[Review&QnA] Astromania Universal Quick Release Finder Shoe Base for Schmidt Cassegrains and Other Telescope 130-400mm Diameter - for MQR III&IV/Witty One and V-Bracket - Black

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	[Review&QnA] Astromania Universal Quick Release Finder Shoe Base for Schmidt Cassegrains and Other Telescope 130-400mm Diameter - for MQR III&IV/Witty One and V-Bracket - Black GotoProduct About this item 【Aluminium Alloy Material】 Made of high strength Aluminum with Anodizing Aluminium Process. Precision machined solid aluminum finder shoe base in matte black, for almost all viewfinder holders, for the "Witty 1" Tangent-attachment etc, fits all lens barrel radii. 【Easy to Install】 Two large knurled thumbscrews makes it easy to install: Bases feature two large thumbscrew locks to secure your finder scope or reflex sight in place, even while wearing gloves. Just put it on the optical tube and tighten the screws. 【Multi-Function】 There are two elongated holes on this base and a single countersunk hole for screws up to M5 in the middle. Two screws are on the side of base. The distance between the center points of the screw holes is 24 to 41 mm 【Well-Engineered in Shape】 The base forms two linear constraints on each tube radius of 130-400mm in diameter, which gives maximum stability. The base also carries small guidance/CCD guider without any problem. 【Practical Funcationality】 Synta-style dovetail base -- Fit most bracket designs from Celestron, Orion, Sky-watcher, Vixen, etc. Compliable with finder scope, Laser Pointer bracket on telescopes.
Review
★★★★★ Perfect fit for Nexstar 8se Verified Purchase This finder scope base is a perfect fit for my Nexstar 8se. I recently purchased a StarSense AutoAlign and wanted to dual mount it on my 8se with my existing finderscope. In order to do that, I needed to purchase 2 things: 1) You need a Vixen Dovetail finder base to attach to the 8se optical tube assembly (OTA) since it doesn't come with one. 2) You need to purchase a dual or triple mount finder scope bracket. The StarSense AutoAlign comes with a large bracket, which can be used to connect directly to the OTA, as well as a smaller Vixen Dovetail bracket, which is what I will be using with this finder base. I previously purchased another cheaper finder base on Amazon but it had 3 problems: the stock screws were too wide to fit in the finder base (this requiring you to buy new screws separately), the screw holes were too narrow by approximately 1mm, and the Vixen Dovetail mount was slightly too small so the AutoAlign would only fit half-way into the mount! I'm glad to say that this product by AstroMania has none of those problems. The stock screws easily fit so you don't need to buy any new screws. The screw hold are widely spaced out and easily fit the 8se OTA. And the mount itself easily fits the AutoAlign. This finder base is really well made. The curve under the mount perfectly lines up with the 8" OTA. And the hand screws are really smooth and don't wobble when turning. This finder base also has 2 hand screws instead of 1 screw like some of the other cheaper finder bases so you can feel comfortable mounting a lot of weight on the base. One nice thing I noticed is that the thickness of the metal at the center of this base is much thicker than the cheaper finder base I first bought. It seems much sturdier and less prone to bending compared to the other finder base. I noticed that AstroMania also sells another finder base for SCT telescopes. At first I was going to get that other one but I realized that the screw spacing is up to 37.3mm for that base, which is about the same as the first finder base I tried. So that other AstroMania base would probably have been too small for my 8se since the screw spacing is between 37-38mm. On the other hand this base has spacing up to 41mm, which easily fits the 8se's screw spacing.   ★★★★★ Mount a guidescope on CPC800 with a little tweaking Verified Purchase Perfect finder shoe for 8" SCT scope. I used this on my Celestron CPC800 and found that the elongated mounting holes were just shy by about 1-2 mm to match up with the scope. The shoe is made of relatively soft metal and I simply used a round file to extend one hole slightly. The two set screws ensure that the guidescope I'll use is firmly in place and won't move during set up and tear down. I looked long and hard for a suitable shoe and this one is it, albeit with a minor effort on my part. I suspect it fits perfectly on other 8" scopes. I'm quite happy with my selection. Edit: fixed a fat-finger typing error.   ★★★★★ Perfect for Celestron C5 6SE 8SE Verified Purchase Very well made and matches optical tube curve well for Celestron C5 6SE 8SE to attach upgraded finder scopes and pointers. Other similar bases are flat and do not sit well on curved optical tubes. This base is very good.   ★★★★★ SCT ASIAIR pro mounting solution Verified Purchase I use this with my Celestron C6 for mounting the ASIAIR PRO. The natural curve matches my C6 perfectly. Quick install, lightweight and quality materials have made this quick release my top pick!!   ★★★★★ Have done a great job on my refractors Verified Purchase This finder shoe has been perfect for my Omegon refractors. It mounts well and securely on top of the tube rings releasing the focuser from weight and unnecessary obstruction from your viewing. Great price, fast delivery and nice finish. Great purchase.   ★★★★★ Bought this for my Rasa 8" Verified Purchase I wanted to mount a guide scope on my Rasa 8 and this fits perfectly. I like how this clamp has two screws to hold the guide scope. I'd assume this would fit any SCT that's 8" as well.   ★★★★★ A perfect Match for Celestron Edge HD 8" Verified Purchase Finally a perfect match for Celestron Edge HD 8" telescopes to mount a Solidly built Astromania 70 MM Guide Scope   ★★★★★ Perfect replacement bracket. Verified Purchase Perfect bracket to replace the propetary one on my explore scientific ED102. Very well made.   ★★★★★ Well-made, inexpensive. Perfection! Verified Purchase I wouldn't change a thing. I am here to buy a second one. Love it.   ★★★★★ Works fine on my Celestron C8. Verified Purchase Works fine on my Celestron C8.   See more reviews
Custom Questions & answers
Question: My ota mounting screws are 32mm apart. will this fit? description mentions 27-45mm, but seems to be in relation to knurled screws. Answer: Prior response had typos due to small iPhone keypad. Deleted and here we go again: the 27-45mm distance is in regard to the mounting holes, not the knurled screws that hold the finder scope or red dot finder. This fit my Celestron 8" OTA with no problem. You might need longer mounting screws.   Question: Will this fit an explore scientific scope? Answer: I don’t think so. This is a Vixen-style bracket which will work with nearly all telescopes, but Exlore Scientific has it’s own proprietary finderscope bracket that will not accept Vixet-style finders.   Question: Are the two screws on the sides M4? Answer: Yes Sir, they are M4.   Question: will this fit a 1100HD? Answer: Sorry, I can't answer if the finder shoe will fit an 11 " scope. My 8 inch Celestron SCT has a different radius.. Advise you email the supplier and ask that question. The bottom curvature of my "shoe base" appears made for a smaller diameter scope buy it fits snug and securely to the 8" housing since the contact points are the outer edges of the mount. One very important measurement is the depth of the mounting screw/bolt beyond the shoe so you don't impinge on the mirror. I allowed the bolt to protrude from the shoe base a length equal to the original screw that was mounted on the scope plus 1 mm for the radius difference. I have no problem holding securely a telrad plus a 50mm guidescope on a triple Vixen mount ( about 22 ounces total weight). Hope this helps. Good luck and clear skies. Larry   Question: Will this fit on an 8" Edge HD? Answer: I believe it will. The key aspect is that this mount is curved to accommodate the typical SCT mounting points. I have mine mounted to a Celestron nexstar 5SE, and it worked like a charm. As long as your screws are within the limits stated you should be good. Plus the Astromania website says it should work for SCT diameters from 130-400mm, which your 8" does.   Question: Would this fit a celestron c5 (aka nexstar 5se)? Answer: I am not a scope supplier. The Astromania mount I purchased has a minimum to maximum slot width of 18 to 45 mm. Remember the mount screws are radially threaded so you'll need a slightly wider slot than measured on the scope's OTA. Good Luck!!   See more questions