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We all started somewhere! We are a friendly bunch! Most of your questions can be posted here, but if you are interested in Astrophotography please use the new Beginner Astrophotography forum. The response time will be much better.
The Red Dot Finder that came with my Meade Adventure 80 finally died. For the past few months I had to fiddle with it everytime to see anything. So I thought I would buy something a bit more robhust and I bought one of those $20 multi reticle finders. They are for rifles and are supposed to be mounted on a picatinny rail. I found this part from Agena works for my Meade Adventure finder mount. https://agenaastro.com/agena-mrrf-b1-mo ... acket.html
Finally got to try it. The finder has many reticles and brigtness settings, the red dot at the lowest setting works well. There are some complaints that the finder dims the sky a bit, making it diffcult to see faint stars, it does dim the sky, but it worked fine for the stars visible in my LP skies. Very solid metal construction.
Yes, this is similar to the one I have on my AR15, except mine is desert brown in color. Now I know where to find the adapter should I need it for my Meade Adventure 80!
Thanks, ARock!
Bruce
Refractors: Meade AR-5 127mm f/9.3, Meade ST-80 f/5 and Meade 60mm f/12, Jason 60mm f/15 #313, Jason 60mm f/12 #306 S7, Bushnell Sky Chief III 60mm f/15. Reflectors/Catadioptrics: Meade 10" F/4 Schmidt-Newtonian, Galileo 120mm f/8.3 Newtonian, Meade 2045D 4" f/10 SCT, Meade ETX-90EC f/13.8 & Sarblue 60mm f/12.5 Maksutov-Cassegrains. Mounts: Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro & Meade LXD55 Equatorial mounts, ES Twilight II and Meade 2102 ALT/AZ mounts, a modified 10" SkyQuest Dobsonian mount, various 60mm EQ mounts. Misc: Celestron 20x80mm binoculars, Revolution II Imager/accessories, & lots of optical accessories/eyepieces. Projects: 8" f/2.9 and 65mm f/10 reflectors, Dobson-style binocular mirror mount.
Where did you get that red dot and what is the brand/model? One last question, does it clamp to an 11mm/3/8" dovetail or 5/8" weaver/picatinny type base? Thanks. Bill
Burris wrote: ↑Tue May 14, 2019 11:28 pm
And very easy to adjust! Two screws, left/right and up/down. Bill
It needs a hex key (inlcuded with the finder) to adjust left/right up/down. I just adjusted it the first time, and it has held the alignment.
Burris wrote: ↑Tue May 14, 2019 11:34 pm
Where did you get that red dot and what is the brand/model? One last question, does it clamp to an 11mm/3/8" dovetail or 5/8" weaver/picatinny type base? Thanks. Bill
I got it from an Amazon seller but I don't see him anymore. But if you search for "Red and Green Reflex Sight with 4 Reticles " on Amazon you see a lot of them which look exactly the same, in the $17-$22 range. Just make sure you can see 2 adjustment hex screws (R and UP) in the pics. The one below looks exactly like mine.
The listing states that "Red/Green dot sight is compatible with a 20 mm weaver or picatinny rail"
In my case it clamps to the Agena adapter , and the adapter on the other end fits in the Meade dovetail shoe, which I think is the standard Synta finder dovetail. You have to loosen the base of the finder (2 hex screws), insert the adapter and tighten.
I tried a few fancier red dot and reflex sight finders over the years, but somehow still prefer the cheapest Synta style red dot. And due to their cheap nature I can have one on each of my scopes and a couple of extra lying around.
I have used one of the MRF for many years and love them.
The blocks are available through various retailers, Stellarvue has a good variety of different height risers for them also.
Gabrielle See Far Sticks: Elita 103/1575, AOM FLT 105/1000, Bresser 127/1200 BV, Nočný stopár 152/1200, Vyrobené doma 70/700, Stellarvue NHNG DX 80/552, TAL RS 100/1000, Vixen SD115s/885 EQ: TAL MT-1, Vixen SXP, SXP2, AXJ, AXD Az/Alt: AYO Digi II, Stellarvue M2C, Argo Navis encoders on both Tripods: Berlebach Planet (2), Uni 28 Astro, Report 372, TAL factory maple, Vixen ASG-CB90, Vixen AXD-TR102 Diagonals: Astro-Physics, Baader Amici, Baader Herschel, iStar Blue, Stellarvue DX, Tak prism, TAL, Vixen Eyepieces: Antares to Zeiss (1011110) The only culture I have is from yogurt
Red/Green dot sight is compatible with a 20 mm weaver or picatinny rail"
You can also purchase the appropriate rail at most sporting goods stores, cut it down & if you don't mind drilling and tapping holes
mount it yourself.
And the voice of experience....
Keep spare batteries (usually CR-2032 for this type of unit). Sooner or later you'll forget to turn it off
AD10, SV102T, AR127 & ST80
M2 & SW AZEQ6 GT Mounts
ES82 11 18 24, ES100 5.5 9 14 20, KK Orthos, BCO's, Vixen HR 2.4, 3.4 Vortex 10X50,
ACD 75 Astro Mutt - Rest in Peace Wubby
"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects." - Robert A. Heinlein
FWIW Astromania on Amazon has a base adapter to convert the telescope dovetail to the picatinny to be able to use the firearm sights. Have one coming and another red dot reticle today. That particular red dot reticle is sold under several names, but it's the same unit regardless of price. It also works GREAT, the CR2032 battery lasts a long time and is easy to replace as needed. Other styles require removal from the mount to replace the battery, this one accesses it from the top.
"Don't believe everything you read on the internet." Abraham Lincoln
We may not have it all together, but together we have it all.
The older I get, the better I was.
Celestron Nexstar+ 127 SLT, several budget plossl eyepieces, Celestron 8-24mm zoom EP and a 12.5mm illuminated double reticle EP, Svbony SV205 camera w/.5 focal reducer, Celestron SkyMaster 20x80 binos on a 40 yr old QuickSet PanHead tripod, Stellarium, Sharpcap and ManyCam on my laptop, SkyView and Nightshift on my phone and a dandy little $9 red-light flashlight.
The Astromania adapter just arrived. Fits my repurposed firearm sight AND the telescope dovetail to a "T".
"Don't believe everything you read on the internet." Abraham Lincoln
We may not have it all together, but together we have it all.
The older I get, the better I was.
Celestron Nexstar+ 127 SLT, several budget plossl eyepieces, Celestron 8-24mm zoom EP and a 12.5mm illuminated double reticle EP, Svbony SV205 camera w/.5 focal reducer, Celestron SkyMaster 20x80 binos on a 40 yr old QuickSet PanHead tripod, Stellarium, Sharpcap and ManyCam on my laptop, SkyView and Nightshift on my phone and a dandy little $9 red-light flashlight.