Altitude & azimuth calibrations, free to good homes.

[richardda1st (Richard)]

Attention moderators, is this OK. Any suggestions?

If anyone is looking for or trying to make altitude & azimuth calibrations, I'm more than happy to draw them up for you using your design/details/size.

As a draftsman I can draw them up to scale using a cad program (licensed software). I will save them as a pdf file and attach them to this post for you and anyone else to download as you/they please.

Can you state the brand name of your dob as others may like to use it as well.

You can take this pdf file to a printing firm and have it printed full size and laminated.


Mine works well, see attachment. Although I use a Wixey digital angle gauge for the altitude.

Richard

ps
Can you please indicate with a post if you use any of these files.

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

Beautiful work Richard.

[richardda1st (Richard)]

Originally Posted by [1ponders]

Beautiful work Richard.

Well thank you Paul.

I think that maybe the crowd is more into the electronic digital versions.

[Rod]

Hi Richard,

Yes that does look great! I would love to take you up on your offer as I am making a travelscope to take away with me to the NT in 3 weeks - nearly finished but this is one detail I would love to add. I have a wixey too for altitude but could use an azimuth circle like yours that was 340mm in diameter. Is that something you could do?

Thanks,

Rod.

[mercedes_sl1970]

Very nicely done.

Andrew

[richardda1st (Richard)]

Hi Rod, it's my pleasure. Please find your file attached to the first post.
Have a close look at it and let me know if you need to change anything.
Let us know how it goes.

Thanks Andrew, but it's the cad software that does a good job.

Cheers
Richard

[DavidU (Dave)]

That's beautiful work Richard ! I really like the font.
I must measure up my 12" Dob and see what's required.

[richardda1st (Richard)]

Hi Dave, I'll be looking out for it.

Can you state the brand name of your 12"dob as others may like to use it as well.

[Rod]

Originally Posted by richardda1st

Hi Rod, it's my pleasure. Please find your file attached to the first post.
Have a close look at it and let me know if you need to change anything.
Let us know how it goes.

Thanks Andrew, but it's the cad software that does a good job.

Cheers
Richard

Thank you very much Richard,

I've been wanting to get one of these for a while. I'll get it laminated and let you know how it goes.

Rod.

[JethroB76 (Jeff)]

These work really well, I had a wixey for my alt too, although it wasnt a great fan of the cold.

[richardda1st (Richard)]

Hi Jethro

Yes the wixey is good, I don't have any trouble with it in the cold.
I would like the digits to be twice as big with a back light.

I have read and heard that you don't have to level the dob base when using the wixey as it will read the actual angle so long as it's zeroed correctly. I still level the base, otherwise the azimuth will not be spot on. The scope will be at the right altitude but will be tilted away in the azimuth, the worst case is when the scope is at right angles to the slope. I Suppose it all depends on how close you want to get. I like testing my self by trying to get my target in view with my 11mm plossl. Very satisfying when it happens. My 26mm wide angle is often used to rescue me when I miss.

I see that you have made it easy for yourself by using an Argo Navis.
If my interest doesn't wain I may consider one myself but it would have to follow an upgrade to my scopes mirrors.

Cheers
Richard

[JethroB76 (Jeff)]

Yes, I never bothered about levelling the base (it was reasonably level where I always used it but I never once checked it), all I did was zero the Wixey with a spirit level and got very acurate results.
The AN came along as a B'day/Xmas gift but also through my desire for a more self contained unit so I didnt need a laptop out in the field.

[Visionoz (Bill)]

Richard

I noticed that the readouts (degrees) are in a clockwise manner; my query is if there is any reason why it should not be anti-clockwise instead? Just a noob with a 12" SW FlexDob tussling with the idea of using the az scale - and where can you purchase the Wixey (the USA mob doesn't want to ship international as they say they are too busy!!)

TIA
Cheers
Bill

Originally Posted by richardda1st

Attention moderators, is this OK. Any suggestions?

If anyone is looking for or trying to make altitude & azimuth calibrations, I'm more than happy to draw them up for you using your design/details/size.

As a draftsman I can draw them up to scale using a cad program (licensed software). I will save them as a pdf file and attach them to this post for you and anyone else to download as you/they please.

Can you state the brand name of your dob as others may like to use it as well.

You can take this pdf file to a printing firm and have it printed full size and laminated.


Mine works well, see attachment. Although I use a Wixey digital angle gauge for the altitude.

Richard

[JethroB76 (Jeff)]

You should be able to get the Wixey gauge off Ebay - probably out of the UK, for about $50

[richardda1st (Richard)]

Originally Posted by Visionoz

Richard

I noticed that the readouts (degrees) are in a clockwise manner; my query is if there is any reason why it should not be anti-clockwise instead? Just a noob with a 12" SW FlexDob tussling with the idea of using the az scale - and where can you purchase the Wixey (the USA mob doesn't want to ship international as they say they are too busy!!)

TIA
Cheers
Bill

Hi Bill

Not sure if I'm understanding you query correctly.
North is zero and east is to the right at 90degrees and so on.
Looking down at the calibrations this is clockwise.

As Jethro said, try eBay I did and found a supplier in England.

[mental4astro (Alexander)]

Please excuse my ignorance, but is there some program to convert sky co-ordinates to alt/az? Would prove most useful then.

I've got my alt. bearings with an 800mm diameter! Nothing subtle here! The azimuth bearing will need to have the ground board extended to expose it. No big deal, but doable.

[Rod]

Hi Alex,

Most planetarium programs I know of give object positions in both RA and Dec as well as alt and az coordinates. There are planetariums to suit PDAs, computers and phones.

You don't need a bigger ground board- just cut out a notch in the rocker so the numbers are visible like shown here:

http://www.homebuiltastronomy.com/Ma...ingCircles.htm

Rod.

[JethroB76 (Jeff)]

RTGUI is also a good option for realtime altaz

[mental4astro (Alexander)]

[richardda1st (Richard)]

Hi Alex,

I'm using starmappro on an iPod, works really well. An 800mm altitude scale, that would give very accurate readings. How about some pics?

Richard