Telescope Reviews: Should I Get Rid of the Telrad?

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Sarkikos
Postmaster

Reged: 12/18/07

Loc: Suburban Maryland, USA

Re: Should I Get Rid of the Telrad? new

[Re: Doc Bob]
#5660801 - 02/03/13 10:00 PM

Bob,

Quote:

The DOB is a 2006 model Zumell 10" f/4.92 - given to me for trial - if I like it, my friend will get a couple of hundred $$. Honesty, I can't see not buying this scope! It's very nice!! There's a Telrad mount already attached. So far it seems like a really nice scope. . . of course since I received it - the sky has been nothing but clouds and snow!!! So the curse extends to trials as well as purchases ! ! ! Go figure.

Welcome to the 10" Dob Club! There are many illustrious members here on CN. The 10" Dob has been called the largest of the small scopes ... or is that the smallest of the large scopes?

Anyway, you'll enjoy it.

Quote:

Looking forward to joining you in the Hershel 400 search at our dark site ! !

IME & IMO, a 10" Dob is the best scope for tackling the H400's: enough light grasp to handle the task with just enough challenge to make it interesting. I have one more H400 object to bag. I would have found it last time at the dark site, but I had accidently left it off my Object List in SkySafari. Definitely next time I'll finish the H400's!

Mike

Post Extras:

okieav8r
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 03/01/09

Loc: Oklahoma!

Re: Should I Get Rid of the Telrad? new

[Re: Jon Isaacs]
#5660833 - 02/03/13 10:27 PM

Quote:

Quote:

I recommend both a Telrad and an optical finder. They complement each other very well. I prefer the Telrad over any other red dot finder.

That's about the long and short of it.. 138 posts and you said all that needs be said.

Jon

That, and "do whatever floats your boat'.

Post Extras:

Sarkikos
Postmaster

Reged: 12/18/07

Loc: Suburban Maryland, USA

Re: Should I Get Rid of the Telrad? new

[Re: okieav8r]
#5660896 - 02/03/13 11:20 PM

For me, star hopping with just a Telrad would be too much of a bother. Do I really want to map out how many Telrad circles of 4 or 2 degrees I would need to reach a certain object? No, not really. That's too much like work for my taste. The less plotting of degrees, star hops and Telrad circles the better.

Instead, I sight on the nearest visible star with the Telrad, then use Sky Safari and the optical finder to star hop to the object. Easy sneezy. I can do this on-the-fly with no preplanning. As a bonus, I get to see the route and destination with a nice rich-field telescope, my 15x70 finder. You don't get that if you just use a Telrad.

Mike

Post Extras:

okieav8r
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 03/01/09

Loc: Oklahoma!

Re: Should I Get Rid of the Telrad? new

[Re: Sarkikos]
#5661004 - 02/04/13 12:39 AM

Quote:

For me, star hopping with just a Telrad would be too much of a bother. Do I really want to map out how many Telrad circles of 4 or 2 degrees I would need to reach a certain object? No, not really. That's too much like work for my taste. The less plotting of degrees, star hops and Telrad circles the better.

Instead, I sight on the nearest visible star with the Telrad, then use Sky Safari and the optical finder to star hop to the object. Easy sneezy. I can do this on-the-fly with no preplanning. As a bonus, I get to see the route and destination with a nice rich-field telescope, my 15x70 finder. You don't get that if you just use a Telrad.

Mike

I can't argue with your point about rich field views, Mike. Sometimes, those are best.

Post Extras:

Jon Isaacs
Postmaster

Reged: 06/16/04

Loc: San Diego and Boulevard, CA

Re: Should I Get Rid of the Telrad? new

[Re: Sarkikos]
#5661133 - 02/04/13 04:40 AM

Quote:

For me, star hopping with just a Telrad would be too much of a bother. Do I really want to map out how many Telrad circles of 4 or 2 degrees I would need to reach a certain object? No, not really. That's too much like work for my taste. The less plotting of degrees, star hops and Telrad circles the better.

That is not really how it works, any such mapping is generally unnecessary and if is necessary, Sky Safari shows separations.

Using the Telrad is all about matching patterns and positioning the Telrad circles relative to stars that are visible naked eye. It's very effective if the skies are reasonably dark and it's a whole lot simpler than using a magnifying finder because it can be done with stars that are visible naked eye. Instead of using the Telrad like a red dot finder, and then using the magnifying finder, I find that most often, I am able to point the telescope directly at the object using the Telrad alone.

If you don't want to use it, don't. But let others who do know how to use the Telrad effectively discuss it's use.

Jon

Post Extras:

bilgebay
Post Laureate

Reged: 11/06/08

Loc: Türkiye - Istanbul and Marmari...

Re: Should I Get Rid of the Telrad? new

[Re: Jon Isaacs]
#5661138 - 02/04/13 04:56 AM

I love Telrad so much so that I use it with all my scopes. Makes life so much easy for me!

I am amazed at people's ability to talk on such a simple subject for 8 pages! You guys must be all retired

Edited by bilgebay (02/04/13 05:43 AM)

Post Extras:

Sarkikos
Postmaster

Reged: 12/18/07

Loc: Suburban Maryland, USA

Re: Should I Get Rid of the Telrad? new

[Re: Jon Isaacs]
#5661207 - 02/04/13 07:06 AM

Jon,

Quote:

That is not really how it works, any such mapping is generally unnecessary and if is necessary, Sky Safari shows separations.

I do think that's how it works for some folks who use Telrads. Not all by any means, but some. I've seen their discussions about preplanning for Telrad hops in other threads, and in this one, I believe. Some people just like all that prepwork figuring out hops, charting asterisms, and drawing little Telrad circles on star charts. Come on, you know they do.

Maybe these are mostly observers who still depend on printed star charts and don't want to "upgrade" to SkySafari and other electronic tools.

Quote:

Using the Telrad is all about matching patterns and positioning the Telrad circles relative to stars that are visible naked eye. It's very effective if the skies are reasonably dark and it's a whole lot simpler than using a magnifying finder because it can be done with stars that are visible naked eye.

I do some of that, also. Geometrical triangulation. But for me, I think it would be a bother to do it for most objects. Maybe it is easier if you are under black or grey zone skies. I wouldn't know. My dark site is yellow zone, and I have to travel an hour one way to reach that. The nearest black/grey zone is over six hours away. I'm not one for long road trips. That would not be easy and would not be worth the time and effort, IMO. That's just not happen'. I think many if not most observers share similar circumstances.

Quote:

If you don't want to use it, don't. But let others who do know how to use the Telrad effectively discuss it's use.

I'm not stopping anyone from saying anything. Only the TOS and the Moderators can do that.

Mike

Post Extras:

RogerRZ
Whatta you lookin' at?

Reged: 01/09/06

Loc: West Collette, NB, Canada

Re: Should I Get Rid of the Telrad? new

[Re: bilgebay]
#5661213 - 02/04/13 07:12 AM

Quote:

I love Telrad so much so that I use it with all my scopes. Makes life so much easy for me!

I am amazed at people's ability to talk on such a simple subject for 8 pages! You guys must be all retired

That backwards mounted Telrad would make star-hopping challenging, wouldn't it?

Post Extras:

Sarkikos
Postmaster

Reged: 12/18/07

Loc: Suburban Maryland, USA

Re: Should I Get Rid of the Telrad? new

[Re: bilgebay]
#5661214 - 02/04/13 07:13 AM

Quote:

I am amazed at people's ability to talk on such a simple subject for 8 pages! You guys must be all retired

No, I'm not retired. But I will be in the near future. Just wait until then and see how many pages I churn out!

Mike

Post Extras:

bilgebay
Post Laureate

Reged: 11/06/08

Loc: Türkiye - Istanbul and Marmari...

Re: Should I Get Rid of the Telrad? new

[Re: RogerRZ]
#5661222 - 02/04/13 07:22 AM

Quote:

That backwards mounted Telrad would make star-hopping challenging, wouldn't it?

Thank you for your keen eye

Very funny indeed.

I must have seated the scope into the clamshell the wrong way. I was very excited to try my new adaptation of the
Micro Touch motor to FSQ focus knob.

Post Extras:

bilgebay
Post Laureate

Reged: 11/06/08

Loc: Türkiye - Istanbul and Marmari...

Re: Should I Get Rid of the Telrad? new

[Re: Sarkikos]
#5661226 - 02/04/13 07:25 AM

Quote:

Quote:

I am amazed at people's ability to talk on such a simple subject for 8 pages! You guys must be all retired

No, I'm not retired. But I will be in the near future. Just wait until then and see how many pages I churn out!

Mike

I was expecting this

Post Extras:

Sarkikos
Postmaster

Reged: 12/18/07

Loc: Suburban Maryland, USA

Re: Should I Get Rid of the Telrad? new

[Re: bilgebay]
#5661233 - 02/04/13 07:34 AM

It also helps to be a fast typist. No hunt-and-pecker here.

Mike

Post Extras:

Jon Isaacs
Postmaster

Reged: 06/16/04

Loc: San Diego and Boulevard, CA

Re: Should I Get Rid of the Telrad? new

[Re: Sarkikos]
#5661252 - 02/04/13 08:05 AM

Quote:

I do some of that, also. Geometrical triangulation. But for me, I think it would be a bother to do it for most objects.

It doesn't really matter whether one is using a Telrad or a magnifying finder, most objects will not be visible so some triangulation, some geometrical location, will most likely be required.

Jon

Post Extras:

Sarkikos
Postmaster

Reged: 12/18/07

Loc: Suburban Maryland, USA

Re: Should I Get Rid of the Telrad? new

[Re: Jon Isaacs]
#5661257 - 02/04/13 08:11 AM

But with the magnifying finder, the image scale is larger and more helper stars are visible, so, IME & IMO, it is easier to get a more precise fix on the location of the object than with a Telrad. Why wouldn't it be? That's how I can avoid plunking in a "finder eyepiece" and go straight to a moderate to high power eyepiece in the focuser.

Notice I specified "location" of the object. It goes without saying that many objects intended for the main telescope will not be seen in either Telrad or optical finder. What we are finding in many cases is the location of the object, not the object itself. Fishing around for an object is not the best way to "find" it.

Mike

Post Extras:

csrlice12
Post Laureate

Reged: 05/22/12

Loc: Denver, CO

Re: Should I Get Rid of the Telrad? new

[Re: Sarkikos]
#5661308 - 02/04/13 08:59 AM

"That backwards mounted Telrad would make star-hopping challenging, wouldn't it?"

Hey, that's a Domino's Telrad that came free with my pizza order.........they're very rare....

Post Extras:

bilgebay
Post Laureate

Reged: 11/06/08

Loc: Türkiye - Istanbul and Marmari...

Re: Should I Get Rid of the Telrad? new

[Re: csrlice12]
#5661338 - 02/04/13 09:19 AM

Post Extras:

Sarkikos
Postmaster

Reged: 12/18/07

Loc: Suburban Maryland, USA

Re: Should I Get Rid of the Telrad? new

[Re: bilgebay]
#5661378 - 02/04/13 09:44 AM

Hey, a pizza came with that? I never got one with my Telrad.

Mike

Post Extras:

Jon Isaacs
Postmaster

Reged: 06/16/04

Loc: San Diego and Boulevard, CA

Re: Should I Get Rid of the Telrad? new

[Re: Sarkikos]
#5662307 - 02/04/13 07:00 PM

Quote:

That's how I can avoid plunking in a "finder eyepiece" and go straight to a moderate to high power eyepiece in the focuser.

Interesting.... For me, those big, bright, low power views are to kill for, not something I ever avoid, rather views that I cherish.

Jon

Post Extras:

Sarkikos
Postmaster

Reged: 12/18/07

Loc: Suburban Maryland, USA

Re: Should I Get Rid of the Telrad? new

[Re: Jon Isaacs]
#5662457 - 02/04/13 08:38 PM

Big, low power views are best for the big stuff. For the small and dim things, it's best to go straight to higher power. Dark adapted eyes have diminished visual acuity. Magnification helps to see structure, and even to detect some of the faint fuzzies.

Mike

Post Extras:

paul hart
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 06/01/04

Loc: Lawn Guyland, New Yawk, Earth

Re: Should I Get Rid of the Telrad? new

[Re: RAKing]
#5662634 - 02/04/13 10:33 PM

Quote:

Mike,

I use both a Telrad and a RACI finder for star-hopping. The Telrad is faster to get me to the 'hood, then the RACI takes over.

Cheers,

Ron

Agreed

Post Extras:

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