If you are mainly using the computerised function of your telescope system and can do the initial alignment process accurately, you may not need such high accuracy from such zero powered finders for the rest of the observation session.

You may also consider more stylish gun-sight looking finders which may be available in stores selling military related products.

[ABC1234]

Welcome to the forum!

I use blu-tack so that I can transfer the whole finder from one telescope to another if need be. IIRC, a brand new Rigel Quikfinder comes with 2 base.

Not sure if you have use the Quikfinder before but some users find the parallax error too high for high precision finding on a manual mount system and/or have difficulty positioning their head/eyes to see the red rings.

If you prefer higher precision and longer battery life regardless of bulk/appearance, the Telrad may be a better choice.

If you are mainly using the computerised function of your telescope system and can do the initial alignment process accurately, you may not need such high accuracy from such zero powered finders for the rest of the observation session.

You may also consider more stylish gun-sight looking finders which may be available in stores selling military related products.

I contacted astro bargains earlier and they didn't have the Rigel Quikfinder in stock. I am considering a Telrad now but it's quite bulky. I don't really want to use double sided tape to stick on a Telrad as I will have to remove it often for transport. Do you think blu tack is sufficient for the Telrad?

Thanks Gary and bornfree!

[Gary]

For me, blu-tack is good enough even for Telrad. But you may need to align it very slightly for each observing session. If you secure it more permanently (e.g. with the included double stick tape and some say even cable ties), then it is so well designed that you can just align it once and for all.

Having said that, if one day you decide to remove the sticker tape (e.g. with dental floss), it may be a pain for your fingers. If you try to apply chemicals to dissolve the sticky mess, you may also be concerned about accidentally damaging the telescope paint.

If you decide to use your Telrad + OTA on both EQ and AZ mounts, fixing the Telrad on one side of your telescope may be slightly more comfortable to use in one type of mount than the other.

If you can only foresee yourself using this one telescope only in the next few years, there's nothing wrong sticking the Telrad base on it. If it turns out you really like the Telrad and obtain another telescope, you may also buy just an additional Telrad base itself to fix it on the second telescope. Then you can share the main Telrad finder unit on both telescopes.

If you are taking public transport most of the time with your 6SE, then the bulk a Telrad may be a factor to consider when it comes to maximising the space of your carrying bag(s). With the space savings of a Rigel over a Telrad, you may be able to stuff in another eyepiece/barlow/binoviewer.

If you have plans of upgrading to a medium/large dobsonian without tracking/goto in the near future, then you can further justify buying a Telrad now which you can use for it your future dobsonian.

Lastly, unless you really need an astro accessory very urgently (e.g. for some rare once-in-lifetime event), you may not want the availability of stock to influence your decision too much. Just wait patiently for the stock to arrive or order from other sources.

[ABC1234]

For me, blu-tack is good enough even for Telrad. But you may need to align it very slightly for each observing session. If you secure it more permanently (e.g. with the included double stick tape and some say even cable ties), then it is so well designed that you can just align it once and for all.

Having said that, if one day you decide to remove the sticker tape (e.g. with dental floss), it may be a pain for your fingers. If you try to apply chemicals to dissolve the sticky mess, you may also be concerned about accidentally damaging the telescope paint.

If you decide to use your Telrad + OTA on both EQ and AZ mounts, fixing the Telrad on one side of your telescope may be slightly more comfortable to use in one type of mount than the other.

If you can only foresee yourself using this one telescope only in the next few years, there's nothing wrong sticking the Telrad base on it. If it turns out you really like the Telrad and obtain another telescope, you may also buy just an additional Telrad base itself to fix it on the second telescope. Then you can share the main Telrad finder unit on both telescopes.

If you are taking public transport most of the time with your 6SE, then the bulk a Telrad may be a factor to consider when it comes to maximising the space of your carrying bag(s). With the space savings of a Rigel over a Telrad, you may be able to stuff in another eyepiece/barlow/binoviewer.

If you have plans of upgrading to a medium/large dobsonian without tracking/goto in the near future, then you can further justify buying a Telrad now which you can use for it your future dobsonian.

Lastly, unless you really need an astro accessory very urgently (e.g. for some rare once-in-lifetime event), you may not want the availability of stock to influence your decision too much. Just wait patiently for the stock to arrive or order from other sources.

Thanks for the advice.

The reason I want a finder soon is because I will be bringing my scope on a week long holiday with very dark skies.

There, I want to try some star hopping as I have been relying on my GOTO for deep sky objects in Singapore. As I have mentioned earlier, my red dot finder has spoilt already.


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[bornfree]

since i know my newt will be my long term scope, i used a double sided tape to stick the base. the base is not high and will not obstruct. the telrad itself can be removr and stored separately. just as Gary said if you want to remove base as well, then blu-tack is the way to go. for light adjustment to zero ur finder, hope urplace has a point source to aid u to zero. stars will drift so u can only use low magnification to first find stars.

[Gary]

The reason I want a finder soon is because I will be bringing my scope on a week long holiday with very dark skies. There, I want to try some star hopping as I have been relying on my GOTO for deep sky objects in Singapore. As I have mentioned earlier, my red dot finder has spoilt already.

I see. Do consider powered finder and/or laser finder also which can be very useful for star hopping in a dark site. If the observation spot is dewy, do take note to modify your telrad/quickfinder slightly to delay the dewing process (e.g. wrap transparency sheet lengthwise over the telrad). Telrad with a bigger exposed piece of glass tends to dew up faster than the quikfinder. Also make sure your SCT is properly protected from dew in such a place.

[ABC1234]

Bornfree: Thanks I will be able to use Polaris there

Gary: Thanks for the warnings. Already bought a plastic sheet and some Velcro


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[bornfree]

or you can do what i did to turn my telrad into a powered finder. use a bino with it.

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