cheapersleeper
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/22/10
Loc: Sachse TX
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Re: Degree Circles
[Re: Tom Andrews]
#5253428 - 06/03/12 01:48 PM
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You get the win base on variety of application. I am doing the same thing over and over as I build more dobsonians. You are dreaming up ways to make it work on different mounts.
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Tom Andrews
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 01/25/07
Loc: Albuquerque, NM
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Re: Degree Circles
[Re: cheapersleeper]
#5254077 - 06/03/12 11:19 PM
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Brad,
Thank you for your generosity. I hope you know that all this is tongue-in-cheek, I'm not competetive in that way at all. I love DIY stuff especially when it works and I equally love sharing anything that works with others free of charge.
I salute you for building dobs 
That is something I have only toyed with in upgrading my Coulter but never built from the ground up. So it's you that has the win base on DIY; keep up the good work! 
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cheapersleeper
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/22/10
Loc: Sachse TX
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Re: Degree Circles
[Re: Tom Andrews]
#5254334 - 06/04/12 08:15 AM
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Hard to drum up a feud between the non-competitive. 
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Epsilon_Lyrae
member
Reged: 07/27/11
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Re: Degree Circles
[Re: SDTopensied]
#5262456 - 06/08/12 08:18 PM
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Thanks to the info in this thread, I decided to buy a $30 digital level from Sears. I might decide to put a setting circle on the base of my Z10 someday, but I figured that I could just start with the altitude coordinates for now.
I tried to use it last night, but, for every object that I looked at, the level was 1 to 1.5 degrees off from the coordinates in Sky Safari. I figured out this morning that my iPad's time was 7 minutes off! I hope to see better results tonight.
The screen on this level is a very bright green. Does anyone have any suggestions for what I should cover it with?
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cheapersleeper
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/22/10
Loc: Sachse TX
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Re: Degree Circles
[Re: Epsilon_Lyrae]
#5262960 - 06/09/12 07:10 AM
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Rubylith would probably be easiest to find.
I encourage you to get the time straight, make sure your coordinates are as perfect as possible, level the scope reasonably well and implement the other half of the system. You will be amazed and gratified at how easily you can find objects. It's 15 minutes at an office store that can do large printing and laminating and a half hour of effort at home to put the circle on. It's very much worth it.
Regards,
Brad
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Wol
super member
Reged: 03/26/07
Loc: Perth Western Australia
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Re: Degree Circles
[Re: cheapersleeper]
#5263168 - 06/09/12 10:40 AM
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Could not agree more. Make sure the scope is level. Stick wedges under the three feet to make it so. You can even use your digital level for level then cross level  Or put a bubble level near the centre bolt. Adding an azimuth scale will really help too. Mine is good for +/- 0.5 degree most of the time which is pretty good. Indeed as LP is bad where I am, I would never find anything without it.
For the light, some dark green or red cellophane would be fine in the short term.
good luck
regards
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GregBuchholz
member
Reged: 02/13/12
Loc: Kennewick, WA
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Re: Degree Circles
[Re: Wol]
#5268866 - 06/12/12 11:56 PM Attachment (121 downloads)
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I was so impressed with how well these setting circles worked on my 8" Dob, I added some to my newly acquired 3" Celestron First Scope. I only used an azimuth circle, since I find the analog inclinometer works so well. See the attached pic.
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Nitetimer
newbie
Reged: 11/02/10
Loc: Winter Haven, FL
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Re: Degree Circles
[Re: ErikRuud]
#5269190 - 06/13/12 08:46 AM
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Erik,
I have an Ares 5 ordered and would like to use your azimuth circle. Forgive me I am new to this, if the degree circle is mounted to the top board do I use clockwise or counterclockwise? Also would it be possible to attach a pic of the setup on your Ares 5? Thanks.
David
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Gastrol
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 11/04/11
Loc: los angeles
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Re: Degree Circles
[Re: Nitetimer]
#5269667 - 06/13/12 02:27 PM
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Quote:
Forgive me I am new to this, if the degree circle is mounted to the top board do I use clockwise or counterclockwise?
Counterclockwise if mounted on the top board, the scope and the degree circle rotate together.
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NickAtNite
newbie
Reged: 06/07/08
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Re: Degree Circles
[Re: Gastrol]
#5287693 - 06/25/12 12:16 AM Attachment (107 downloads)
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thank you all so much for this excellent info, here is what i came up with for my coulter 13.1" using the pdf file in this thread blown up to 24" diameter and laminated at fedex office(formerly kinkos)$13, a 24" round table top from menards $20, and a pitch and angle locator at home depot $8
Edited by NickAtNite (06/25/12 12:21 AM)
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NickAtNite
newbie
Reged: 06/07/08
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Re: Degree Circles
[Re: NickAtNite]
#5287698 - 06/25/12 12:21 AM Attachment (103 downloads)
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close up of the cirlce
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NickAtNite
newbie
Reged: 06/07/08
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Re: Degree Circles
[Re: NickAtNite]
#5287701 - 06/25/12 12:22 AM Attachment (99 downloads)
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close up of the angle locator
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csrlice12
Post Laureate
Reged: 05/22/12
Loc: Denver, CO
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Re: Degree Circles
[Re: csa/montana]
#5302650 - 07/04/12 05:28 PM
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I am getting ready to mount a degree circle on my XT10 base (inclineometer on the tube). Will I mount it at Top Dead Center as 0*, or will it need to be offset to account for longitude/latitude?
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beatlejuice
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 04/05/11
Loc: Hamilton, ON,Canada
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Re: Degree Circles
[Re: csrlice12]
#5302663 - 07/04/12 05:38 PM
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It matters only for convenience. I put the 0 on the west side of the base as the scope is pointing towards the north. Then when I initialize by aiming at polaris, the pointer is in a convenient location for reading AZ when the mount is rotated throughout the night. How did you arrange your pointer for the XT10?
Eric
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Gastrol
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 11/04/11
Loc: los angeles
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Re: Degree Circles
[Re: beatlejuice]
#5309699 - 07/09/12 12:16 PM
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Here's my new degree setting circle for the 12" Lightbridge.
I took a slightly different approach and drew the degree markings directly on the ground board.
I made the pointer out of 1/8" thick aluminum bar stock and is adjustable over 20 degrees either way from the center of the cutout.
Thanks for looking!
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Herschel400
member
Reged: 03/18/11
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--wixey digital angle units
[Re: csa/montana]
#5389477 - 08/27/12 10:16 AM
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hello- does anyone know if the LED function on this unit functions properly when temperatures get into the teens?
thanks
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73gitane
newbie
Reged: 08/20/12
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Re: Degree Circles
[Re: Tom Andrews]
#5415179 - 09/11/12 12:53 PM
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After a long hiatus from observing with my 14" Dob I have recently come back to discover Cloudynights and manual setting circles. I'm a casual amateur so the convenience of this approach immediately pulled at me. I just purchased the Wixey digital angle and already have an iPad for the calculation. I need to pick an app and am thinking Safari.
My main question is what to do about azimuth. It seems Rob's software is the way to go for generating these things. But while I was at the store buying the digital angle gauge I saw their digital protractors. Has anyone adapted one of these to a scope? It would be pretty slick but what's needed is a remote readout does anyone make something more readily adaptable?
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csa/montana
Den Mama
Reged: 05/14/05
Loc: montana
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Re: Degree Circles
[Re: 73gitane]
#5415201 - 09/11/12 01:03 PM
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Welcome to Cloudy Nights! Glad to have you join us on the forums!
Quote:
I saw their digital protractors. Has anyone adapted one of these to a scope? It would be pretty slick but what's needed is a remote readout does anyone make something more readily adaptable?
That's a great question, looking forward to the input from members that perhaps, have adapted this to their Degree Circle scope.
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Gastrol
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 11/04/11
Loc: los angeles
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Re: Degree Circles
[Re: 73gitane]
#5416088 - 09/11/12 08:31 PM
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Quote:
But while I was at the store buying the digital angle gauge I saw their digital protractors. Has anyone adapted one of these to a scope? It would be pretty slick but what's needed is a remote readout does anyone make something more readily adaptable?
I looked at digital protractors also and also wondered how to relocated the display. But the problem was the ones I saw only read up to 180°. Do they make protractors that can track a full circle?
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73gitane
newbie
Reged: 08/20/12
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Re: Degree Circles
[Re: Gastrol]
#5416536 - 09/12/12 01:26 AM
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Good point, I went to the Wixey site and confirmed the range is +/-180. That would tell me there is at least a physical stop preventing a full 360 but I did not open a package to confirm. I got a chance to read this whole thread(well at least scanned:^) and saw that MtGoat commented on a digital protractor on page 30. He was checking on possible US distributors. He must have hit a wall cause I didn't see any follow up.
Well the printed azimuth seems to work just fine so I'll probably go that route. I just think it would be cool to have a digital readout for both axis.
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