Due to some AAAP members' recommendations, I decided to pick up the Antares 7x50 Right-Angle-Correct-Image (RACI) finder. My current finder is a simple red dot type, and I am not a fan. I typically spend the night hunching over and contorting my body while trying to get a view of the red dot - not the best way to observe. After viewing the Antares model at a star party last year, I decided to take the plunge. I also ordered the SCT mount for the finder.The box arrived quickly, and I received a small discount for being a member of the Cloudy Nights forums, which was a nice bonus. The items were packed well, but upon inspection I noticed that the finder's eyepiece was in pieces. It screws back together easily enough, but there was an issue. The eyepiece's crosshairs are created using tiny wires soldered to a thin brass ring. This ring was lying loose with some other parts in the packaging, and one wire was broken. Rather than send the unit back, I decided to fix it myself with a soldering iron and a new piece of wire. Since the remaining crosshair was loose as well, my fix actually made it better!
The mount was another issue - it is supposed to fit SCTs 6" and larger, and I have a 6". However, the mounting holes were not aligned to the scope, and I needed to drill out a small amount of the material in the mount using a drill and a small round file. I was scared to do this, since I risked ruining the mount, but eventually I got everything working. Mounting screws are not included, so a trip to the hardware store was needed to pick up a few metric screws.Aligning the finder was simple enough, thankfully, and the optics are very good. Focus is obtained by moving the eyepiece up and down in the diagonal, and there is a small focus ring for fine adjustment. There is a small amount of "play" in the mount around the large thumbscrew, but it doesn't seem to affect alignment. Overall, a nice improvement, even if I did spend more time getting it all working. No more neck breaking observing!
I also picked up a 2" dielectric Astro-Tech SCT diagonal. I was using a 1.25" stock Celestron diagonal, which was not very sturdy and was of below-average build quality. I wanted something larger to use 2" eyepieces and, eventually, camera mounts.The 99% reflectivity 2" from AT comes with a 1.25 adapter, is made from a wonderfully beefy block of aluminum, and is beautifully constructed. It features compression rings to avoid marring eyepieces, and large thumbscrews. The best part is that this particular diagonal attaches directly to the rear cell of an SCT - just remove the visual back and screw the diagonal in place. This allows the scope to be completely vertical with no clearance issues. I have yet to test it under observing conditions, but I have high hopes due to the build quality and features.
The links to all items are listed below:
Antares RACI finder
Antares mounting rings
Astro-Tech Diagonal
