Chuck, Most of my scope time is now spent imaging, but I still like to do a little visual observing now and then. I had a Rigel Quickfinder on my Sky 90 and it worked great for getting in the ballpark. My biggest problem was remembering to turn it off when I was done using it. I went through lots of batteries. I have heard that the Telrad is even better than the Rigel, but I have never owned one. As far as finder scopes go, I have been disgusted with nearly every finder I have used until I got my first Takahashi. I currently own a 6x30mm and a 7x50mm, and they are both superb. I was really surprised to find that the 30mm Tak was way better than all the larger diameter finders I had used before.... and the 50mm is even better. The optics are clear and sharp and the view is bright. I highly recommend them. I can often see the object of interest in the finder, even when I don't expect to see it. You can pick up used versions on Astromart for a reasonable price. In my opinion, they are worth the money. I also agree that small refractors make great finders. I often mounted my Sky 90 on the CN-212 and found it very nice for locating objects. In fact, I often found the view through the small refractor to be better than the larger scope. A small refractor with a low power eyepiece can be a wonderful finder.... maybe the best alternative. That is my 2-cents worth. Cheers, Tyler _____________________________________________ -----Original Message----- From: utah-astronomy-bounces+tylerallred=earthlink.net@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:utah-astronomy-bounces+tylerallred=earthlink.net@mailman.xmission.co m] On Behalf Of Chuck Hards Sent: Wednesday, November 15, 2006 7:35 AM To: Utah-Astro Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Finderscope poll As I begin to address the details on a new scope, I find myself curious as to what the current trends are as far as finderscopes. I have my own personal favorites, but it never hurts to see what else is out there. Can list members help? A. What is the aperture of your primary finder? B. Do you use an auxilliary scope? (larger than primary finder, usually much smaller than main instrument) If so, what is it's aperture? I'm not referring to guidescopes used in imaging applications, but a visual auxilliary telescope mounted on the main instrument. C. Do you use a reflex site? (Terad, Starbeam, Quickfinder, Mars-eye, etc.) D. Is your primary finder correct imaging, inverted, or mirror-reversed? E. Finally, what kind of reticle or other cross-hairs do you favor for the finder, if you do? Illuminated? Just an informal poll. TIA. ____________________________________________________________________________ ________ The all-new Yahoo! Mail beta Fire up a more powerful email and get things done faster. http://new.mail.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.utahastronomy.com