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[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Joe and the Rigel QuickFinder...

For many years now, I have been using the screws on the outside of my tube for alignment purposes in locating objects. It worked ok, but objects high up...at zenith, it gets rather awkward. If I'm going to be that close to the ground, I better be drunk.... So I decided to purchase a zero mag finder apparatus. I researched quite a bit and settled on the Rigel QuickFinder.

Telrad is the leader of the pack and does the job well, but I don't like the bulkiness of the unit..and it's 1/2 pound to boot! The reviews for both units were good, with Telrad edging out the Rigel just a tad. But the benefits of the Rigel sold me over the telrad.

It's lighter, comes with two bases, battery and the blinking targeting circles is the norm, not an additional purchase like the Telrad. It's also a vertical unit as opposed to Telrad which is horizontal. This way, I can place the Rigel right next to my eyepiece for efficient sighting. I am tired of sighting objects from the end of my tube, sighting over the top and capturing my object.

The Telrad has three concentric rings and the Rigel has only two, but that's ok. I don't have the dark skies here in Chicago, so it really doesn't make a difference. The circles are spaced 1/2 and 2 degrees outward. The Telrad has the additional circle at 4 degrees. The clear projection plate on the Rigel is plastic, while the one on the Telrad is glass. I figure if it ever breaks on me or gets damaged, I can easily cut a piece of glass and replace it. The rigel also has a built in dew shield.

The cost of the Rigel QuickFinder was $37.50, cheaper than the Telrad, and it comes complete. I should be receiving it next week sometime and I think it will make my targeting a it easier.

Who said that the skies were free?

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Rigel QuickFinder Finally Arrives!...

The UPS guy finally brought my much awaited package this afternoon. It wasn't until around 11:00 pm that I had the opportunity to install it on my tube.

It's rather light, came with a lithium battery and two bases. I wanted it close to the eyepiece as I could, but it meant that I needed to relocate the finder scope. So be it.

I moved the finder scope over to the right, which required two new drilled holes. I used the double sided tape that also came along with the Rigel for now. It also can be screwed onto the tube which I will do later on when I decide that this is the set up I desire.

One looks into a slanted projection screen and displayed onto it are two red concentric rings. When I first got it, I turned it on and peered thru it around my house...and was rather disappointed in how it was not that bright. But now, in the darkness of the night, the brightest setting is TOO bright. I need to turn it down to get a comfortable view sight. I like this location, as it is close to the focuser and it's just a quick five inches between the two. Before...I was using screw heads on top of the tube to align my targets, and had to sight it from the end of the scope. Those days are now over!

In front are the five controls. The top three adjusts the position of the screen and aligns it to the tube. It was a matter of seconds to accomplish this as I focused on a distant chimney. I set the screen dead center in the Rigel, and...there it was, dead center in my focuser!! Too Cool!

The next control adjusts the brightness, and the final one is the pulser. It adjusts the interval of the pulsations of the reticle circles. This feature is indeed well worth the entire cost of the device. I found out that keeping the reticle constantly on, even at it's lowest setting, was rather obtrusive. But as it flashed on and off, at my desired intervals, it allows one to see the field of view unobstructed.

With final micro adjustments both the tube and Rigel were as one. I was jumping to roof peaks, chimneys, distant trees...and was greeted each time by the sight of them centered in my eyepiece.

It was cold, quite cold out, and I attempted now to align my finder scope, but not this morning. It will be for a warmer day. But I am extremely pleased on the Rigel Quickfinder, and quite anxious to put it thru it's first night of targets.

[timothy]

Joe
thats a nice finder. I saw one last summer out at the harper observatory in palatine. Its pretty cool. It just so happens I'm in the market for a new finder too. I was out doing the lunar 100 last night (monday ) and I bumped the finder with my arm and it broke . It was a red dot reflex and I really like it so I chose another one through Orion that is on sale for 24$, what a good deal. Untill it gets delivered I'm going to have to use your sighting down the tube screws trick. I'm also going to get a moon filter since I've gotten into the 100. It's actually pretty cool, I'm learning a lot of interesting things.Really makes you focus your attention on one specific spot.