Telescope Reviews: Re: Digital all the way?

Update2: Believe it or not, I haven't yet had the opportunity to test the digital compass outside (Floyd Bennett Field is where I would go). The opportunity to step outside has been elusive and to be honest - it's nice and comfy inside and I've been learning a lot from the comfort of my own home.

So, thus far I've had about 4 or 5 nights of testing indoors.

When I turn on the compass at the beginning of my viewing session, sometimes it puts an object in the FOV or sometimes it's accurate to about 1 or 2 degrees and requires some nudging to find the object. Thus far it has always been in the ballpark (under 5 degrees).

However, if I do a lot of moving around, which I usually do because of obstructions in the home and the limitation of window angles, it may eventually throw off accuracy by 5 degrees. Unfortunately, I've seen it get as bad as 8 degrees. I end up resetting the compass about 3 times a full night (i.e. 9pm - 5am). I also have a lot of electronic equipment around so I think it may contribute to throwing the thing off. In any case, even when it's off, I know I'm basically looking on the azimuth plane only so nudging is usually over quick.

So... I'm able to live with this non-precise degree of accuracy because it's tough for me sometimes to see Polaris (i.e. girlfriend won't give up the bedroom for the night!), and thus calibrating with other stars takes even longer for me. I would ideally need to test outside. When I'm at my outdoor spot, I'm basically planted in one area and just turn the scope's tube - I'm pretty sure it will work better in that scenario.

Until then, I'm not convinced this is the rock solid digital solution most are looking for. Perhaps there are better digital solutions out there that won't break the bank. It does happen to have a time advantage on the azimuth for me right now. This makes me appreciate that very accurate Home Depot inclinometer that much more. Also, I finally got my Telrad so the combo of finder-scope, Telrad, and this budget 'push-to' system seems to work well enough for me. Again - my humble thanks to the folks who started this thread and have therefore saved me time and money.

Oh, and my apologies for folks who ran out and purchased a Wayfinder 7000 and may not be thrilled about it

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Oh let the sun beat down upon my face, stars to fill my dream
I am a traveler of both time and space, to be where I have been

24Pan, 17T4, 13T6, 11T6, 9BTMB, 8TVpl, 7T6, 5T6, 3.5T6, 5/6BTMBs
Z10"Dob, Paracorr, 2xBrlw, Telrad, RACI,°Circles, )Spider

FBF, Brooklyn:

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