61 replies to this topic

[Bionic Wi-Fi]

I’m new to the hobby, just got a Celestron 5SE for Christmas. I have a severe back injury, so crouching down to look through the finder scope is really difficult for me. Any recommendations for a finder that would be good for a beginner and alleviate the crouching? I don’t mind spending some money on it if it helps me to be able to extend my viewing sessions a bit.

[CarolinaBanker]

Get a starbound chair and a red dot, RACI or a Telrad.

[richamor]

Or you could get a right angle finder scope. Amazon has several. Your local dealer may be able to help. And it would cost less than that starbound chair.

[jeffreym]

You might try a Rigel Systems QuikFinder. They mount with double-sided foam tape so you can mount it anywhere on the Optical Tube that is comfortable for you.  I have mounted finders near the corrector end of the scope which gives you a little easier angle to see the thing.  

 

Jeff

[Tangent]

RACI is your friend.  Double it up with a green laser pointer to get it within naked eye range if you don't have a goto mount. 

[Echolight]

[sevenofnine]

Some find that RACI's do the trick for them. It's a small right angle scope that attaches to the main telescope's finder shoe. That is the usual final solution if your eyesight is good. This one is fine:

 

https://www.telescop...60/p/136299.uts.

 

However, just know that this is a Hot Topic on this forum with no correct answer. It's a matter of preference depending on your physical limitations. I often use binoculars and a laser pointer for instance. Good luck! 

[Cygnus0629]

Get a starbound chair and a red dot, RACI or a Telrad.

I definitely second this.

[Napp]

Depends on what movement sets off the back pain.  Crouching down to look through a straight thru finder close to the tube causes me bad neck pain.  I use a RACI finder dual mounted with a Telrad on a 4inch riser.  I can look through either comfortably.  Seated on an adjustable Starbound chair is even better.

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[MellonLake]

Green laser pointer finders work really well and require no crouching. However, they are illegal in some areas. If you do get one, spend some money and get a zbolt or pinty as these work in cold weather.

If you do get a laser, read up on laser safety and local regulations. Don't use lasers near airports.

Edited by MellonLake, 23 January 2023 - 07:07 AM.

[Tony Flanders]

Contrary to the advice of several in this thread, I do not think that a red-dot or red-circle finder (e.g. Telrad) is the answer for you. And I suspect a right-angle finderscope would be totally useless.

 

With a red-dot or red-circle finder, you still have to crouch down and look upward, just as with a straight-through finderscope. There is considerably more leeway about where you can place your head -- I sometimes look through my Telrad from several feet distance, which is out of the question with a finderscope. But you still have to get down below the device and look up through it.

 

Right-angle finderscopes are mostly useful for lengthy sessions when searching for difficult objects. But your scope has Go To capability, so presumably you only need a finder for the initial fixes on known stars required during initial alignment.

 

I think a green laser is by far the easiest way to do those initial fixes that requires no contortions at all.

 

There are also scopes that will do the entire alignment process automatically, but this isn't one of them, and cannot easily be converted into one of them.

[Ulmer Spatz]

Never having used a green laser, I've got a question: Within reason, does it matter where the observer's eye is in relation to the laser unit or the projected beam? For example, my eye would be a few inches above and offset to the left or right of the unit if I stand straight up. 

Edited by Ulmer Spatz, 23 January 2023 - 08:29 AM.

[dnayakan]

What about a Televue Starbeam? Pricey but it has a mirror at the back that you can flip up and then you could stand and look down at it rather than crouch and look up through it. Good luck, DJ

[Skyfisher]

I have severe arthritis issues and found that a finder scope with prism diagonal and illuminated cross hair to be a reasonable solution.  I also plan on adding a Rigel finder or red dot on a raiser.   An adjustable stool is on my list of comfort items to make/buy

[39.1N84.5W]

A laser finder with a "click on" button is a back saver. However... you need to be extremely careful and aware of aircraft... at all times.

[MellonLake]

Never having used a green laser, I've got a question: Within reason, does it matter where the observer's eye is in relation to the laser unit or the projected beam? For example, my eye would be a few inches above and offset to the left or right of the unit if I stand straight up. 

The relative position of the observer's eye plays no role. You can stand 10 ft away and the laser still points to the same point in space.  This is why we use lasers at outreach.... anyone in the crowd can see what you are pointing at even if they are 50ft away.  It is actually pretty cool.  I will often point to an object with the laser on my telescope and other beginners with other telescopes will try and find my laser with their finders/telescopes to find the object.  

 

Rob

[sevenofnine]

Then for all of you who love   expensive equipment, there's the go-to laser finder for your manual telescopes (??). Attach the laser to a go-to mount and align it with Polaris. Then do a 2 star go-to alignment. Now you have a little green expert just waiting to point the way...if you need it, that is 

Edited by sevenofnine, 23 January 2023 - 12:00 PM.

[Ulmer Spatz]

The relative position of the observer's eye plays no role. You can stand 10 ft away and the laser still points to the same point in space...

Thanks, Rob. Answers my question to a T.

 

I'm amazed (and delighted) to read that you can walk well away from the scope and still have the laser point to the same spot. Looks like I'll be getting one of those things. 

Edited by Ulmer Spatz, 23 January 2023 - 01:18 PM.

[Tony Flanders]

The relative position of the observer's eye plays no role. You can stand 10 ft away and the laser still points to the same point in space.  This is why we use lasers at outreach.... anyone in the crowd can see what you are pointing at even if they are 50ft away.

Ten feet should be no problem. Fifty feet would be a problem for a standard 5mw laser pointer unless the sky is fairly dark and/or there are a lot of particulates in the air.

The laser illuminates an extremely long and thin cylinder of air. Any given snippet of that cylinder scatters a minuscule fraction of that light back to the observer. When you're standing near the beam all those snippets are superposed on each other, and their brightness adds up to a readily visible beam. If you viewed it from 1,000 feet away in any direction except head-on, you wouldn't see a thing. That's why laser pointers are much less noxious than most people assume. People imagine airplanes landing while surrounded by green beams. In fact pilots see nothing unless the beam goes straight through their windows. Which pretty much only happens when people target airplanes intentionally.

[Bionic Wi-Fi]

B6609D36-88FC-461E-BC13-DFC9F3C430B4.jpeg

@Echolight - Do they connect to the OTA somehow specifically, or was that meant more as a joke - just use binoculars instead of a telescope?  Sorry, total n00bie!

Edited by Bionic Wi-Fi, 23 January 2023 - 03:29 PM.

[Bionic Wi-Fi]

Some find that RACI's do the trick for them. It's a small right angle scope that attaches to the main telescope's finder shoe. That is the usual final solution if your eyesight is good. This one is fine:

 

https://www.telescop...60/p/136299.uts.

 

However, just know that this is a Hot Topic on this forum with no correct answer. It's a matter of preference depending on your physical limitations. I often use binoculars and a laser pointer for instance. Good luck! 

Oh awesome, that is the fix I think!  Thanks!  Will report back on how it does!  I only have a few hours of activity in me, anything that can be done to help me not twist and bend and the like extends that!

[Bionic Wi-Fi]

Depends on what movement sets off the back pain.  Crouching down to look through a straight thru finder close to the tube causes me bad neck pain.  I use a RACI finder dual mounted with a Telrad on a 4inch riser.  I can look through either comfortably.  Seated on an adjustable Starbound chair is even better.

I'd never have thought of a riser.  I assume that as long as I can align the tube and the finder, it doesn't matter where it is mounted, is that correct?

[Bionic Wi-Fi]

Green laser pointer finders work really well and require no crouching. However, they are illegal in some areas. If you do get one, spend some money and get a zbolt or pinty as these work in cold weather.

If you do get a laser, read up on laser safety and local regulations. Don't use lasers near airports.

Oh, I have a high powered green laser.  So do you just attach it to the tube and use it to point at the object?

[vtornado]

I'd never have thought of a riser.--  bionic wi-fi

The higher the reflex site is off of the tube, the easier it is to view through.

You have to look straight through the device.  If the rectile is too low

you have to turn your head to the side.

 

I have a high powered green laser. -- bionic wi-fi

If high power is more than 5mW that could be a problem.

 

So do you just attach it to the tube and use it to point at the object --

 

I don't attach my laser.  I snug it up against the finder base plate, turn it on, move the scope,

turn if off and put it back into my inner jactket pocket.  This keeps it warm in the winter.  The output  is diminshed by cold temperatures.  This is close enough

where the object is in my finder, or if I am lucky in a wide field eyepiece.

Edited by vtornado, 23 January 2023 - 03:46 PM.

[Bionic Wi-Fi]

Thank you all for the quick and solid suggestions!! I really appreciate it!!  I think the diagonal on a finder is going to work best for me.  I do have a go-to, so it is just the alignment, but even doing that takes a lot out of me.  Trying to squeeze every minute of viewing time in that I possibly can!