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Old 01-03-2020, 03:00 PM
Dobbs (Anthony)
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16" lightbridge setting circle movement

Hi All,

With the era of nappies coming to an end (the kids, not mine) I am keen to get the scope back out.

I have long wanted push to functionality for my lightbridge and was lucky enough find the setting circle pdf on here in another thread. Thank you kind sir.

I am semi-skilled, i added wheels and handles last weekend without messing it up (or hurting myself) and have the setting circle in place and trimmed the base so the setting circle is visible.

However now i am stuck. I have no idea how to get the setting circle to move independently from the scope to allow for azimuth calibration (with the rockerbox and scope in place)?

I should also note that i removed the teflon pads from the outer edge, so currently all the weight is on the lazy susan bearing (and the setting circle). I tried a washer, then a cd, between the bearing and the setting circle, perhaps unsurprisingly, neither worked.

Next step may be to cut out some of the sections of the setting circle and put the teflon pads back on the base plate (like here). This will mean limited adjustment to the setting circle, but may lift some of the weight off of it.

I am intending to replace the azimuth bearing altogether (will ask for guidance in separate post), but I was hoping someone could provide me with a quick (one trip to bunnings) kind of fix free up the setting circle in the interim?

Thanks for your help,

Ant
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Old 01-03-2020, 03:05 PM
Dobbs (Anthony)
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Perhaps putting the setting circle above the bearing?
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Old 01-03-2020, 03:09 PM
Dobbs (Anthony)
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Thought an image might help.
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Old 01-03-2020, 03:16 PM
glend (Glen)
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Ok never mind

Last edited by glend; 01-03-2020 at 08:07 PM.
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Old 01-03-2020, 03:47 PM
Dobbs (Anthony)
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Thanks Glen.

Being glued to the base means that your setting circle would be unable to be moved to calibrate the azimuth setting and you need to align your scope each time?

I am trying to find a way to avoid having to align the whole base each time i take it out. I'd like to find a solution that allows me to:
  1. Roughly point it north
  2. Point the scope at something bright
  3. Look up the azimuth on skysafari/stellarium
  4. Adjust the setting circle and stick it down.
  5. Get observing

Thanks again for your help,

Ant
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Old 07-03-2020, 09:06 AM
Dobbs (Anthony)
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Anyone looking for ideas should check out

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/6...egree-circles/
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  #7  
Old 03-05-2020, 07:11 AM
astro744
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Perhaps not as cheap as a trip to Bunnings (although some would argue with that as I always find something to buy I didn't know I needed), have a look at the Nexus-II in combination with the suitable high resolution magnetic encoders made for the Lightbridge in a kit by Astrodevices.

See https://www.astrodevices.com/shop/in...an+Encoder+Kit

and https://www.astrodevices.com/Product...sII/index.html

This system works really well on my AZ-8. The only other thing you need is an iPad/iPhone and SkySafari 6 pro (or other version that connects to a telescope).

Having a moving map with a target on the screen showing where the telescope is pointed is for me the ultimate in push-to. I used this system last weekend finding Sirius and Rigel in the daytime with the sun up (mid afternoon) using an ED80. I did a one star alignment to help find Venus (which isn't to hard as its naked eye). I then used Venus as a second 'star' aligament. I found Sirius in the field of a low power eyepiece on first attempt just using the moving map and likewise with Rigel.

Ironically I tend not to use the system at night as I prefer to find things manually using the Uranometria atlas and a dim red torch. I'm definitely not a GOTO person but Push-to and a moving map is fun and it's nice to know where objects are by looking at a chart rather than just letting the telescope find it for you.
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