How do I set my DEC=0 for great alignments?
I'm just back from the Winter Star Party and it was great. I had good
observing for at least 4-5 hour on 3 nights, clear but breezy all of
one night, and great for all of 2 nights.
However, I noticed that I am getting inconsistent alignments.
I am using a Tangent Box (Orion Discovery MIII ver. 3.66) with a GEM. I
use a reticle eyepiece to center my guide stars. On some nights,
using Castor and Sirius as my 2 stars - I get Warps of 0.0, and I was
Bang-On with ALL my objects, even when I have to flop over the tube.
I then left my scope without moving it, later do a restart of the DSC,
resetting DEC=0 and the Guide Stars.
I am sometimes then off with my Warp and my objects are just around my
view, not Bang-On. The ONLY thing that changed was the DEC=0 adjustment!
It MUST be the DEC=0 set-up.
I, usually, get Polaris in my eyepiece (Not the reticle one - it's far
too hard to do this) for my Polar Alignment and adjust my latitude
pivot and my azimuth rotation close enough for adequate visual
tracking.
I rotate my DEC setting circles, with my RA at the top of travel, and
the DEC parallel to the RA, and set for 90 degrees!
I then rotate the tube declination east, till the analog setting
circles read 0 degrees.
Then I set my DEC=0 on my DIII.
My first star MUST be in the east (Castor), then Sirius.
Is there a way to use a bubble level, as in the Dob, or Alt-Az mounts to get a consistent accurate DEC=0?????
I would like to have something less subjective, and more accurate,
than the couple of degree errors inherent with my preliminary DEC=0
set-up.
How can I do it?
Thanks.
Mike .....>
I'm just back from the Winter Star Party and it was great. I had good
observing for at least 4-5 hour on 3 nights, clear but breezy all of
one night, and great for all of 2 nights.
However, I noticed that I am getting inconsistent alignments.
I am using a Tangent Box (Orion Discovery MIII ver. 3.66) with a GEM. I
use a reticle eyepiece to center my guide stars. On some nights,
using Castor and Sirius as my 2 stars - I get Warps of 0.0, and I was
Bang-On with ALL my objects, even when I have to flop over the tube.
I then left my scope without moving it, later do a restart of the DSC,
resetting DEC=0 and the Guide Stars.
I am sometimes then off with my Warp and my objects are just around my
view, not Bang-On. The ONLY thing that changed was the DEC=0 adjustment!
It MUST be the DEC=0 set-up.
I, usually, get Polaris in my eyepiece (Not the reticle one - it's far
too hard to do this) for my Polar Alignment and adjust my latitude
pivot and my azimuth rotation close enough for adequate visual
tracking.
I rotate my DEC setting circles, with my RA at the top of travel, and
the DEC parallel to the RA, and set for 90 degrees!
I then rotate the tube declination east, till the analog setting
circles read 0 degrees.
Then I set my DEC=0 on my DIII.
My first star MUST be in the east (Castor), then Sirius.
Is there a way to use a bubble level, as in the Dob, or Alt-Az mounts to get a consistent accurate DEC=0?????
I would like to have something less subjective, and more accurate,
than the couple of degree errors inherent with my preliminary DEC=0
set-up.
How can I do it?
Thanks.
Mike .....>
