Finally chose a red dot finder over a regular finder scope

I spent three months going back and forth between a Telrad and a standard 9x50 finder for my 8-inch dob. Picked the Telrad because I got tired of craning my neck to look through a tube. First night out, I found M13 in under 2 minutes, which was way faster than before. The only downside is the battery died after 4 sessions, so I keep spares in my pocket now. Has anyone else made the switch and dealt with the battery thing?

2 comments

2 Comments

rileyjones17d ago

Those Telrad batteries are a pain. I went through three sets in two months before I just taped a 9-volt to the side of my dob with a little switch inline so I can turn it off between targets. That saved a ton of power. Now I barely touch the battery compartment. M13 is a good test though, I remember finding it with a Telrad and it felt like cheating compared to the old finder scope where I'd lose it every time I bumped the tube.

jade317d ago

Wait, has anyone tried running a Telrad on a rechargeable lithium cell? I picked up a 18650 battery holder for like three bucks and wired it into the compartment with a small voltage regulator. One charge lasts me the whole season, maybe longer. I know it sounds like extra work, but after dealing with those little coin cells that die mid session on a cold night, it felt worth it. M13 is a good call though, those dimmer globulars really make you appreciate a stable reticle. I bet a lot of people give up on the Telrad entirely because of the power hassle, but a cheap battery mod changes the whole game.