Red Dot Finder

This is an excellent and very simple to use finder scope. It is a little bulky but very lightweight; so don't be put off by its size! It allows 90 degree observation so you do not need to 'crane' your neck to use it. It is therefore very comfortable to use. Note: there is a 'pulser' add-on kit available that facilitates locating dimmer objects in the sky. This 'pulser' unit has good reviews world-wide so I am going to order one to try it out. A dew shield is also available. Update: Fitting the 'pulser' unit was very easy! Instead of using the included fittings I decided to solder the wires and use heat-shrink tubing as this provided a more secure and compact installation. The template for the drilling does need some modification but this is easy! Final note: Just see the five star ratings for the Telrad Finderscope! It is superb and easy to use; I do recommend the 'pulser' add-on if you wish to observe feint stars, constellations etc (see below). Spare base-plates for the finderscope are available via the internet so that you can use it on more than one telescopes! Very final update: The sky was clear tonight so I had a chance to test the Telrad with the 'pulser' unit. By pulsing the laser light it was very easy to centralize the image (in my case, Jupiter). I strongly recommend the 'pulser' unit.

PROS ~~~~~ + Far easier to see the target object than my red dot finder + Easy to fit with the sticky pads + Easy to adjust + Much easier to use CONS ~~~~ - Much bigger and bulkier - plasticy - Your probably have to make a small dew guard just for the finder, otherwise it become unusable in damp weather

The Telrad is quite simply the best accessory I’ve got for my recently acquired scope so far. I had to get this, or something like this, because the RDF fitted to my Astromaster 130EQ is, to be blunt, useless. The Telrad on the other hand, is brilliant. Fitting it to the tube with the supplied sticky pads was a piece of cake. Aligning it, in my case with a red light on a phone/radio mast a few miles away, was unbelievably straightforward. Once I had that done, the sky was my oyster – so to speak. Only this morning, I put Jupiter in the centre circle and bam…there it was in the centre of my eyepiece. The same with Mars and M42. Now I can’t wait for my Barlow and the couple of Plossls I’ve ordered so I can make the most of it! Surprisingly, it isn’t as big or bulky as some other reviews had led me to believe it would be, and to be honest I think it looks kinda cool. But the important thing is, it works. One of the best features is the ability to adjust the brightness of the target reticule, which makes finding faint objects much easier. There are also any number of star charts available on-line and free which allow you to find particular objects by aligning the reticule with well-known or particularly bright stars (Google “Telrad finder charts”). Being able to find things in the sky quickly and easily is a major boon for me, as the weather conditions where I live are notoriously fickle and can change in minutes. I have to make the most of the viewing opportunities that I get, and the Telrad lets me do just that. If you haven‘t got a Telrad, get one. It’s that simple.

I brought this to replace the standard red dot finder which came with my celestron scope. Half the time the red dot never came on which made starting observing tricky to say the least. I had heard that the Telrad finder was the best available, and I was delighted when I found it on Amazon. The first surprise when I opened the box was the size of the unit. It is BIG. However, it easily mounted on to my scope using the supplied sticky pad base and was easily aligned with my optics in less than a minute. Testing it at night was a revelation - vast improvement on the original red dot finder. I would highly recommend this.

I received a celesteron telescope for Christmas and was disappointed with its onboard red dot finder, it was dreadful...The Telrad is a massive improvement, its a doddle to setup and was well worth the money. Its transformed my observing. Just note that the mount is quite long, I cut a section out of mine with a dremel to fit it either side of my tube rings. It would be good if they released a new version that was shorter. I've seen several people post how to's online where they have actually cut the whole thing down and out the batterys on the side. For longer sessions you'll get dew on the glass shield but google this as many people have made little dew heaters to solve the problem. At the price its cheap enough that you can take the risk of modifying it.

It's ok. Tends to dew up very quickly.