ETX FLIP-FINDER BRACKET Last updated: 28 August 2005

Subject:	ETX FLIP-FINDER BRACKET
Sent:	Sunday, August 28, 2005 14:43:52
From:	Paul Kinsella (kinny.home@virgin.net)
Here's some news on the ETX I mentioned a week or so back. Apologies for
sending 4 photos but I think between them they show all you need to know
about how this looks and works.

I've just got one for my ETX-105 and the news is good - a well-made
product, designed by an ETX-user that, in my opinion, makes the ETX a
better instrument all-round. I "discovered" it from a plug in the UK
magazine "Astronomy Now" and when I rang the makers a week after the
issue came out they said they were practically flying off their shelves.

This accessory is designed to move the finderscope further away from the
main eyepiece and as you can see from the pictures it moves it far
enough away that there are no longer any frustrating problems with the
eyepieces and finder getting in one anothers way. I'm only able really
able to use my right-eye for observing so using short-focal length
eyepieces with the right-angle finder has been a real nuisance.

I bought the "deluxe" model, that came with new thumb-screws to hold the
finder, these are much bigger and easier to fine-tuned than the standard
ones - and owing to a minor fitting problem I ended up needing to use
the original ones to keep the new barrel in place

For reference you're supposed to remove the old finder holder, fit the
barrel and secure it in place using some provided little mini-screws,
then re-attach it. But I've either lost or never had the Allen key to do
this so had to fit things in-situ and re-using most of the old screws
was much easier in this case than fitting the new ones. The
"unfolded-rear" photo shows the installation very nicely.

Once I'd got around these little problems with the first stage, it took
about 5 minutes to install and provides a rock-steady finder support.

Contrary to the instructions, I found that even with the right-angle
finder it fitted into the hardcase without having to rotate the prism
and retained alignment near-enough perfectly when I used it next.

One word of warning, the finder is now several inches higher than
before, so with the standard tripod at full-height and pointing
horizontally, at 5'10" (1.78m) I'm only just able to use it comfortably,
although this of course isn't going to be a problem during most people's
observing sessions.

Price - well it turned out that the manufacturers are only 20 miles away
from me so delivery charges were negligible, so it came to around 50,
what's that about $80-90 ?? Although bear in mind that over here in the
UK we're used to paying a lot for our kit - for instance the DSI is
typically 269 which is roughly $500, and a new ETX125-premier would cost
me the equivalent of about $1,750 !

As far as I'm concerned this is as near to a "must-have" for the ETX as
I've come across - there are different models for the 90, 105 and 125,
for more details see www.epsilon-telescopes.co.uk and you know what -  I
think it makes the ETX simply look better too !
 
Thanks for the excellent website
 
Paul
Cheltenham
UK

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