Quote:
Originally Posted by By.Jove
Surely a plumbob - piece of string with a pointy weight at the bottom - would be better than relying on any level to get a true vertical gnomon ? Then it doesn't matter whether the ground is not level, or uneven. If you need to damp it so doesn't swing in a breeze, place a dish of cooking oil or fine sand under the plumbob so the tip drags in it. Even a rock on a piece of string would do.
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The shadow on uneven ground does twist/slant, even a plumbbob will give the same as a stick in the mud. It still has to be better than my align with a neighbours chimney which really isn't even close depending on where I'm standing/plonking down my mount.
I am not in the position to have level ground at the moment, however soon I will bury a deep cube of concrete with 16mm threaded rod welded together to mount a pier I have. It is a rental property but it will only need the rod cut off and a little dirt over the concrete if I ever move out or, a big hole and lots of muscle to remove the cube of concrete (housing department house, they won't mind if I don't tell them (like my second garden shed)).
I was in a hurry today because I want to try out a few cameras a very nice gentleman just gave me. Of course now the sky is totally clouded over so likely not tonight. I still have to build up a compact computer because the old laptop I had died and it appears to be the motherboard (I will eventually get another motherboard for the thing if I can find one-something I do know about and can do properly)
Thank you you Martin!
Great thread which I did find after starting this thread (and put a link to it here), I'm sure it will again help many people.
I had Stellarium on my sons iPad 2 but it's since died, coming in to trying to find solar noon with less than 30 minutes to spare wasn't easy. I expected it would be past 1PM with DLS, no bloody idea.
I have a green laser level I could have used for the correct level of the earth rod (electrical earth stake) but I used a post level for today. I will weld up a 40mm x 3 steel flat bar into an accurate T with holes for the legs (feet) of the mount and stake it to a level patch of ground later in the week, I have the steel, the welding equipment, the tent pegs (the mower should pass right over it and I'll paint the steel with rust proof paint), I just need a day without my complaint (I suffer from chronic cluster migraines on a daily basis and have done so for over 50 years) to get to it. That will be faster than the pier for the moment. I also have a spade and a pick to level the ground.