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Hi
Finding objects from the Alt/Azm co-ords is not an easy task because they are continually changing. However with a bit of practice and a conversion RA/Dec to Alt/Azm bearings program it can be done. I did this with my Dobsonian mounted telescope when I first got it
The first thing to do is get accurate scales for the Alt and Azimuth axes. I did this by making these circles in AutoCad and printing them out in as large a scale as I could paste on the associated surfaces.
The Altitude was calibrated by leveling the base and pointing the OTA vertical using a spirit level. A pointer to 90 degrees on the scale was placed on the stationary surface so that I could read off altitude.
The azimuth was calibrated by first locating an object on the horizon at true north by using trigonometry and a compass. The OTA was then swung down and the base moved so that the north object was centered in the eyepiece. I then fixed a pointer to the rotating box that pointed to 0 degrees azimuth.
All the above was done to get the telescope into a position where the true alt/azm could be read out.
From there I used a program I wrote in Basic that converted RA /Dec into Alt/Azm. Most planetarium programs these days will do the same by reading out both RA/Dec and Alt/Azm for the current date/time and location.
Using a wide-angle eyepiece that will give you about a 1 degree FOV you should be able to find most of the well known objects by pointing the OTA to the instantaneous Alt/Azm positions as read off from the computer.
Below are a couple of photos of how I made these scales for my 16” lightbridge
Barry
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