Celestron Beginner scope

[Bigbeck]

Well, after reading many posts here it looks like I screwed up. I ordered a Celestron 90mm refractor with EQ mount for my 12 year old son. Is there any hope for this scope, or would I be better off sending it back and taking a 20% loss. It was only 160.00.

[Dave Mitsky]

What model is it? If the mount is not too terribly flimsy, the scope may be perfectly useful. A good 90mm achromatic refractor with a focal ratio of f/10 or greater is not a bad starting telescope, particularly for someone primarily interested in planetary and lunar observing.

Dave Mitsky

[Bigbeck]

What model is it? If the mount is not too terribly flimsy, the scope may be perfectly useful. A good 90mm achromatic refractor with a focal ratio of f/10 or greater is not a bad starting telescope, particularly for someone primarily interested in planetary and lunar observing.

Dave Mitsky

It's the Astromaster 90EQ Refractor 21064

[RickJ]

Unless the seller substituted cheaper parts that is a good price for the scope. My only concern is that an equatorial mount adds a level of complexity for the beginner. It's motions aren't intuitive at first so pointing the scope can be a challenge in some parts of the sky. It just doesn't move like you might expect. This is especially true to the north (or south for those down under). Setting circles are advertising baloney as few ever make them work. Don't get hung up with polar alignment. Just set it for about your latitude and set it down in a rather level spot, so it won't tip over and point the polar axis (the one set to your latitude) north. No need to get all picky about it. I've watched beginners in our club spend an hour trying to get "accurate" polar alignment when, for visual use, it isn't needed at all. I moved to 47N from 40.6N and haven't even adjusted the polar axis angle for the new latitude here. I use the scope visually only so it just doesn't matter to me to be any more accurate. And this is a 10" scope with a good Mathis drive train. It tracks well enough for visual work even off by many degrees.

Celestron normally packs two inexpensive but very usable plossl eyepieces with their scopes. If so, you should find the optics quite good. The mount a bit shaky but no where near what the lousy ones are like. I prefer refractors for young kids as they take more abuse than reflectors and don't need constant recollimation. Though considering his age, you might think about a 6" or even 8" dob in a couple years if his interest continues.

For now it is good for the moon, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn. Mars and Mercury won't show much, certainly not like photos show it. Most open star clusters such as M45, the Double Cluster, M35 and many other M clusters will show very well in this scope using the low power eyepiece. Bright nebula like the Great Orion Nebula and M8 in the summer are good targets. Galaxies like M31 are often disappointing in any scope as they are just fuzzy blobs of light until you learn to observer their very faint contrast differences. This is true in scopes of all sizes. It takes time to learn to train the brain and eye to get the most out of what you are seeing. Starting with a 90mm scope I've found often helps with this process so they see far more in a 6" or 8" when the time to move up comes than do those that start there. All the best observers in our club started with scopes smaller than 6".

A digital camera held to the eyepiece when viewing the moon should give him a surprisingly good moon shot if the power is kept low enough for the exposure time to be relatively fast (1/30th of a second or faster -- no flash obviously).

Be sure to get a good star atlas, binoculars and a red LED flashlight to read the atlas. Maximum power for this scope is about 180 though you may find 150 a more practical limit. That means either one more eyepiece as you have low and medium powers covered. High power is rarely used so no need to hurry up getting one.

Rick

[Bigbeck]

Would it be worth it to get the Celestron eyepiece and filter kit#94304? I can get this for 80.00

[aurora]

I always advise people to wait until they have used the scope before ordering any eyepieces or filters.

See how it works, figure out what you want to look at, decide if you need something with a wider field, or more eye relief, or magnification (but be careful, there is a limit).

[Bigbeck]

I really appreciate all the help I've recieved. Thanks guys!

The scope should be here in a couple of days. I'm sure I'll be bugging you guys again with dumb newbie questions. Meanwhile I'll pick up Night Watch and Turn Left at Orion.

Thanks again

Don

[victor003]

hope you get the one you love

[Dave Mitsky]

Would it be worth it to get the Celestron eyepiece and filter kit#94304? I can get this for 80.00

Actually, that wouldn't be a bad idea since it includes a Barlow lens and a 32mm Ploessl, which will produce very close to the maximum true field of view for a 1.25" eyepiece. This will make locating objects far easier and provide better views of very large extended objects such as M31.

With the kit, you'd have focal lengths of 32, 20, 16, 12.5, 10, 6.25, and 5mm at your disposal. Adorama - http://www.adorama.com/CNAKN.html?sid=1199982801353342 - has a slightly better price.

Dave Mitsky

[Bigbeck]

Wow! that is a good deal! Most places sell that kit for 99.00.
What about a zoom eyepiece? Celestron has them for about 62.00.I think Zhummel (spelling?) has them for about the same price. It makes me wonder about the quality as most zooms I've seen are 150.00 to 400.00.

Thanks for that link.

Don

[Siguy]

Wow! that is a good deal! Most places sell that kit for 99.00.
What about a zoom eyepiece? Celestron has them for about 62.00.I think Zhummel (spelling?) has them for about the same price. It makes me wonder about the quality as most zooms I've seen are 150.00 to 400.00.

Thanks for that link.

Don
Zoom eyepieces are never recommended. Their performance is generally considered inferior. They may sound like a good idea, but in reality they're like looking through a straw. TeleVue (the best eyepiece manufacturer in the industry) makes a 3-6mm zoom eyepiece, but it would not be usable for a telescope like the one you have and costs about as much as a full set of plossl eyepieces. (which are probably about the same viewing experience)

Also, the telescope you are getting looks very nice for a beginner's scope. The design, though kind of cheezy, is somewhat more aesthetically pleasing than a typical 90mm refractor, and the steel tripod is probably superior to a typical aluminum one.

If you are looking for eyepieces, the Orion Expanse ones are nice and very affordable. They are good for someone who wants that "immersed in space" feel, but many people don't like them because their field is somewhat curved.

The kit looks nice and I would certainly go for it at such a low price. But don't buy any accessories until you have the scope.

You and your son should have lots of fun. I know that I would have fun with that scope, and I'm about his age. Hope you have clear skies and don't get effected by the "new equipment curse"!

[Dave Mitsky]

The 8-24mm zoom eyepieces that are manufactured by Vixen and are also sold under the Tele Vue and Orion names are not too bad optically. I use one with my Coranado PST in part due to the convenience it offers. Unfortunately, the zooming process is not parfocal. Also, the apparent field of view varies inversely with focal length, the smallest AFOV occuring at 24mm.

In addition to the 3-6mm Nagler zoom, which I also happen to own, Tele Vue sells a 2-4mm version. Both have constant 50 degree AFOVs, are quite good optically, and are rather expensive. They are mostly suitable for short focal length refractors, such as the ones that Tele Vue sells.

The Pentax SMC zoom eyepiece also has very good optics but is very expensive.

In general, buying separate eyepieces is a better way to go for most amateurs.

Dave Mitsky

[Bigbeck]

Well, now that I've got my scope,I see how quick and easy it is to change the eyepiece - no zoom for me.

I did not put it together yet as I'm using binoculars and my neighbors 70mm Meade refractor. That's a very cheesey scope compared to my celestron.

This Celestron is heavy! When I opened the box, I found out why. The mount is all steel - not a bit of plastic. Tripod is steel too. It looks as though the mount should cost more than I paid for the entire kit. I'll probably leave it in the box for now. maybe break it out for our camping trips in the summer.

I bought 2 pair of binoculars. A Nikon Action 10 x 50 and a Simmons 10 x 50 Wall Mart special at 24.99. I was kind of disappointed in the Nikons as the view of the moon was only a little better than the cheap Simmons. It's not what I was expecting. Has this happened to anyone else? Maybe this is due in part to my lack of experience?
One thing for sure, I'm having a lot of fun with my son! We made a mount today to attach the binoculars to a camera tripod. I think I'll make a trip to Best Buy tomorrow to pick up another larger tripod, as this one is only 42".

[Veeger]

I'll probably leave it in the box for now. maybe break it out for our camping trips in the summer.


Please tell me you didn't say what it looks like you said. You are not going to leave you new scope in the box until next summer are you??? :confused:

-Veeger

[Bigbeck]

Please tell me you didn't say what it looks like you said. You are not going to leave you new scope in the box until next summer are you??? :confused:

-Veeger

Does it have an expiration date?:lol: My son and I are just beginning the hobby and the EQ mount makes things a little more complex than needed. I think the binoculars and 70mm scope are just fine for now.
Besides, camping season is only 4.5 months away for me. Would it make you feel better if I stuck it in the fridge?:lol:

[deejayry]

If i were you i would get that telescope out of its box and get learning how it all works so you can make the best use of it on your camping trips. 4.5 months is more than plenty of time to learn how to use an EQ mount.

One thing i have noticed on this forum is there are an awfully high number of people who say Just get an Alt/Az mount because it is simpler!! In some respect this is sound advice. BUT while you play wth your Alt/Az mount, you wont learn a thing about an EQ mount (apart from the fact that you will notice you have to move two controls to keep an object in view).

the only added complexity of an EQ mount is setting it up... and to be honest for visual work, just setting your latitude and having the polar axis pointed close to polaris (or the SCP if you are in the southern hemisphere) should be adequate. Your mount does not have a polarscope, so adjust the RA axis so that the counterweight bar is pointing down to its lowest position. Then adjust the Dec axis so the telescope points up to its highest position.
finaly adjust the coarse Alt/Az screws to center the pole in the view.

you will then notice that the RA axis follows the path of the stars accross the sky throughout the night.

Good Luck.

Please just dont leave it in its box... it will probably end up being forgotten about!!

[Siguy]

Please, use it. You'll have so much more fun in 4 1/2 months if you start learning the night sky now! I use an equatorial mount and after I got the hang of counterweighting and polar aligning, it became quite easy for me to use one. There's no point in letting a telescope sit for a whole season, the stars don't go away in the winter! That's what I've been trying to tell my mom who wants me to put my telescope away until the spring comes again. You need to start now, or else you'll be stuck with a telescope you don't know how to use during a summer camping trip and you won't know what to look at.

[Dave Mitsky]

Some of the best DSOs are visible during the winter and aren't all that difficult to locate. It would be a shame not to have a look at some of them.

If you achieve a reasonably accurate polar alignment, you should be able to use your setting circles via the technique of offsetting from a nearby bright star.

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/howto/visualobserving/3304206.html?showAll=y&c=y

Dave Mitsky

[Bigbeck]

Some of the best DSOs are visible during the winter and aren't all that difficult to locate. It would be a shame not to have a look at some of them.

If you achieve a reasonably accurate polar alignment, you should be able to use your setting circles via the technique of offsetting from a nearby bright star.

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/howto/visualobserving/3304206.html?showAll=y&c=y

Dave Mitsky

Thanks for the link Dave. If I show it to my son, he'll probably quit astronomy tomorrow - too much like school, he'll say. If I push a little too much, he'll lose interest.

I'm just starting to get him to use star maps that I downloaded from skymaps.com. I also bought a large 16" diameter planisphere that he thinks is really cool.

We finally got a nice view of the moon last night. We saw a lot more detail with that little 70mm mead than the binoculars would show. I used a 25mm eyepiece then added the 2x Barlow. A nicely detailed and large image! The focal length of this scope is 600mm. It only lasted a few minutes and then the clouds came in.

I know it's good advice to get that Celestron out of the box and start using it,and I probably should do it. I just don't want to take the chance of my son losing interest. I need to go slow and I also need to learn at his pace. It would not be good for me to out pace him and learn as much as I can,as quickly as I can. This is something we started together. What I would really like to see, is for him to take the lead, and start teaching me.

My objective here is to have fun with my son. How much technical stuff I actually learn is of less importance. If the new scope don't make it to the first camping trip, so be it! As long as the fun is there. Other camping trips will follow. We do about 4 or 5 a year.

Hmm..... let me think............ He's 13 in a couple more days. This may be the last camping season for father and son. I think it's around age 14 or 15 when parents become the dumbest creatures on the planet. And teenagers become the smartest creatures on the planet. You know, girls, peer pressure, it's not cool to hang around with a dumb old man.:cool:

I better get that scope together tonight!!!:)

[Siguy]

It's great for you to spend time bonding with your son. Astronomy is a really great way to do it, too. My mom thinks I'm crazy to be out in the freezing weather, but that will probably change when we get some warm summer nights. My dad is a bit more interested but I don't get to see him as often. So you and your son are very lucky to be able to share an interest in a hobby so elegant as astronomy.

[deejayry]

Thanks for the link Dave. If I show it to my son, he'll probably quit astronomy tomorrow - too much like school, he'll say. If I push a little too much, he'll lose interest.

Yeah i think if i had tried to make sense of that i may have given up! i did try to use the setting circles on my first mount a few times, but gave ended up only ever looking at them when i was doing the polar alignment.

the main reason i suggest using the EQ mount is the fact that it has the good old RA axis, simply tweaking this every 30 sec keeps your target in sight.

I can understand that you dont want to push your son too hard, however when i was 13 i would have been so happy if my dad was interested in astronomy, when i was around his age i got my first look at jupiter when one of my school teachers invited our class to use her telescope one evening. the moment i saw jupiter for the first time i begged my parents to let me get a scope, but they couldnt be convinced! I never forgot that awe inspiring view and eventually i bought my first telescope in september (i was nearly 26 by this point)

most of the technical stuff goes right over my head, but slowly it begins to be absorbed. the EQ mount may seem a bit daunting at first glance, but trust me, it is not too bad.

I hope you and your son have many hours of observing together as i would have liked when i was your son's age.

[Bigbeck]

I finally put the Astromaster 90EQ together last night. My son was bugging me about it because the mount on the Meade 70AZ was getting on his nerves. I can't say that I blame him.

I have a couple of problems, and would like to know what you guys think of my solutions.
First, the knob of my latitude adjustment screw unthreaded from the rod. It appears as though the factory uses thread locking compound on it. My fix will be to thread the knob back on, drill through the knob and shaft and install a roll pin or split pin, as should have been done at the factory.

Number 2, I can't move the tube enough to balance it. The mounting on the tube is not long enough. My solution is to zip tie a weight on the rear of the tube. If I take the big shroud off the front of the scope,it balances perfectly.

I have also emailed Celestron but would like opinions from "real" experts. Sometimes, factory people just like to get you off their back. Or they simply,don't know or care.

[deejayry]

I would say that drilling through the knob and fitting a roll pin would be fine. if the knob is plastic, be carfeul that the drill bit doesnt wander when it hits the metal part.

adding a weight at the back of the tube should be fine, if you want more control over the balancing i would sugest making a rail that you can slide a weight along, but simply zip tieing a weight will be just as effective.

i was going to suggest moving the tube back in its mounting rings, but looking at the images of your scope shows that it uses a fixed dovetail so that is not possible.

[Bigbeck]

Ok, here is Celestrons response. "We highly advise against any drilling of the scope as it will void the warranty". That was it! Case closed! I probably could get a better response out of my neighbors dog.

Thanks for your response deejayry. I went ahead and put the roll pin in with no problems as the knob was metal. I also zip tied a 2" long piece of 2" c-channel to the bottom of the tube - perfect balance now. I found the metal in my shop,lying on the floor in the corner. Just a scrap that missed the garbage can. I brought it into my house and set it on top of the scope and that was it. I did not even have to cut it or add more weight to it. What are the odds of something like that happening?

This mount works so much better than that little Meade 70AZ scope. It does have a little slop in it, but overall,I'm very happy with it. But I'll probably change my mind after I go to a star party and operate a 2 thousand dollar mount. I can see it already - I WILL be spending money down the road.

[deejayry]

Well i'm glad you sorted out the lockscrew and ballance issue, I am sure that you will find the equatorial mount more logical than the alt/az mount after a few nights.

I found myself upgrading my mount to a skywatcher HEQ5 Pro Synscan after only a few months, with the original mount i found it hard to focus with my most powerful eyepiece/barlow combo. the HEQ5 is a nice solid mount and i find it easier to focus as the subject is not moving due to my touching the focuser. For some reason the mount supplied was just not up to handling the weight/size of my scope.

I am not suggesting that you have to spend lots of money as soon as I did, I would imagine with your scope things will be a bit less likely to flex as much as my setup did, See how things go with the mount you have, it should be ok with your scope.

[Bigbeck]

I am not suggesting that you have to spend lots of money as soon as I did, I would imagine with your scope things will be a bit less likely to flex as much as my setup did, See how things go with the mount you have, it should be ok with your scope.


I think the EQ mount I have is pretty decent. But like your old mount, it's a little jittery with a 10mm and barlow,or even the 10mm by itself. The fine adjustments work excellent though,so I think I can live with it for awhile.

My son is starting to feel right at home with the EQ mount. He actually loves it. Every cloudless night he's out there for a couple of hours in 28 to 32 degree temps. I only visit him for maybe 2 15 min. sessions in that time. I keep telling him that astronomy is not really a winter hobby, at least the observing part.

I have a feeling we'll be going on more than our usual 5 camping trips this summer and fall. That will give us some nice dark skies to observe by. I can't wait!

I think I may need to bring a nice little 8" or 10" dob for our dark sky camping trips. What do you think? He wants to have a good look at nebulas and galaxys.

[Dave Mitsky]

I keep telling him that astronomy is not really a winter hobby, at least the observing part.

A great many amateur astronomers would disagree with that statement. If one dresses properly, winter observing is not all that onerous.

http://astroprofspage.com/archives/446

http://www.ast.cam.ac.uk/~ipswich/Miscellaneous/Observing_wear.htm

Dave Mitsky

[redshifter]

I think I may need to bring a nice little 8" or 10" dob for our dark sky camping trips. What do you think? He wants to have a good look at nebulas and galaxys.

An 8" or 10" dob will give you more aperature for pulling in nebulas and esp. galaxies. I'd recommend a 10" over an 8" for the extra light gathering capabilities since you specify wanting a good look at galaxies.

Either an 8" or 10" dob will take up a fair amount of space when dealing with all the other stuff needed for a camping trip since you can't really take apart a dob (unless it's a truss style). Make sure you have the room in whatever vehicle you take when camping!

[Bigbeck]

Either an 8" or 10" dob will take up a fair amount of space when dealing with all the other stuff needed for a camping trip since you can't really take apart a dob (unless it's a truss style). Make sure you have the room in whatever vehicle you take when camping!

I have a Ford full size van,so I'm ok there. The Orion 10" dob comes apart so you can carry the scope in one hand and the base in the other. It looks like I'll have to buy the soft case for the tube,though. If I have to walk a couple hundred yards to the observing site, I'd like to make as few trips as possible.

Maybe I should fabricate a cradle to fit on a hand truck and move the scope fully assembled. How do you guys do it?

[aurora]

I have a 10 inch dob. I put two carrying handles (obtained from the local hardware store) on the base, and one at the balance point of the tube. I make two trips when I carry it to the observing site. Sometimes I put some items inside the base, to save on trips, which is why I use two hands to carry the base.

[redshifter]

I own the Orion 10" dob, and you really need both hands to carry the tube due to the combination of weight and length. Carrying the tube in one hand while carrying the base in the other isn't really workable. It's possible, but also a great way to drop the tube. It is possible to leave the tube attached to the mount via the tension springs and carry it that way, but it's extremely cumbersome to carry it more than a few feet that way, let alone a couple hundred yards.

The easiest, least clumsly solution IMO is to carry the tube and mount separately. One could come up with a dolly/handtruck of some kind to move the components together I suppose.

[Bigbeck]

I own the Orion 10" dob, and you really need both hands to carry the tube due to the combination of weight and length. Carrying the tube in one hand while carrying the base in the other isn't really workable. It's possible, but also a great way to drop the tube. It is possible to leave the tube attached to the mount via the tension springs and carry it that way, but it's extremely cumbersome to carry it more than a few feet that way, let alone a couple hundred yards.

The easiest, least clumsly solution IMO is to carry the tube and mount separately. One could come up with a dolly/handtruck of some kind to move the components together I suppose.

I realize the tube is rather cumbersome, given it's length and shape. I would not want to take a chance and drop it. That's why I mentioned the soft case that Orion sells with a carry handle. It would be like carrying a long suitcase, NO? It would also protect it from scratches and dings.

The toolbox I use at work is 47 pounds and I can carry that about 200 feet max before I need a rest. It's easier to carry with weight in the other hand. So if the tube is around 30 pounds or so and has a comfortable carry handle, I can't see how it would be difficult for me. Is the mount very akward to carry with one hand? I see it has a carry handle.

[Bigbeck]

I have a 10 inch dob. I put two carrying handles (obtained from the local hardware store) on the base, and one at the balance point of the tube. I make two trips when I carry it to the observing site. Sometimes I put some items inside the base, to save on trips, which is why I use two hands to carry the base.

It's ok to bolt a handle to the tube?

[redshifter]

The mount isn't too bad carrying via the handle. I have knocked it against my knees a time or two however, so care is needed.

It's not so much the weight of the tube, but the combination of weight and size. Putting it in a soft case and slinging it over your shoulder might work OK though, as well as carrying it via the handle on the case.

[aurora]

It's ok to bolt a handle to the tube?

If the Dob tube does not come with a handle, you can put one on yourself like I did.

Use a little care, for example, when working inside the tube, point it slightly downward so if you drop a nut it cannot fall down and hit the mirror. Just take your time and use common sense.

[Bigbeck]

Thanks for all the help guys. Now, if you could help me with another problem. My refractor has a built in red dot finder which is useless when the scope is pointed up. Is the Rigel Quick finder mounted around the middle of the tube a good choice?

[Siguy]

I think a Rigel Quick finder would look very silly on a 90mm scope, and I'm not sure whether it would solve the problem of of vertical pointing.

[aurora]

Thanks for all the help guys. Now, if you could help me with another problem. My refractor has a built in red dot finder which is useless when the scope is pointed up. Is the Rigel Quick finder mounted around the middle of the tube a good choice?


Is it useless because you can't bend your neck that far? Or is it useless for some other reason?

The Rigel is similar to a red dot, except it stands farther off the tube (and is easier to knock loose when moving the scope).

Maybe you need a right angle finder? just a thought.

[Bigbeck]

The red dot that came with the scope is mounted at the eyepiece end of the refractor and looks to be built in. My scope is about 42" long, so when pointed up, the finder is close to the ground. In fact, I think I would have to lay on the ground to look through it. I think it would work ok if it had a right angle on it as I'm ok with the eyepiece location. The Rigel looked good because it's so high off the tube and I could mount it anywhere on the tube. Have you used a Rigel or right angle finder?

[aurora]

I have used a Rigel, it isn't my favorite but some like it.

I have a Telrad on my Dob, which I'm sure is too large for your refractor.

I have a 120mm and an 80mm refractors, and I have put red dot finders on them, but I put the red dots out near the end of the tube away from the focuser.

A right angle focuser is something people tend to put on larger scopes, it works well for some, and others don't like them.

[Bigbeck]

Is there one particular brand of red dot that you like? Or that most people seem to like?

It's a shame I can't move my red dont finder to the end or at least the middle of the tube.

I would think a right angle finder would be the best of the batch. You could mount it most anywhere on the tube. What's not to like about it?

[aurora]

Is there one particular brand of red dot that you like? Or that most people seem to like?

It's a shame I can't move my red dont finder to the end or at least the middle of the tube.

I would think a right angle finder would be the best of the batch. You could mount it most anywhere on the tube. What's not to like about it?

Most of the red dots are about the same. The best ones have a dimmer switch on them, some of the cheapest ones don't. So check to see if it has a dimmer before you buy it.

The reason some folks don't like right angle finders is that they are not in line with the scope -- so moving the scope to find something is somewhat counter-intuitive, or takes some getting used to, as you are looking at the scope rather than at the sky. The other finders have the advantage that you are looking down the tube when you are sighting through them.

[Dave Mitsky]

Standard right angle finder scopes create an upright but confusing mirrror image view. However, ones with an Amici prism produce an erect (i.e., correct) image that makes locating objects quite easy, at the cost of some loss of light.

http://www.optcorp.com/product.aspx?pid=105-166-168-4212

Some dot pointers are definitely better than others. Here's one (http://www.optcorp.com/product.aspx?pid=105-109-166-167-6550) that I like a lot. However, the Telrad is still the best 1x aiming device.

Dave Mitsky

[deejayry]

I would imagine that the telrad would be a better choice over the Rigel, allthough it is physicly bigger it is much flatter than the rigel and would be less likely to get knocked about, I've never used a Rigel finder before, but i do have a Telrad, I found that with the telrad in place i NEVER used the normal finder scope, i ended up removing the original finder and its bracket and fixing the telrad in its place.

One reason i stopped using the original finder is because it dews up so quickly, it was always the first item to get misty, normally at least an hour before the Telrad, the telrads Screen is held in by Silicone sealant, i carefuly cut the sealant so that the glass could be removed to make drying it easy. just dont remove the traces of sealant left behind or the glass will fall out!

[Bigbeck]

I was in a telescope store today. The Telrad and Rigel are the same height. The Telrad just looks lower because it's much longer, and heavier. It's also wider. I like both as they have concentric circles instead of a dot, It would make the seeing and locating much easier for me. I ended up buying the Rigel today,mainly because of the smaller size. That Telrad would Dwarf my 90mm refractor and throw it off the balance. I'm going to try it out on some stars, right now!

[Bigbeck]

I must say, the Rigel works very well indeed! My son had a little trouble with it as his eyes are not as good as mine. When I aligned the finder and scope,using Mars, I had him look in the finder to see Mars in the bullseye. He could not see it! I looked again, and sure enough it was there. He could see Mars with his naked eye ok. But in the Rigel, all he could see was the two circles.

Clouds started rolling in and my son was a little disenchanted, so we called it quits. Then I realized that the finder brightness was turned up all the way. We'll have to try it again,with the brightness turned down. Mars also looked much brighter to me with the naked eye than it did in the bullseye. I hope that's where the problem lies,or I'll probably have to use a different finder.

[aurora]

Clouds started rolling in and my son was a little disenchanted, so we called it quits. Then I realized that the finder brightness was turned up all the way. We'll have to try it again,with the brightness turned down. Mars also looked much brighter to me with the naked eye than it did in the bullseye. I hope that's where the problem lies,or I'll probably have to use a different finder.

Tell him to keep both eyes open when looking through the Rigel, so one eye is looking through the Rigel and the other eye is not.

That, combined with keeping the bullseye dimmed, should help quite a bit.

[Dave Mitsky]

I own 3 dot pointers, a Rigel QuikFinder, and 3 Telrads. The QuikFinder is far more prone to parallax error than the Telrad. It also lacks the third concentric ring (4 degrees) of the Telrad.

Dave Mitsky