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star adventurer
Where abouts are you? First thing you must do when you use the compass to find True South (180 degrees), is to find out the Magnetic Variation for your location. Either look up on a good map, or google up your location and ask for magnetic variation, as well as your latitude and longitude. If the magnetic variation in your area is X degrees East, then subtract X from 180 and that is the number to point the magnetic needle at. ie if it is 14 degrees East, then get compass needle to point to 180-14=166 deg. When it is pointing to 166 degrees, then the fore and aft marker on compass will be pointing to True South. If your Magnetic variation is 14 deg West, then ADD 14 to 180 - ie 198deg. point needle to 198 and the fore and aft mark will be pointing to True South. I do not know what that inclinomoter is, but you must point the telescope upwards from horizontal the same number of degrees as what your latitude is. My latitude here in TAS is 41 degrees South. I have made up a simple right angled triangle of plywood using high school geometry. One angle in the triangle is equal to my latitude of 41 degrees, one angle is at 90 degrees, and the other angle is 49 degrees (the three angles must add up to 180 degrees). Mark the correct angle! Then I just lay the long side of the triangle on the body of the scope, and get a bubble level and put it on the top of the triangle. Adjust the angle of the telescope until the bubble level shows the top of the triangle is level . Hey presto, your telescope is pointing up at your exact latitude! Hope this helps.
I used the compass feature on my iphone once, and each time I used it, it pointed in a different direction! So beware - best to use a proper magnetic compass.
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