Setting circles alt az. No replies to this topic #1 wongtheo wongtheo.

• Setting circles alt az The orange angle finder was used to explore the range in altitude. RA/Dec numbers will change a little bit over the course of decades due to relative motion of all stars and our own solar system. I think you missed my point. I would like to make them out of paper with the grading printed out. I have not used it before, but I do know how to use it. Rotation Moreover, an Alt-Az with setting circles is faster to setup: Just plunk it down level, point the OTA at two known and visable objects and select them from a menu. If the circle is bigger than the trip legs, it would be a nuisance to avoid stepping over it. Accepts Losmandy D & V series Page 1 of 2 - FREE Printable Setting Circles - posted in Reflectors: Since were no longer selling Dobs, I wanted to offer the printable setting circle files to amateur astronomers as a gift. Then used a simple programmable hand calculator to work out what 'measurement' he needed to go to to find the next object. They look like thin, ~1" wide bent metal arms (painted black). The first is for the polar scope settings. This allows both applications to share the same file if you wish. com/thing:4221825 (use this!!!)Digital Setting Circles (DSC) for Dobson telescope GSO 10&qu Was the mainstay in use with my Discmounts DM-6 alt-az mount - as seen in one of attached pictures. DEFINITION: Initialization is a proce- dure that ensures that Autostar operates cor- rectly. Alexander Pruss says: November 25, 2021 at 12:06 pm This is an alt-az scope Analog Setting Circles for 10Dob - posted in Equipment (No astrophotography): Hello,I finally made it all the way through both the stickies about setting circles . This is only the computerized box, you will have to furnish your own encoders and cables for input. I do agree that using GEM setting circles, as opposed to alt az setting circles is a great way to truly learn the sky. Are you using a digital level for Alt, or do you have a calibrated circle there too? Steve Back to top #4 donnie3 donnie3. No polar alignment, no setting circles needed. ENK022. 8 152mm Explore Scientific David Levy Comet Hunter It weighs in at over 15lbs not including finder scope and heavy eyepieces I mention using at home because this would be when I only have an hour or so of Arkansas Sky Observatories (ASO) has served the scientific and educational community for five decades, one of the oldest privately operated observatories in the USA. The circles were about 6 inches in Buy Tele Vue Encoder-Equipped Gibraltar HD4 Alt-Az Mount featuring Tele-Pod Alt-Az Yoke Mount Head, Pre-Installed Digital Encoder Assembly, Recommended for OTAs up to 4", Mini-Pier Adds Height/Maintains Strength, Ash Wood Page 3 of 3 - Does Anyone Really Use Setting Circles To Find Targets? - posted in Beginners Forum (No Astrophotography): I used the setting circles on the old 6 Clark refractor at Leander McCormick Observatory to find Uranus in the spring of 1967. Started by wongtheo , Mar 23 2015 03:29 PM. 250” diameter aluminum shafts. Use the Manual setting circles or DSC - posted in Mounts: Hi, Ive tried my level best with a pair of setting circle,large protractors, on my 8 and 12 dobs with limited or constant results. 95 Related Products. Did everything I could and Im sure setup is not the problem. Scott clearwaterdave and Tom_Rent_MN like this Back to top #22 Paul Sweeney Paul Sweeney. Im using SKEYE on my Kindle fire and my scope is set up according to Polaris and I also Start from a bright nearby star and then you are only making a modest move in ra or dec. It works pretty well althoug since I have moderate light pollution, I have trouble using star-hopping from my back yard. A few hours and here is the result! Circes cut from G10 fiberglass, AZ pointer made An altazimuth mount or alt-azimuth mount is a simple two-axis mount for supporting and rotating an instrument about two perpendicular axes – one vertical and the other horizontal. US$ 229. You simply find a flat area for the tripod or base if it's a Dobsonian. 5” diameter Laser engraved setting circles. Finally I use the Wixey to raise it to the correct alt coord. Get a magnetic digital angle meter from a hardware store. It will also be much Page 1 of 8 - A program for generating setting circles - posted in ATM, Optics and DIY Forum: Hi,I needed to print a set of display circles up for a home made mount. No replies to this topic #1 wongtheo wongtheo. You can set up any equatorially mounted scope with setting circles with the polar axis vertical and you have an altazimuth mount with the declination circle acting as the altitude circle. SkySafari is an observing tool. Have tried ringing the shop I bought Alt/Az Setting Circles - posted in ATM, Optics and DIY Forum: Hello,I needed to know if anybody could help me to amke some seting circles for my dob, or where I can find info on how to make them. US$ 199. I never make an alt-az mount without incorporating setting circles into the design. ENK020. On an alt-az mount moving perfectly east/west and north/south is very hard to do. I want it to be a centerpiece of some sort so visiting friends and family can have a look with my 90mm MCT without setting up the Vixen GP-DX. Simply slew to a known object, rotate the RA circle to dial in the RA co-ordinate,then lock the screw to maintain the RA setting. To use the Losmandy DSC on an Alt-Azimuth mounting, a 2-Star alignment must be done every time the unit is turned on. Again, probably of most value for a permanently mounted scope. Page 1 of 3 - Does Anyone Really Use Setting Circles To Find Targets? - posted in Beginners Forum (No Astrophotography): Im probably going to out myself as a compete moron with this post, but I genuinely dont have a clue how you would use setting circles in the dark to find anything. Regards, Karl Back to top #2 sewhite sewhite. So far, so good. Back to top Vixen Alt-Az Mount and Digital Setting Circles Started by davidcolton, 09/08/2002 07:59AM Post Reply Posted 09/08/2002 07:59AM Opening Post David Colton View public profile Send a private message to David Colton Find more posts by David Colton Find threads started by David Colton. The ever increasing possibilities within computer control has made it possible to design Alt-Az mounts capable of delivering precise equatorial tracking. The azimuth circle in particular has a pointer above the drive belt, yet the graduated circle is below the belt, so it doesn't look like there's a practical way to read the circle. Reading the setting circles on an equatorial mount - posted in Beginners Forum (No Astrophotography): Hello everyone. 0 and the one I attached to this post that includes resolution set in the code will be 2. However, I have been Setting circle help? - posted in ATM, Optics and DIY Forum: hey all, i have installed setting circles on both axis of my ALT/AZ 4. I can often beat my CGEM to an object that is in another part of the sky than where the mount is currently pointed. Members; 11,989 8,951 my Newton 12" f6 telescope I equipped with Setting circles, 10 inches in diameter, and Page 1 of 2 - M5-DSC: simple plug-n-play Digital Setting Circles - posted in ATM, Optics and DIY Forum: Thanks to nice projects on DIY Digital Setting Circles in this forum. 251. I am new to this forum, and astronomy itself. The appearance of setting circles will vary quite a bit Would someone please tell me where I can learn how to use alt-az setting circles? That would include the website, program, or app to convert to celestial coordinates. (elevation) I have not found a low cost printer/laminator near me so I went this route with a simple centimeter tape 8" Dob Setting Circle Project - posted in Equipment (No astrophotography): Hello Everyone, Just completed my first project with my new 8 Dob (AD8) creating a setting circle and wanted to share the process/files in the case it would be helpful for others as there is so many different ways and pieces floating around. The only draw back to putting the AZ circle inside the rocker box like I did on the XT6 is you have to tilt the tube below horizontal to be able to see it. Bubble level 1. The previous ones were the ES Twilight I, Sky Tee 2 and Stellarvue M2C. For example, if you set the resolution to 2400 on az and to 4800 on alt, it will respond "2400-4800" - if you send "V" it will return the version of the Magic DSC firmware. The tube is pointing True North and Note: The location settings (country/state/province now in the Alt/Az home position. setting circle. Starts at 27:34 in the timeline. Add an azimuth setting circle, and quite accurate pointing is possible. It's not a perfect Alt/az but it can be handy. US$ 299. Ranger 4. The Trying to decide on Digital Setting Circles - posted in Mounts: Hello,I am currently mounting my Stellarvue 105 on a Universal Astronomics Surveyors tripod on an Unistar Deluxemount (also by Universal Astronomics. I've never As you may already be aware, conventional type setting circles cannot be used on Alt_Az mounts. • Hubble Optics UL Dobsonian Telescope An in-depth review of the Skytee-2 Mount and how to build setting Setting circles are more useful on Alt Az mounts than EQ mounts IMO. As Eddgie says, alt - az setting circles work. Tags V1. The setting circles are not that great, IMO, so I don’t use them. Fig. Clear skies. If you’re not using Stellarium, use the detailed instructions below the video. I am looking to see if digital setting circles are right for me (or even regular setting circles). I was thinking about picking up an inclinometer for alt, using a Alt/Az coordinates are relative to the Earth instead of the sky. The setting circle is small so I will be using a wide eyepiece on it to improve the chances of finding things. 716000 Steps Alt, 8192 steps Az Encoders. This is the fourth manual alt-az I've had. Head weight 13 lbs. 6 degree field of my 25x100 binoculars. a setting circle moves with the r. Having the simple mechanical principles of the Alt-Az mount, these new mounts offer easier transport and faster Reading the setting circles on an equatorial mount - posted in Beginners Forum (No Astrophotography): Hello everyone. GSO Alt/Az mount with manual setting circles for 152mm Mak-Newt - posted in Mounts: Hi all I am looking for a mount to use at home with my F4. circle is 12" in diameter and marked off in one degree increments. Members; 10 I have tried to see if the set circle with all the degrees on it swiveled at all but it is definitely fixed. Use a level to measure that it is as accurately level as possible. 16: Alt/Az Home Position. I intend to build an altaz mount with setting circles using compasses as the markers in both axes. Turn setting circle until the laser dot is at 0. 20: Dec. I downloaded Stellarium and when I put the cursor on an object a nifty paragraph of location and descriptive facts pops up It's more suited to dobs and other alt-az mounted 'scopes. It could be this circle is not. Mercury-Atlas. marcosa666. 0° on the Dec. Any suggestions / links for a DIY way to measure altitude? Or is it pretty easy to find the az, then scan up and down for DSOs?IMHO, it would seem to be easy to do, simply tape (as a temporary The width of the gap equates to 20 degrees on the setting circle, so come set-up time, I can get Polaris in the centre of the EP, then adjust the setting circle so it reads zero, with out having to keep lifting the dob base and OTA up. The procedure is similar to the 1-star alignment described above except that two star sightings are done. Page 53: Setting Circles Setting Circles The ETX models are equipped with R. This means that you cannot reply to this topic. I was heartened to learn how well it worked. from reading setting circles). Forum Member There is an arm for both the Alt and Az encoder holding it in place so the body of the encoder doesn't rotate. In an alt az mount you would use your charting program to tell you the alt and az of the star and the object and then you would use the circles to move the difference. 95. The files are in PDF format and are designed to fit current 8”, 10”, and 12” GSO-made Dobs (and will likely fit older generation GSO Dobs, as well as other brands like Skywatcher and Page 1 of 2 - J. T. I sold off the Twilight I and Sky Tee 2. I have just ordered an old Edmund Scientific fork mount from Surplus Shed which should Manual Alt-Az setting circles are great on Dobs and standard Alt-Az mounts. Diallied in the declination for Jupiter (about 20) and swung back through 2 hrs of RA - Jupiter appeared in the WA eyepiece with just a tiny bit of fiddling with RA. Leveled the scope first - set the RA circles to the correct date and time for polar alignment - then looked through the polar I have read the thread a couple of times and it's still not clear whether the "defect" was just having a fixed pointer rather than fixed circle or whether it was about the setting circle Page 1 of 2 - Suggested Alt/Az Mount for SW 100ED Refractor - posted in Mounts: Hi all, Im about to purchase a SW 100ED scope and am trying to figure out which Alt / Az Designed and made some setting circles for the skytee mount. For the astronomer looking for a high quality Alt-Az mount capable of high power with Digital Setting Circles (DSC) computers, such as the Sky Commander, Argo Navis or the Nexus DSC to provide digital object finding and GOTO capability. When polar aligning the scope, it is declination circle and move the circle until the 90 is directly over the small arrow on the arm itself (as seen in Figure 3 below). With this driver you can use software (such as a planetarium program) that supports Alpaca to monitor the position of your telescope. The Az. DSC-V2 for dobsonian GSO 10” (Quadrature encoder Download: free Website: Thingiverse. North Fig. The one upper left is the decli-nation axis setting circle and the one lower right is the R. set correctly either. Obviously one could not use goto or tracking this way, but could it work as a manual alt az with motors for Page 1 of 2 - Using Degree circles and software on a dob - posted in Beginners Forum (No Astrophotography): Need some help here. The BUT you should be able to use setting circles to place an object within a "quarter of a division" i. For casual visual use, i am thinking of using it in a pseudo Alt-Az mode, as this is more intuitive for manual operation. The best way to find a faint object from its catalogue coordinates is to offset from a readily identifiable nearby Simple solution, make some setting circles with my laser engraver and CNC machine. Please note that I have no connection with either firm aside from being a satisfied customer. I attached the code with the modification you requested. Yes, Im aware of the Losmandy AZ8 and Im very interested-only one Ive seen with production setting circles. https://carson. I've used large alt-az scopes for over 40 years now unassisted by circles, or other outside methods for locating objects and I find that I can usually Setting up an alt-azimuth mount is as simple as it gets. The other co-ordinate system is Alt-Azimuth in which the scales are locked to the observer's location. 4) I can then get alt-az coords from stellarium for another object (eg M13 say). Use the Series 80 tube setting circles - posted in Mounts: I am making a homemade eq mount and am in need of RA and DEC setting circles or a template to make them. For any of these alt/az dobs you want to take care in choice of initial two cal stars. DIY Setting Circle - posted in ATM, Optics and DIY Forum: Hello folks! Just purchased an old CG5 (the Mk I ver. It is much better than I expected. Eric Bring on the setting circles - checked on Stellarium for the RA of the moon (about 4hrs) and Jupiter (about 2hrs) and set the RA setting circle accordingly. Furthermore, GEMs are ideal for finding faint celestial objects just by coordinates. A digital level costs about $30 and can provide altitude's that accurate to +/- 0. I was wondering what the basic principles were? How are they used? Explain it Alt-az mount with setting circles - posted in ATM, Optics and DIY Forum: I am at the top of the slippery slope of ATM, looking downwards. steve, your az method would probably . Astro Devices GSO Dobsonian - 8192 Steps Alt, 8192 steps Az Encoders. Once the az circle is set to true geographic north, it remains fixed and the calculation of current alt and az is done by Skysafari - so convenient, unlike EQ setting circles where the RA scale has to be adjusted all the time. Optional Gemini 2 GoTo system (supports alt-az mode) Use eq mount as alt az? - posted in Mounts: My old lxd55 mount had a latitude range of 0-90 degrees. The vendor has 2 kind of Nexus available, the standard Nexus DSC and the Nexus II. I take care to level the base before dialing in the co-ordinates You just need to point the scope to two objects with known alt/az, and record the setting circle alt/az for each, and then you can go from any known alt/az to a setting circle alt/az by a simple matrix calculation. There are 360 degrees in a circle no Hi Everyone, With my confidence riding perhaps higher than it should have after done watching Jupiter and Mars yesterday morning, I decided to raise the bar a little and go HAS ANYONE GOT PICTURES TO SEE HOW THE SETTING CIRCLES WORK ON DOBS AS I'M SURE IT WILL BE A GREAT HELP TO OTHER BEGINNERS TOO! Doc. Page 1 of 3 - Setting circles - posted in Beginners Forum (No Astrophotography): How many of you use setting circles to navigate with a dob? Appears to be an affordable way for a beginner to navigate vs a push or go to. I put degree circles on my 12" as in the Degree circle thread a while ago. Ive now mounted it on my scope so alt is taken care of. Laser Engraved Setting Circles Click for Larger Image Variable Slip Clutch Knob 3. The "Setting Circles" in Alt Az amount is quite different from the one you use in equatorial mount. Even larger Python implementation of an Alpaca driver for digital setting circles (DSC) connected to an ALT/AZ mount like a dobsonian telescope. Would either work?I heard that Planetarium software is what gives you the converted alt and az coordinates for the objects. Anyone have any new information on those possibilities? or perfectly level alt/az by using a single star. While pointing accuracy should be completed each time the scope is broken down and set up again. in Alt / Az, must be very precise to gain the benefits from it. I have a Palm T/X and a blackberry Bold. Page 10: Moving Through Autostar's Menus horizontal lock. Recommended Posts. As others have mentioned, for daytime observations setting circles can be quite useful -- on EQ as well as on alt-az mounts. The DEC disk is graduated into degrees, arcminutes, and arcseconds. add to list. The RA is 1/2 of an 8" circle and is also marked in one degree increments. I was out Digital Setting Circles (David Ek, external link) This ASCOM driver allows the use of a variety of commercial and homebrew passive encoder-based digital setting circles systems with any Windows software that supports the ASCOM standard. 8. The mount I am using is a VersaGo II. 1928 "alt az" 3D Models. 1. Karl There are 2 "sticky" forum threads under An Alt-Az mount tracks the nightsky along two axis, Altitude (ALT) , in which the lowest point on the horizon equals 0 degrees, and the highest point 90 degrees (zenith). You can keep the Az encoder in place when you move the scope around, but assuming you remove the OTA, you'll need to remove the Alt encoder which only takes about 10-15 1991 "setting circle" 3D Models. Setting Circle at 0°. Now, without moving RA again, swing the scope in Dec so that it is horizontal. For the az circle, I went to Rob Willetts site and printed out It looks like this Thing has been removed or has never existed in Thingiverse. what a great idea! Fortunately, Sears presently has on sale their digital levels for $20. Apollo. Unlike using alt-az coordinates such as mitchellcloud was referring to above, Page 1 of 2 - Non goto with RA drive and usable setting circles wanted - posted in Mounts: I currently have an EQM-35 that works fine but Im still longing to get away from the goto aspect and go back to readable setting circles as my way of navigating the skies. 2 DSC - Digital Setting Circles / Alt-Az. During the One-Star and Two-Star alt/az alignment procedures, you will (unlike the Automatic and Easy alignment procedures) manually place the As you may already be aware, conventional type setting circles cannot be used on Alt_Az mounts. With this driver you can use software (such as a For the astronomer looking for a high quality Alt-Az mount capable of high power tracking and capable of handling a variety of eyepieces and accessories, the DSV-3 is loaded with features 1/ Download and install "planetarium". I downloaded the StarTracks program to generate them but it didnt do what I wanted. In the Alt Az system, once you leave the poles, the stars move realitive both to the spokes and the concentric rings. From what I've read so far though, full digital setting circles can be used on EQ mounts, even dobs placed on those EQ tracking platforms specifically designed to give dobs tracking capability. This is an excellent mount and I have it kitted out for Nexus digital setting circles. topic starter; Posts: 7; Joined: 30 Jun 2014; Posted 23 March 2015 - 03:29 PM. Setting Circle. Setting circles are something to be learnt, they are not I think as simple as dial in the values, so in that case goto may be something to think about. I was thinking about picking up an inclinometer for alt, using a If you know what you’re doing a printed setting circle and an angle finder is all you need. Setting circles can be handy to get you in the right zip code if there isn’t a nearby visible star for starhopping. Any suggestions, etc. I cant find that site anymore. 17: Dec. Could a mount work either way or would it have to be either the 0 or 90 setting. Its still good just finished Once you get the hang of it, which doesn't take a lot of practice really, setting up an alt/az mount for observing by star-hopping is a quick and simple solution. One time that practice payed off big was when Comet McNaught and Mercury shared the same daytime 2. Click for Larger Image 360 Degree slow motion knob. I have an 8 Orion DSE Dob. It is based on Willie Koorts project here. a axis, I. Use eq mount as alt az? - posted in Mounts: My old lxd55 mount had a latitude range of 0-90 degrees. 1a) to aid in locating faint celestial objects when the telescope has been polar I use both systems. It’s different than RA/Dec coordinates in that the resulting grid always stays the same relative to Earth (the alt-az coordinate grid stays in the same position all night [and day], whereas with RA/Dec the Skywatcher AZ4 Alt-Az Setting Circles - posted in Mounts: Love my new AZ4 mount. Set up Dec setting circles and right ascension circle. I have no idea where to start. It will give you real time altitude and azimuth of any object in the sky for your location and time. I read alot online and I think I have a general idea of how to use the setting circles to find objects in the sky. Posts: 322; Joined: 29 May 2012; Posted 18 May 2014 - 08:46 PM. This project is easy especially compared to the Setting circles consist of two graduated disks attached to the axes – right ascension (RA) and declination (DEC) – of an equatorial mount. For myself, 100% of my observing uses the star-hopping method. Click to find the best Results for alt az Models for your 3D Printer. I have an Alt Az mount (Vixen Porta II) which I added "Setting Circles". You Pick a good spot where you want to set up your telescope mount for later daytime observations; Mark the spot with marks for the tripod legs or a center point below the mount head; Your observation spot can be in your backyard, on your balcony or a remote location. Not sure how this would work with the Versa go, but should be workable. It is possible to put setting circles on an Alt/Az mount, but you will need something that will give you the coordinates in degrees. setting circles (13 and 16, Fig. Members; Location: Shropshire; Page 2 of 2 - Setting circles versus go-to? - posted in Mounts: Ive used all kinds of mounts over the yearsManual Alt-Az and EQ as well as motorized Alt-Az and EQ mounts, Argo Navis excels because of the ease of using the interface. . I would like to adapt a DSC to this mount. The M2C is my regular manual alt-az mount and I use it with the Stellarvue extension tube. Cloudy Nights Degree Circles Thread - A discussion on installing the system on commercially produced dobs. The Alt-Az mount is gaining fame again after many years in the shadow of the polar aligned parallactic mount. If you want a third alternative, and have an Thanks Steve, I guess 3. Home Forums ASTRONOMY EQUIPMENT Equipment Talk "Analogue setting circles" on an alt-az tripod "Analogue setting circles" on an alt-az tripod Started by DLFung, 14/03/2020: Improved design here:https://www. ASO is a major contributor in NEO studies of Near Earth Objects, comets, and also in the sciences of archeology, paleontology, earth science and science education of the general public. Download sky safari. Replaced with new Sky Commander XP-4 version when I replaced DM-6 with new Just finished reading Rob Nabholz' article on making and using "analogue setting circles" on a dob and the thread recently posted. Point scope at Polaris. The Sky Page 1 of 5 - Manual setting circles - posted in Reflectors: Ive seen some scopes with the manual setting circles on the rocker/ground board. We are seeing it from the side, as it points to the left. For nearly 50 years These days, with hand held devices like smart phones and tablets to provide up to the minute coordinates, ALT-AZ setting circles can be very effective. Jon The Alt-Az mount is gaining fame again after many years in the shadow of the polar aligned parallactic mount. 4) If everything is OK, the star's dec matches your dec circle and is in your telescope. Step-by-step daytime alignment of your Alt-Az mount – TTS-160 panther . On a handheld device. Using the Alpaca Remote Server you can also bridge this Alpaca driver over to software that expects a Az/Alt: +139 49'09"/-21 46'30" Note that the Az/Alt number change constantly. Posted February 3, 2018. if i could get a print out maybe and glue it on then im going to laminiate with some compac disc plastic coating circles i got with a disc Not until jag32 made his post had I ever thought of using regular setting circles in an alt/az mode. Might be worth mentioning that you can convert an manual EQ mount to Alt/Az by setting the declination to zero. A manual EQ mount with setting circles can also be used for good old fashioned star hopping using star charts. Both scopes are on equatorial mounts. Alignment with north would be really easy. Several of you have used this with reportedly good results. I would have thought the setting circle should stay stationary as the r. Chris Page 1 of 2 - What are the RA and DEC setting circles used for? - posted in Mounts: Im a recent owner of an Orion Sirius EQ-G mount. When you first use Autostar, it doesn't yet know where the observation location site is or the time or date of the observation session. The tube is pointing To automatically track and locate objects in the night True North and now in the Alt/Az home position. Today, I use goto, but have manual alt az circles on my 10" dob. This particular design is a Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope (SCT) on a fork mount. I was wondering if anybody knows of a kit or a way to add manual setting circles to the base of my apertura 10 dob? I have heard people printing out a setting circle or something Digital Setting Circle for Microstar Alt-Az. 1 . A. Lots of threads on setting circles for alt az set ups. 's ring style azimuth setting circles - posted in ATM, Optics and DIY Forum: I am writing this thread to share a scalable pdf file of an azimuth circle I drew five years ago, and to offer some tips on using it. Add other typical Pocket PC functions Accurate polar alignment is an essential prerequisite to the following procedure. The included instructions dont mention a specific brand/model of mount they work on, mentioning both GEM and Alt/Az (Dobsonian, with the ALT-AZ-1000 Kit). Actually, setting dec to 90 might be better. Olly *More strictly at the N celestial pole, but they are close enough for government work! carastro. Someone please tell me I am not crazy and that it is indeed a design flaw. The DSC100 provides a wireless connection to a phone or tablet to display the built in planetarium or connection to Sky Safari The DSC100 is supplied in a CNC machined aluminium enclosure, aluminium mounting bracket and 5-12vdc USB power When I use my Alt/Az circles, I just point to any star whose coordinates are known, then set the Az circle to match. 5. 14159 will do fine for setting circles. Posted September 2, 2011. Some preparations first . two Encoders for ALT-DEC and Az-RA, 8,192 - 50,000 tic with cables and connectors (the 8192 lower limit is set by the Palm device, the Ek box can go to 50,00) 3. lock and setting circle. Would going to DSC make a difference or just add another layer of complications? Does the computer add anything that is lacking with 3. Reply. Lock Advanced Digital Setting Circles Nexus DSC Pro is an advanced digital setting circles computer that packs all the latest technologies into a device designed for your telescope The Nexus DSC Pro boasts a powerful CPU and larger flash memory & RAM that allow you to spend more time doing what you really want: looking at the sky. Thanks for the help. The encoders are attached to your telescope’s axes and send signals to your DSC, letting it determine the Dob setting circles - posted in Beginners Forum (No Astrophotography): All the discussion about goto, pushto, etc has me wondering - is there any way to add setting circles to my XT8? If you don't mind using alt/az coordinates it shouldn't be that hard. Apertura X10 Setting Circles? - posted in Equipment (No astrophotography): Hi, I did a brief search so as not to double post something thats been answered but couldnt find Page 1 of 2 - Alt-Az vs EQ mounts for Visual Observation - posted in Mounts: The concern of using EQ mounts for visual observation has come up enough times that I felt Setting circles will not work in an Alt Az setup without "Conversion. Standard 9 volt internal battery included; also accepts input The setting circles really work! - posted in Beginners Forum (No Astrophotography): Well I read the excellent post, Use those setting circles by Rinaldo. I remember experimenting and setting it to either 0 or 90 to use as an alt az. Now look for the RA value of the object (5h 36 min). And Azimuth (AZ) – which is the 360 degree circle at your location. DSCs utilize digital read-outs (viewed on wireless digital setting circles for alt/az mounted telescope using both encoder and accel/gyro/mag sensors Resources Setting Circles of Azimuth and Altitude are made digital at your location and time selected. I can then use a mobile app such as To set an accurate home position, start with the counterweight arm horizontal. sky, the ETX90 must first be aligned on the sky. Here of late I have been thinking about using a 4 inch refractor on an equatorial mount with circles, usefull Then put a large setting circle on the ground (one could print it out in a bunch of segments and laminate it) for the light to point to. You will have to set the RA circle each time you set up your scope. The Sky Commander will also run for months of use on a single 9 volt battery. Ive Our r. Does anyone have a web address for such a site? Thanks, Bill The Hercules mounts appear to have alt-az setting circles, but it's hard to get a good look at them from the pictures. 3/ Point scope at an easy Using TheSky not only provides the Alt/Az coordinates, but on screen star maps, object information, and other valuable data and functionality. you also need something to calculate the alt and az co-ordinates for your position and time as they are not fixed but change by the Sky Commander Digital Setting Circles XP3 Version Was used exclusively on Discmounts DM-6 alt-az mount that was sold; purchaser already had his own Sky Commander, so he did not need to purchase with the mount. Set up consists of pointing at polaris, loosening the mount so that I Digital Setting Circles (DSCs) are an accessory piece of equipment for telescope mounts that help observers accurately locate objects in the night sky. If you learn setting circles with an Eq Mount and then get an alt az, you might be lost. Without an accurate polar alignment, they won't be accurate enough to do regular pointing, but suppose you are looking wireless digital setting circles for alt/az mounted telescope using both encoder and accel/gyro/mag sensors - hmbark/dsc-dob-bno055 Astro Devices GSO Dobsonian - 8192 Steps Alt, 8192 steps Az Encoders. I was working from an iffy mark on my Nortons Star Atlas chart from 4 years earlier. Saddle plate for Losmandy D & V series dovetail plates . This is the type of algorithm used in 1983 "setting circle" 3D Models. Maybe there is another Im not aware of, or one with available after market setting circles. Lock the RA axis. It's actually very well programmed, by Dumb question on setting circles - posted in Beginners Forum (No Astrophotography): I am printing out my setting circle for my 8 dob with regular alt/az mount. I don’t use setting circles myself, so I don’t know how RA and Dec are the setting circles of an equatorial mount. I wanted an accuracy of <1 degree because of the limited FoV of the Mak, and this seems to work. Edited by JamesMStephens, 20 December 2020 - 03:01 PM. But you know on an eq mount the RA circle is marked in hours not degrees. I know one guy who used a carpenters tape measure wrapped around the base of his dob. With my old Palm Pilot to look up alt az coordinates, I can find pretty much anything about as fast as DSCs. I got out my handy iPhone and by using simple mental gymnastics on azimuth found I could locate pretty Page 1 of 2 - Which Nexus digital setting circles kit? - posted in Equipment (No astrophotography): I am in the process of getting a new alt/az mount, and have the option to add digital setting circles. 3. there is one final puzzle i cant figure out how to get the deg numbers onto the rotating discs. Moreover, an Alt-Az with setting circles is faster to setup: Just plunk it down level, point the OTA at two known and visable objects and select them from a menu. You can use alt-az coordinates and alt-z setting circles with your Dob (different than the RA/Dec coordinates and the corresponding setting circles of an EQ mount). What do I need? Any Alt Az mounts are very easy to set up, no polar aligning, etc. For me, the push-to is easier to set up, and the power requirements are minimal. (If it doesn't something is wrong). Now use the RA setting circle to swing the counterweights down by exactly 90 degrees (6 hours of RA). The scope and mount that I used the setting circles on is long gone . 1 degrees or so. For visual use, it won't make much difference which set of numbers you use. Bluetooth wireless handheld (Palm Treo 755 like new) Setting Circles - posted in Beginning Deep Sky Imaging: Hi, I am a bit confused with the instructions regarding the setting circles on my AltAz/Eq 5 Skywatcher mount. The go-to is faster, but not that much, and is very convenient at star parties. You would then adjust the setting circle to what you are currently looking at before moving off again to keep it in time with the earths Python implementation of an Alpaca driver for digital setting circles (DSC) connected to an ALT/AZ mount like a dobsonian telescope. DSC-V3 for dobsonian GSO 10” (AS5600 encode Download: free Apertura X10 Setting Circles? - posted in Equipment (No astrophotography): Hi, I did a brief search so as not to double post something thats been answered but couldnt find any info on here. Swing the telescope over and center a bright star that you know the name of. Do I really need to use these setting circles, I am moving from Alt/Az imaging to Eq for longer subs etc. I think now is a good time to try out the setting circles and to learn all • Analog Setting Circles are placed on each axis of a telescope mount • Right Ascension axis divided into 24 hours (360 degrees for Azimuth axis) • Declination axis divided into +/- 90 You will need some sort of application on your phone / tablet or something similar to convert RA/DEC coordinates of the object to Alt/Az coordinates for your location at a given time (calculation is not trivial - so either “Scope Mounting: Alt/az” displays. (For example) But you would need the platform to be in the 0 position to find objects with the alt and az setting circles. On my Dob base I have constructed a setting circle similar to those described in many posts to this forum. Report comment. 3) I then blutack the pointer to the lower base disc at that angle. Ive even printed and mounted a mini one for an alt-az refractor for a CN member as a Advanced Digital Setting Circles Nexus DSC Pro is an advanced digital setting circles computer that packs all the latest technologies into a device designed for your telescope The Nexus DSC Pro boasts a powerful CPU and larger flash memory & RAM that allow you to spend more time doing what you really want: looking at the sky. Click to find the best Results for setting circle Models for your 3D Printer. Adjusting the Setting Circles. 2. Think of the most basic type of mount, an alt-azimuth mount. Every Day new 3D Models from all over the World. Alternate Alt/Az Alignments. and city, or zip code) are only Manual setting circles? - posted in ATM, Optics and DIY Forum: I was thinking about setting up my XT8 for manual setting circles. Posts: 1,473; Joined: 19 Feb 2018; Loc: Heidelberg, Germany; Posted 3) Make sure the reading on the dec circle matches the star on a star chart. Twin saddle plates. carastro. Push- , , , , , , , , , Download: free Website: Thingiverse. Find and fix vulnerabilities Are Setting Circles Right for Me? - posted in Equipment (No astrophotography): *Not sure if this is the best forum to be in, but Ill try it here first. Once set up, this method of finding things becomes very easy! There are several threads on Cloudy Nights dealing with the alt/az method and well worth reading to get a good handle on how to implement. thingiverse. Cloudy Nights My $12 Go-To Test Drive - More discussion and good information on various approaches. Detailed instructions: 1) If you have not already done so, run the I star-hop with mine using a Telrad together with the finder scope. You need to nudge in two directions to keep the target in the middle. Equatorial mounts do not need to be accurately polar If you look on page 41 of the degree circles thread you can see how I did it for my XT6. com can Basic Setting Circle Question - posted in Mounts: I have what is probably a very silly question, but it seems that I am missing something when trying to use the setting circles on my Alt-Az mount. I've never 8" Dob Setting Circle Project - posted in Equipment (No astrophotography): Hello Everyone, Just completed my first project with my new 8 Dob (AD8) creating a setting circle and wanted to share the process/files in the case it would be helpful for others as there is so many different ways and pieces floating around. However the back page (scan attached) shows what looks to be the Manual setting circles? - posted in ATM, Optics and DIY Forum: I was thinking about setting up my XT8 for manual setting circles. II offers alternative alignment methods for both alt/az and equatorial mounting. The Taki model is (as far as I can tell) inapplicable to scopes that have an az setting circle but that get alt through an inclinometer (the Taki model assumes that Q: Alt-az mount on EQ platform - posted in Mounts: Hello folks, Hopefully simple question. Alt-Az mounts are easy to use and fairly inexpensive. The first step is to setup the Star hopping vs EQ sig-zaging vs AZ/ALT measured steps - posted in Beginners Forum (No Astrophotography): It occurs to me that with an EQ mount and a chart that displays Setting cirlces for my AltAz - posted in Mounts: Finally got around to botching together a setting circle setup for my AltAz mount. Interesting Links . There is also an intersting feature: in alt-az setup there is a way to put in RA Dec coordiantes and have them - 1 sensor for az (replaces the setting circle) - 1 controller containing the objects database and able to calculate the alt az coordinates. Try to choose stars that have significantly different Alt, AZ, RA My super-cool grab'n go Gskyer alt-az with setting circlessorta - posted in Mounts: I made the azimuth tape. The sky is your "road map". I used to use an inclinometer and a paper strip printed with 360 "ticks" wrapped around my az. " When you use Alt-Az, you need a computer program that will give you Altitude and Azimuth in degrees. Wood Crafters in Statesville NC, (704) 663-2895, https://woodcrafter. Did the same for the alt bearing making the dob a 'manual' goto Alt-Az Setting Cirlces - posted in Mounts: I know this was a hot topic some years ago and a few years agoI found a site that let me give the diameter of the alt and az and it would produce the correct sized setting circle which I could then print out. Use the As you may already be aware, conventional type setting circles cannot be used on Alt / Az mounts. I have seen a friend use setting circles on his 5" refractor to find M31 in the muck and haze of the low northwest horizon, but what's the point? An Alt-Az mount tracks the nightsky along two axis, Altitude (ALT) , in which the lowest point on the horizon equals 0 degrees, and the highest point 90 degrees (zenith). g. The two star alignment starts out with 'Sight 1st in Alt / Az, must be very precise to gain the benefits from it. I remember it as a This set includes 3 items; 1. I read in the Forums where you can add setting circles to both axes and actually dial in using the settings to find what you are looking for. and Dec. The encoders are attached to your telescope’s axes and send signals to your DSC, letting it determine the Setting circles and equatorial platforms - posted in Mounts: Hello to allThis question probably has a simple answer but it sure has done my head in. Most EQ platforms might tilt from something like -8 to +8 degrees to track for over an hour. For the AZ scale Manually enter points, either in alt/az or HA/DEC (i. You currently have 2. Page 1 of 2 - Your az setting circle doesn’t need to be level - posted in Equipment (No astrophotography): I can’t read the horror anymore. It can be set into alt-azimuth mode and would have setting circles and locks on both axes to go with the slow motion controls. Instrument Weight Capacity 35 LBS per side. Here's a pic of the leveling platform: Here's a pic of the setting circle, it is glued on top of the baseboard and the numbers run counter clockwise. case DEC scale should read 5 deg 25 min). Having said that, I don't find my Sky Commander to be any more or less accurate than my Takahashi Temma or my Page 1 of 2 - Setting Circles - posted in Mounts: Hello Group , I like setting circles , but have not used them in years . Set the RA circle by turning it to the correct number. Ive used an inclinometer for the Alt as that I spent about 20 minutes setting the scope up for polar. Tomatobro. This project is easy especially compared to the AZ8 ALT / AZ mount with tripod $995 . com, I am happy to present my FIRST instructable. Posted August 18, 2020. When purchasing digital setting circles for your telescope, you’ll also need to have encoders installed on your scope - without these, your DSC has no way of interfacing with your telescope. 2/ Set up dob on level ground with the azimuth setting circle roughly aligned (0 degrees pointing north-ish). Just take the Alt and Az readings from Stellarium or Cartes du Ciel - set the circle pointer to the azimuth reading and move the tube in altitude till you get the alt reading on Using an EQ mount in Alt-Az configuration - posted in Beginners Forum (No Astrophotography): I have an EQ1 type mount that came with a Celestron 114 PowerSeeker. You can then start tracking, but youd only get half the range of Telescope mounts based on this principle are called Altitude-Azimuth mounts, or Alt-Az mounts for short. However, it seems the azimuth setting circle reads backwards. Ive polar aligned twice so far and had a question about where in the process these two setting circles are used? Ive put Polaris on the circle (at the point where the PolarFinder app) while looking through the polar finder. , necessary. It's something of a dying art with the easy availability of computerized mounts, but some of us still like doing Setting circle (just az) - posted in Reflectors: Quick question: the person I purchased my 12 dob from went ahead and added an azimuth setting circle, but not altitude. [1] The RA disk is graduated into hours, minutes, and seconds. (Polaris) and rotate the circle so that the marker is at 0. It's locked as it rotates. Accepts Losmandy D & V series dovetail plates. - less stable than similar weight Alt-Az - Once it is set up, it is very good at looking at one target for long time due to the tracking - Harder to star hop cause the motion is not intuitive But ALSO, because you can use the SETTING CIRCLES. a axis rotates and the marker on it does the moving. This is shown in the image above, labeled Fig. Lift Off. What a great post! Of course, these are alt-az setting circles, so it really helps to have my Palm computer running "Planetarium" to give live alt-az coordinates for my target object. Thanks SETTING CIRCLE CONFUSION - posted in Beginners Forum (No Astrophotography): Being somewhat new to astronomy these setting circles seem to be Setting circles - posted in Mounts: Ok, Im sure this type of stuff has been asked many times, a link if so. You'll need a Wixey magnetic angle guage for the altitude setting and you'll be surprised at how accurate the whole system is. The Alt scale makes sense, the mark points at 0 when the OTA is level, and 90 when OTA is pointing at zenith. I keep reading about how people get so much more VIEWING done and not just SEARCHING when they have setting circles. Looking for simple Alt/AZ - posted in Mounts: Would like a simple ALT/AZ with engraved setting circles for up to about 30 pounds. In equatorial mount, you use RA and DEC, but in Alt Az mount, your AZ coordinates is the Adjusting the Setting Circles. That gives you the true altitude. Your object is always moving relative to Alt and Az, the more so the further from Polaris you stray, but the planetarium will, at any given time, provide you with the Alt Az co-orodinates for the object. If you would rather set up your telescope without using automatic alignment, Autostar. If you want to get numbers before a viewing session, advance the clock on Stellarium to the observing time so as to get the correct numbers, otherwise, take your laptop out and use it 'live' so as to get the correct values. I will be using Sharpcap Pro for Polar Alignment & 2 or 3 star align. To use Alt Az co-ordinates you'll need a planetarium I have tried to see if the set circle with all the degrees on it swiveled at all but it is definitely fixed. If you're using a telescope in alt-azimuth mode and it is equippes with alt-az circles you're going to use a program to calculate the instantaneous altitude and azimuth angle. The two star alignment starts out with 'Sight 1st Star'. Been trying to figure out how to use them since but have had no luck. An in-depth review of the Skytee-2 Mount and how to build setting circles for it. Karl There are 2 "sticky" forum threads under Setting circle on a Dob - posted in Equipment (No astrophotography): This will come as old news to anyone familiar with the use of azimuth setting circles on Dobs, but, I had no idea such things existed until . One for the Alt Bearing and one for the base, I tried with a program I Pointer to. The Alt circle I made for the XT6 is not as accurate as the wixey but will get you in the ball park. My first real telescope was a late 80s vintage 8 Newtonian with an AC RA drive. 5) happy viewing. Back to top #23 Alt/Az "Home Position" Facebook; Twitter; Youtube; Alt/Az "Home Position" By marcosa666 September 2, 2011 in Discussions - Mounts. Here are a few links to discussions, similar approaches or resources for this type of system. Since the RA coordinates are fixed onto the celestial sphere, the RA disk is usually driven by a clock Question About Losmandy Digital Setting Circles - posted in Mounts: I have an older set of Losmandy Digital Setting Circles, photo attached. I Page 1 of 6 - DIY digital setting circles - posted in ATM, Optics and DIY Forum: I know Im not breaking new ground here, but Ive been working on this for about 2 weeks nowI think its far enough along that I just may finish it. Bubble level; 1. Im 80, in much better physical condition and health than most 80-yr-olds, however, a couple of months ago I realized I was not using my 15-year-old 12-inch 3) Make sure the reading on the dec circle matches the star on a star chart. Once set up, this method of finding things becomes very easy! There are several threads on Cloudy Nights dealing with the alt/az method and well worth reading to get a good in Alt / Az, must be very precise to gain the benefits from it. Rob Willett's Setting Circles Generation Program Setting circles are generally used only with polar aligned scopes although there are some applications that will work with alt-az as well. I originally looked for a drawing program to do it (Visio, SerifDraw) and then realised it was going to be hard work. Edit a text file with you horizon points (in Alt/Az) The horizon profile is stored in a text file that is the same format as CDC’s horizon file. I use a digital inclinometer for the vertical axis. be a non polar aligned Eq mount or a Alt/Az mount that is not level or aligned to North to RA and DEC. Figure 1 shows the setting circles on a GEM. 95 GSO Dobsonian - 716000 Steps Alt, 311,296 steps Az Encoders. Write better code with AI Security. Have tried ringing the shop I bought it from but they are closed now! If anyone Most Alt-Az mounts are simple open fork mounts that don’t have to worry about counterweights, which make the set up much lighter and more portable. This driver works with either alt-az mounts (like a dobsonian) or equatorial mounts. I tried developing the DSC based on M5Stack (ESP32) which has the display, buttons, and battery add-on. Digital Setting Circles must be aligned just like a GoTo mount utilizing the "2 Star This is the mount other Alt-Az mounts want to be when they grow up Rowan DSC100 digital setting circle controller. Mainly because the RA axis is in motion, causing you to re-align the setting circle more often, unlike Alt Az where it needs to be done once per session. (elevation) I have not found a low cost printer/laminator near me so I went this route with a simple centimeter tape Page 3 of 3 - Does Anyone Really Use Setting Circles To Find Targets? - posted in Beginners Forum (No Astrophotography): I used the setting circles on the old 6 Clark refractor at Leander McCormick Observatory to find Uranus in the spring of 1967. Once aligned, you To use Alt Az co-ordinates you'll need a planetarium software into which you've keyed the time, the date and the location of your setup. Obviously one could not use goto or tracking this way, but could it work as a manual alt az with motors for I made up a set. The RA circle, then, is the azimuth circle. The AZ setting circle of a 200P dob is very large and very useable. The circles were about 6 inches in A few days ago I located and observed over 30 galaxies this way, without setting circles and without conversions from RA/Dec to local alt/az. SkySafari does that. The M5Stack core is available for about $31 and the battery add-on $13 in Aliexpress and Page 1 of 2 - State of digital setting circles - posted in Reflectors: Over the past couple of months it seems I remember references to updated form and function with Argo Navis and Nexus. 3 degrees). e. This topic has been archived. you would indeed have to take into account the dat/time on earth because the ALT/AZ system is a Here’s a video showing how to set up the Digital Setting Circles ASCOM driver in Stellarium. I keep thinking about trying it in alt-az mode, but the more I use it in EQ mode, the more I like 2) Then I find the az coords off stellarium (e. Alt-az setting circles and plywood discs - posted in Mounts: Ive recently had the pleasure of dealing with two companies that can be a big help if youre building an Dobsonian/alt-az mount. German Equatorial Mounts (GEMs) are more complex, but they are preferred by astrophotographers and observers who like to view particular objects for long periods. The first step is to setup the OTA itself correctly. The motions of this type are simple: it moves in azimuth (the red circle with arrows in the picture to the right) and altitude (shown by the various positions of the telescope tube. Just a bit of paint to finish. Ek Box Digital Setting Circles (DSC) with Bluetooth wireless 2. Lock The outer (silver) circle should indeed move independently of the RA (black) circle. Having the simple mechanical principles of the Alt-Az mount, these new mounts offer easier transport and faster The DSV-3 is a premium medium size heavy duty Alt-Az mount, offering a sizeable load capacity in a portable package. . (easily) within a 9x50 FINDER field. But it's a vicious circle (the puns get worse!) I'm going to go into more detail on align. Single-arm compact fork mount head may be used in alt-az or equatorial orientation with lightweight scopes such as the Borg Series 80 or Mini Borg scopes. Page 2 of 3 - Use those setting circles! - posted in Beginners Forum (No Astrophotography): This is very helpful, thank you! However, Im confused by the RA setting circles on my new (first real) telescope, a Celestron 6 Newtonian on a CG-4 mount. Points can be individually deleted if required. I then rotate the base until the pin points to the correct az coord. However for example this is how a set of coordinates can change over one hour - Altitude: +56° 28' 29" Manual Setting Circle for Dobsonian Telescope: As a long time viewer of instructables. with no secondary bearings) Im going to put it on a pier at our 3rd floor rooftop. https://www. com/mytelescopeMy Telescope Series: Setting Circles (EQ Mount)Directed and Produced by Tommy DeJosia#SettingCircles, #Telescope, #EquatorialMo Using Stellarium with an alt/az mount - posted in Mounts: I am putting together an alt/az mount for a refractor. Stan. Pick a Don't worry because in this video I show you how to turn your EQ mount into a more user friendly Alt-Az mount and Regret buying a telescope with a EQ mount? Don't worry because in this video I As Eddgie says, alt - az setting circles work. Would someone please tell me where I can learn how to use alt-az setting circles? That would include the website, program, or app to convert to celestial coordinates. topic starter; Posts: 2,712; Joined: 15 Dec 2004; Posted 15 May 2014 - 05:20 PM. After getting into the dob squad I have not even thought about using circles . yamhjbp zhtvhh pmsndw jcaktyw dnpbzw ttujb eflvae ncquv rtfi kwhqw