Aligning a telescope.

I was trying to look at Mars this evening through a large spotting
scope. Once I found Mars, I had a good view but trying to find it
with the scope took ages. Is it possible to get an attachment which
will make it easier to find the target?
--

Alasdair Baxter, Nottingham, UK.Tel +44 115 9705100; Fax +44 115 9423263

"It's not what you say that matters but how you say it.
It's not what you do that matters but how you do it"

Alasdair Baxter wrote in message . ..
I was trying to look at Mars this evening through a large spotting
scope. Once I found Mars, I had a good view but trying to find it
with the scope took ages. Is it possible to get an attachment which
will make it easier to find the target?

Depending on the size of the telescope tube and assuming you don't
want to fix anything directly: You could obtain a couple of plastic
screw-fastening, wall fixing, plastic pipe-clamps from the plumbing
department of a DIY store. Once in place you could fashion simple wire
ring sights and attach these via the clamping screw. Or add two much
smaller pipe clamps after removing the feet that normally fix the
clamp to the wall. Or bolt with small bolts through the two sets of
feet. This reminds me of my struggle to find the Moon in a
penny-in-the-slot telescope on the sea front as a telescope-less
youngster. They didn't have sights either. The view of the Moon can't
have been very exciting. I don't remember anything about it now.
Perhaps it had altitude limitation to stop kids looking at the Sun?

Chris.B

On Sun, 07 Sep 2003 02:20:21 +0100, Alasdair Baxter
wrote:

I was trying to look at Mars this evening through a large spotting
scope. Once I found Mars, I had a good view but trying to find it
with the scope took ages. Is it possible to get an attachment which
will make it easier to find the target?

I have seen around some finder scopes which also project a small red
dot into your line of vision.
David Hinds has them I believe

Or if you can change the eyepieces, getting a Lower powered eyepiece
( I don't know that much about spotting scopes)

Or have you tried the two eye trick?
Look through the scope with one eye, and directly at the target with
the other eye, and then move the scope so that the two images
superimpose themselves.
Its not quite accurate, but it will put you in the ball park
--
---
The two most abundant elements in the universe are Hydrogen and stupidity.
Why is the ratio of Hydrogen to Stupidity less in usenet than anywhere else in the universe?

On Sun, 07 Sep 2003 02:20:21 +0100, Alasdair Baxter
wrote:

I was trying to look at Mars this evening through a large spotting
scope. Once I found Mars, I had a good view but trying to find it
with the scope took ages. Is it possible to get an attachment which
will make it easier to find the target?



I bought one of these things:-
http://www.scsastro.co.uk/it240001.htm
A Rigel QuickFinder. Not sure if it's available from anywhere else
other than SCS Astro but you can try searching. You don't say what
scope you are using, but for smaller scopes the Quickfinder is better
because it's a lot smaller/lighter than the Telrad. It's also easier
to look through (stands further away from the tube) and easier to
align. It also offers a variable flash rate for the reticle.

ChrisH

UK Astro Ads: http://www.UKAstroAds.co.uk

On Sun, 07 Sep 2003 10:49:36 +0100, lid
(ChrisH) wrote:

You don't say what scope you are using,

I am using an Opticron Imagic IM80. The Objective lens is 80mm and I
use a 20 - 80 zoom eyepiece.

--

Alasdair Baxter, Nottingham, UK.Tel +44 115 9705100; Fax +44 115 9423263

"It's not what you say that matters but how you say it.
It's not what you do that matters but how you do it"