Right Angle Viewfinder for Polar Scope

[StarBru]

You can buy right angle SLR film camera viewfinders with or without an adapter for your polar scope, but since I already had an Olympus viewfinder, I wanted to use it and make my own adapter. I've seen the adapters run about $35 and the adapter plus viewfinder for anywhere from $66 to $119 USD. Here's my viewfinder:

I saw online where someone had just adapted an empty pill container, and I thought I'd try that first. Although my Olympus on the opposite end of the eyepiece is rectangular and most are round, I was able to press/force-fit it into the open side of the pill container and then cut off the other side of the pill container to just fit the end of the round polar scope eyepiece.

The good news is it fits both of my EQ mounts' polar scopes! I have not tested it through the polar scopes yet. I will most likely want to cut some length off the plastic pill container to achieve proper focus or just for aesthetics. I hope to test it out this weekend. But I think my Olympus OM 1.2x - 2.5x RA VariMagni Viewfinder will find new life working with my polar scopes from now on!

[Lady Fraktor]

A nice adaption, hopefully it works well for you.

[Graeme1858]

That's very inventive Bruce!

Graeme

[carastro]

Glad it is working for you. I got one if those some years ago but it didn’t work well for some reason l have forgotten now.

Then a heavy dog ran into me in the park and fractured my knee. 7 years ago now. Had to have surgery (xray attached).

Decided kneeling was not going to be an option for PA any more (still have the hardwear in my knee to this day). So l bought Polemaster. Wonderful bit of kit.

Carole

[StarBru]

Glad it is working for you. I got one if those some years ago but it didn’t work well for some reason l have forgotten now.

Then a heavy dog ran into me in the park and fractured my knee. 7 years ago now. Had to have surgery (xray attached).

Decided kneeling was not going to be an option for PA any more (still have the hardwear in my knee to this day). So l bought Polemaster. Wonderful bit of kit.

Carole

Gosh, Carole. Sorry to hear that! That's quite a break you have there! I almost always first try the low or non-tech way to improve something with my observing equipment, but I have to admit going the high-tech road is sometimes preferable. I don't know much about it and have never tried Polemaster, but I should probably check it out.

One reason why I mostly observe from my backyard these days is a matter of (besides time and comfort) safety concerns. I remember once decades ago, while seeking a darker observing site, I decided to drive to a desert area just a few miles away from the neighborhood light pollution near my Tucson, Arizona home. I parked my car, unloaded and set up my telescope, and waited about 20 minutes for my eyes to dark adapt when I heard a rustling noise in the desert bushes nearby. I was alone and I couldn't see what it was but it sounded like a larger animal, one that wasn't afraid to make some noise, and I feared it could be a Javelina or similar wild animal that could do me harm. The hair on the back of my neck stood up, and my fear overtook me. I ran to my car just a few feet away, turned the lights on, honked the horn, and stuffed my equipment into the car in record time! I left the site and never went back. I now live in Casa Grande, Arizona and a pair of Bobcats and coyotes have been seen just outside of my neighborhood. So my backyard is good for now while observing alone.

[Petrol]

Holy moly Carole, that looks bad. I modified a right angle viwefinder to fit my mobile EQ5 rig. I'm hassled with too many cables and try to keep everything down to a minimum so didn't want a cam. I aslo adapted a plastic tube, a house vacuum cleaner nozzle but it kept falling off. I ended up fibreglassing the right angle viewfinder to the polar scope and it's been spot on since. I'm also hassled with my knees, too many car restorations have taken their toll.
Great tip though Bruce!

Clear skies
Pete

[carastro]

I parked my car, unloaded and set up my telescope, and waited about 20 minutes for my eyes to dark adapt when I heard a rustling noise in the desert bushes nearby. I was alone and I couldn't see what it was but it sounded like a larger animal, one that wasn't afraid to make some noise, and I feared it could be a Javelina or similar wild animal that could do me harm. The hair on the back of my neck stood up, and my fear overtook me. I ran to my car just a few feet away, turned the lights on, honked the horn, and stuffed my equipment into the car in record time! I left the site and never went back. I now live in Casa Grande, Arizona and a pair of Bobcats and coyotes have been seen just outside of my neighborhood. So my backyard is good for now while observing alone.

We are lucky in the UK no scary animals to pop out of the woods. But l would only do astronomy on a campsite, plenty of humans who could steal your kit or worse in a public place on your own.

[Chich]

I managed to pick one up at the local second hand shop. I saw one quite a while back but was in a rush and figured they were not uncommon. Learned my lesson. Went back and it was gone. Took many months until I snagged this one.
Now I just have to get out of this slump and get my scopes back out there.

[Lady Fraktor]

@StarBru
This is the reason when going to remote locations I always take a radio with me.
Most animals will avoid you after that.