Digital Inclinometer

[M_Lewis (Mark)]

Try this for just over $70 - picked one up in Brissy from

https://www.machineryhouse.com.au/Pr...stockCode=M978

I have one and it's cheap, 2 decimal places, has absolute, a level bubble and flips the reading depending on which way is up.

I've tried it versus high quality 'very old' inclinometres and it's spot on.

Cheers

Mark

[AndrewJ]

Sorry to reply to such an old thread, but I'm wondering what people's long term experience has been with the digital inclinometers. I'm particularly worried that it will be impractical to use if it turns itself off.

I got one and it remembers its datums, so its no drama.
If it turns off, i just turn it back on.

I have thought of a reasonable alignment procedure. You still need a spirit level

No spirit level reqd, just any surface you can adjust in small increments
( I use the top of the OTA of my Meade scope initially )
Just get the OTA "roughly level"
Place the inclinometer on the barrel and zero it.
Now rotate the inclinometer 180 deg
If its off, take out 1/2 the error using the OTA slomo,
then reset the zero point of the inclinometer.
Rotate the inclinometer 180 deg and repeat
When the barrel is perfectly level, the inclinometer will read zero
when placed either way on the OTA
The level is now set for a perfect datum within 0.1 deg.

Another sneaky trick i have found when going to a place where someone has a well aligned permanent mount ( and you are outside on a tripod )
is go into their observatory and put the level on their wedge.
Reset it to zero
Now go to your wedge and adjust till the level reads zero
Your latitude plate is now within 0.1deg of the pole :-)

Andrew

[Karls48 (Karl)]

My inclinometer still works OK. To set level I float large dinner plate in the bathtub with the meter on top and set it to zero.

[rider]

wouldn't be without one.

We have had two, the bunnings one lasted 6 months, worked great whilst it lasted.
The next one was more expensive and is dead accurate. we got it from a woodworking machinery co. in melbourne. Found them on the net.

both units were about the size of a (fat) match box.

If you get one without an absolute zero degree button and have to teach it to find zero degrees, it can be a pain if the batteries go down and it looses the taught angle.

There is quick fix if you are have to change a battery and want to level a mount without a re-calibration of zero.

1/ set it on a table, press the set zero button, and turn it round 180 degrees.
Real zero will be half the reading. - just add or subtract this number during your mount levelling.

I know this is obvious, but in the middle of the night it might not immediately come to mind, so I thought I'd mention it.

[Paul Haese]

Been using one of these for years now. Very accurate and the zeroing holds for as long as you have a battery in the unit.

I have on numerous occassions seen the guys come down to my house at Clayton, setup and use the Wixy on the latitude (RA axis) angle. Guiding takes up the slack and great images are the result of using it. It also speeds up the polar alignment process too.

Great piece of equipment.

[gb_astro]

This is so pre iPhone!
gb.

[adman (Adam)]

Originally Posted by gb_astro

This is so pre iPhone!
gb.

I have an iphone, and I used it to "level" 2 shelves I was putting up. Both of these shelves slope down to the right....

I now own a digital inclinometer.