XLED Illuminator
Purchase here
Overview
When trying to get a planet such as Mars into the field of view at high magnification, you really need to see the cross-hairs in your finderscope. If you’ve been looking at a laptop for the last few minutes getting the settings right etc, you will have difficulty seeing the cross hairs. This nifty device shines 8 dim red LEDs onto the surface of the lens, making the cross hairs stand out clearly.
It doesn’t use a battery, just a super-capacitor. This means it can be charged very quickly in just one minute. The Start button turns the LEDs on for 45 seconds and then turns them off again to preserve the charge in the super capacitor. You can press the button at any time to get another 45 seconds worth of illumination. Typically one charge will last more than one session.
Finally, there is a small switch to adjust the brightness of the illumination from “Dim” to “Dimmer”.
Fitting the XLed
This version is designed to fit snuggly around a 50mm finderscope such as those by SkyWatcher and Celestron.
The package contains 3 rubber coated pillars and 3 screws. Simply screw the pillars onto the bottom of the XLed. The pillars fit on the other side to the majority components and the pictures of Saturn, comet and stars.
Plug the XLed into a USB port and the LEDs will come on. Wait a minute (or until the LEDs turn off) and then you’re done.
Now slide the XLed onto the finderscope and press the button when you need illumination.