Telrad

Not so long ago I've got acquainted with the Telrad object finder. This is definitely the king of all zero magnification finders, and I believe of many optical finders as well. Just remember that it is not just a red dot finder, which you are most likely familiar with from experience with some cheap telescopes. You need to learn how to use it properly in order to achieve unbelievable accuracy and pointing time under 10 seconds for any kind of celestial objects.

If you have a large enough aperture telescope (I believe it must be more than 8") you should consider getting and installing the Telrad device, which is around $40 at any popular astronomy store. Telrad may not be practical on small refractors as it's quite large. Despite that, it's relatively lightweight, even though it's using two AA batteries. The size is dictated by the need for a long enough light path for the collimated reticle image building. There are many DIY Telrad mods instructions and accessories for purchase available online. Most notably:

• Dew shield
• Dew Heater
• Riser base
• Blinker (Pulser)

However, it works for me as is so far.