Quote:
Originally Posted by ZeroID
Solar Noon and a plumb bob will get you true south. Of course you need sunshine ...  a rare commodity these days.
Them make a simple inclinometer, a disk, wood or anything with a protractor scale with a weighted indicator to place on you mount head for the polar axis and adjust it for your latitude. Mine is 36.7 degrees and I use the inclinometer app on my Android Tablet.
A good idea is to mark out a spot for your tripod where you normally set it up with three paint marks or similar so you place the tripod in the same place everytime. Mine is on the driveway out front with a good view south. I've also set up a level base plate that I put down first so I am pretty close to on SCP target before I do any checks and minor tweaks.
So far it has worked well, enough that when I get guiding to work there will be little need to fiddle with it. 
Having a good 'setup system' makes for quicker and easier setups with less frustrations for sure. |
Thanks Brent. Handy info. In my backyard, i have laid my pavers on the diagonal and by chance it just so happens the paver line runs true south or that close to it. So that is my guide initially, i face the N marked on the mount to true south( following the paver line) level the mount then fail from there haha.
I have an inclinometer on the Ipad so i can use that. It will be good to finally get at least the ALT set...one less problem to deal with
then eliminate the rest from there. There have been time where i have been reasonably close and get very slow drift, but in my confusion i end up making the wrong adjustments and it all goes to hell in a handbasket
Thanks for the info and the response.
EDIT- upon using the inclinometer more than just having the bubble move(now its reading the degrees under more tilt) i think this is going to work well. By just a quick view, the mount appears to be out by 4 degrees. I like learnering new thingies!
