spirit level

Hi folks,
the spirit level on the used scope I bought today is broken.
The mount is
an EQ4. Anywhere where I can get a replacement?

Cheers,
Texy

Originally Posted by Texy

Hi folks,
the spirit level on the used scope I bought today is broken.
The mount is
an EQ4. Anywhere where I can get a replacement?

Cheers,
Texy

Unless its very special wouldn't a similar do from any DIY store?
Nytecam

Texy wrote:
the spirit level on the used scope I bought today is broken.

Contrary to what appears to be a common misconception, the base of an
equatorial mount does not need to be level. The only necessary
conditions for alignment is that the polar axis is parallel to Earth's
axis of rotation.

In other words, the spirit level is a redundant bit of kit.

Best,
Stephen

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"Stephen Tonkin" wrote in message
...
Texy wrote:
the spirit level on the used scope I bought today is
broken.

Contrary to what appears to be a common misconception, the base of an
equatorial mount does not need to be level. The only necessary conditions
for alignment is that the polar axis is parallel to Earth's axis of
rotation.

In other words, the spirit level is a redundant bit of kit.

Best,
Stephen

Remove footfrommouth to reply

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+ Stephen Tonkin | ATM Resources; Astro-Tutorials; Astro Books +
+ (N51.162 E0.995) | http://astunit.com +
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

OK thanks, so as longs as its 'roughly' level, the polar scope is pointed to
Polaris, and the Latitude on the mount is set to my location, I should be
good to go?

Texy

Texy wrote:
OK thanks, so as longs as its 'roughly' level,

Yes,

the polar scope is pointed to Polaris,

Yes. (I assume it has the polar offset incorporated into the reticle?)

and the Latitude on the mount is set to my location,

That is another redundant bit of guff on the mount; it's far too
imprecise to be functional (just like the tiny setting circles). Use it
with a compass and the (also redundant) level, and you can get a very
rough -- as in very very very -- alignment, that is trivial to better
merely by setting the Dec to 90 and eyeballing the pole through the main
scope with a wide-angle eyepiece and guestimating the offset from
Polaris.

Best,
Stephen

Remove footfrommouth to reply

--
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
+ Stephen Tonkin | ATM Resources; Astro-Tutorials; Astro Books +
+ (N51.162 E0.995) | http://astunit.com +
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

"Stephen Tonkin" wrote in message
...
Texy wrote:
OK thanks, so as longs as its 'roughly' level,

Yes,

the polar scope is pointed to Polaris,

Yes. (I assume it has the polar offset incorporated into the reticle?)

and the Latitude on the mount is set to my location,

That is another redundant bit of guff on the mount; it's far too
imprecise to be functional (just like the tiny setting circles). Use it
with a compass and the (also redundant) level, and you can get a very
rough -- as in very very very -- alignment, that is trivial to better
merely by setting the Dec to 90 and eyeballing the pole through the main
scope with a wide-angle eyepiece and guestimating the offset from
Polaris.

Best,
Stephen

No no Stephen, You are obviously not up with the latest theories. Don't you
know that you have to have an electronic compass and leveling system, know
your location with GPS accuracy and your time to millisecond precision to
have any hope of finding anything in the heavens these days ;-)
All that technology just to tell you where your horizon is!

Robin

Robin Leadbeater wrote:
Don't you know that you have to have an electronic compass and leveling
system, know your location with GPS accuracy and your time to
millisecond precision to have any hope of finding anything in the
heavens these days ;-)

That's why I've progressed from telescopes to binoculars... :-)

Best,
Stephen

Remove footfrommouth to reply

--
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
+ Stephen Tonkin | ATM Resources; Astro-Tutorials; Astro Books +
+ (N51.162 E0.995) | http://astunit.com +
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Texy wrote:

OK thanks, so as longs as its 'roughly' level, the polar scope is pointed
to Polaris, and the Latitude on the mount is set to my location, I should
be good to go?

If you do visual observing and don't mind doing some fine adjustment from
time to time, this is OK.

Remember that Polaris is not exactly at the celestial pole, but about 0,75
degree off. If you want it more exact you must learn to use your type of
polar scope (if you don't already). The program found here may help.
http://www.polarfinder.co.uk/

Should you ever need a *very* precise alignment (for deep sky photography)
you can use the drift method. (but you will also need a very good mount and
other things for this to work!) Just google for "polar alignment drift
method". You'll get a lot of hits. Here is one
http://www.darkskyimages.com/gpolar.html

If you use this method it helps to have the mount levelled.

"Iordani" wrote in message
...
Texy wrote:

OK thanks, so as longs as its 'roughly' level, the polar scope is pointed
to Polaris, and the Latitude on the mount is set to my location, I should
be good to go?

If you do visual observing and don't mind doing some fine adjustment from
time to time, this is OK.

Remember that Polaris is not exactly at the celestial pole, but about
0,75
degree off. If you want it more exact you must learn to use your type of
polar scope (if you don't already). The program found here may help.
http://www.polarfinder.co.uk/

Should you ever need a *very* precise alignment (for deep sky photography)
you can use the drift method. (but you will also need a very good mount
and
other things for this to work!) Just google for "polar alignment drift
method". You'll get a lot of hits. Here is one
http://www.darkskyimages.com/gpolar.html

If you use this method it helps to have the mount levelled.

Thanks for those links, I,ve got some reading to do!

Cheers,
Texy