Telescope Reviews: Re: Degree Circles

Carol - Your $12 "Push-To" is right on the mark - That's exactly what I paid for mine! Although I must say working I for a newspaper did some some advantages.
While I gathered all of the needed materials during my week's vacation between Christmas and New Year, I wasn't able to complete the project until last night (too many "honey-do" projects around the house!).
First, I printed the degree circles at work. We don't have a printer quite large enough to print the entire 19-inch circle, so I ended up doing it "piece meal" in thirds. We have an old light table (from our old "hot wax" days of pasting up the newspaper prior to pagination) so I was able to carefully align the three pieces. Luckily, we also have a double-sided laminator.
I affixed the circle to the base with double-sided duct tape (yes, duct tape - it's a guy thing!)
We also had some strapping steel laying around at work so I used about eight inches of that on the front of the bottom base board attached with three stainless steel screws. I've had no luck in finding clock hands up here, so for the time being I found a package with four thin rectangular-shaped magnets ($1) to point the degrees and align with Polaris.
Now for the inclinometer. I has hoping to find a digital one, but again, living "Up North", no luck. After going to three stores, I finally found a Mayes level and angle finder used to deterine roof slopes and grades ($11). It's magnetic and is attached to the top of the scope (I wonder if the company knows these can be used as a "telescope accessory"

).
I'll use my old Boy Scout compass to determine north and I have a very small level to check the base. Plus the Stellarium program on my laptop gives Alt/Az coordinates.
Now all I need is for these clouds to clear out so I can give the new system a trial run (of course it's cloudy, I'm also waiting on delivery of two nebula filters I've ordered)!!
Thanks again for the great post and I'm looking forward to trying this out (it looks like I may have an opening tonight).

--------------------
John

8" f/6 DBA Dob: 8X50 RACI, 2-speed Crayford
1.25": 25mm, 9mm GSO Plossls; 15mm, 20mm GSO SV;
5.7mm Antares W70; 8mm Hyperion.
2": 30mm GSO SV; 2X barlow.
Zhumell green laser light, Lumicon mount
UltraBlock, Oxygen III & DeepSky filters

"I am not the editor of a newspaper. And I shall always try to do right and be good, so that God will not make me one." - Mark Twain

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