I'm new so please excuse the ignorance. I want to calibrate the mechanical declination setting circle with the mount, on an Orion SkyView Pro mount. I'm using an IntelliScope Upgrade Kit so am instructed to first view a high object 1/4 mile away and go through a series of steps. My question is, does it matter which direction from the scope the tall object is? Instructions talk about scope pointing to the western sky but is that relevant during this initial daytime mount calibration? I can easier use an object that is to the east. Thanks. Kevin
Orion IntelliScope Upgrade Kit inital position cal
Started by droutdoors, 04/06/2007 04:56PM
Posted 04/06/2007 04:56PM
Opening Post
Posted 04/07/2007 02:37AM
| Edited 04/07/2007 02:38AM
#1
Kevin: I'm going to try to answer your question with reference to the Instruction Manual for the SkyView Pro Intelliscope Upgrade Kit that I have; it is dated 12/05 on the lower right hand corner of its front page, and if yours is a different edition don't pay any attention to the following answer:
If I understand your question correctly, you are calibrating your mount in accordance with Orion's instructions under the heading "Making the Dec=0º Reference Mark" and you are asking whether the distant object mentioned in paragraph 2 of those instructions must be in the western sky. I believe the answer is no, because under paragraph 3 of those instructions you will lift the entire mount to bring the target object -- wherever it is -- into your field of view and to center it there without adjusting the right ascension or declination. This process ultimately serves to make the telescope tube parallel to the mount's polar axis when the declination circle is set to 90º after the reference mark that you will etch on the mount's casting (see paragraph 15 of those instructions) is aligned with the 0º mark on the declination circle. Later on, when you get ready to align the telescope for astronomical viewing, you will set it up so that it does in fact point toward the west when its setting circle is at this 0º declination position; see the instructions on the next page (page 8)under "Aligning the Intelliscope Object Locator."
I have been very pleased with the performance of this digital setting circle device, and I hope you will enjoy it too.
If I understand your question correctly, you are calibrating your mount in accordance with Orion's instructions under the heading "Making the Dec=0º Reference Mark" and you are asking whether the distant object mentioned in paragraph 2 of those instructions must be in the western sky. I believe the answer is no, because under paragraph 3 of those instructions you will lift the entire mount to bring the target object -- wherever it is -- into your field of view and to center it there without adjusting the right ascension or declination. This process ultimately serves to make the telescope tube parallel to the mount's polar axis when the declination circle is set to 90º after the reference mark that you will etch on the mount's casting (see paragraph 15 of those instructions) is aligned with the 0º mark on the declination circle. Later on, when you get ready to align the telescope for astronomical viewing, you will set it up so that it does in fact point toward the west when its setting circle is at this 0º declination position; see the instructions on the next page (page 8)under "Aligning the Intelliscope Object Locator."
I have been very pleased with the performance of this digital setting circle device, and I hope you will enjoy it too.
NexStar 8i SCT, Orion 80ED APO refractor, Orion 120 mm EQ refractor, 3.5-inch Questar
Funding Member
