Tips/Tricks on orienting scope?

82gls · Rookie Member Joined: Jun 04, 2021 Posts: 1 Location: US

I'd start by saying this: I hate finder scopes. I can't calibrate them because I need six arms to do so, and I am confused when I look through them because

a) the view is extremely constricted, so locating small objects is akin to reading a book with a microscope.

b) the view is flipped upside down. Thanks, physics.

Are there any things I can do to align my telescope without using the finder scope? What I tried:

a) removing finder scope from its mount, screwing the mount bolts fully in, and using the thing as an iron sight.

b) Leaning my head against the scope and closing one eye (haha very funny, stop judging me)

c) Attaching a long object, along the telescope, with tape. Again, an iron sight.

You may notice I focus on the concept of iron sights. This is because with an iron sight, you know exactly where you're looking and you have a better field of view.

Anyway, any tips or tricks you guys know?

DallanC · Site Admin Joined: Jan 18, 2005 Posts: 3572 Location: Utah

Telescopes? Use a Telrad Reflex Sight Finder. Easiest alignment tool there is for telescopes.

I had a 13" light bucket back in the day.

-DallanC

Vince

A telescope Scratch

…a tad overkill when scoping for game.

“Hey Joe, what power are you using on your scope?”

“300,000…why’s that mate?”. Confused

“Ummm, just wondering…see anything?”

“Ants, lots of fire ants on that mountain in the distance. Best we not hunt there.” wtf

DallanC · Site Admin Joined: Jan 18, 2005 Posts: 3572 Location: Utah

My telescope could hit 900x power. I could make out birds on tree limbs over 3.5 miles away. It was kindof blurry, but it wasn't a terribly expensive scope all things considered, and the atmosphere really plays hell with the image.

And yea, I could have probably deleted this post as spam, but I do have experience with this topic so just moved it to the spam-o-rama forum.

-DallanC

Vince

It’s not uncommon for guys that hunt also use their spotting scopes for star gazing, and often have very high power telescopes as well. I’ve taken some fairly reasonable pics of the moon using my 20x spotting scope.

se3388 · Rookie Member Joined: Nov 15, 2013 Posts: 8 Location: SEMO

I have an 8 inch Schmitd Cass with a 9x finder and sometimes I just sight along the top of the scope to get the general area as close as I can and then zero in on the object with the finder.

Steve............