Reading Azimuth on a setting circle - help

[stevetynant]

I've created a setting circle on the upper plate of my DOB and use a fixed pointer which is on the floor underneath the first base plate and which doesn't move. I point the scope North - align to Polaris and move the fixed pointer to 0 degrees. When I read on Steallarium Mars for example is 135 degrees - Instead of moving the OTA so the fixed pointer points to 135 on the setting circle I have to count 135 degrees anti clockwise it so it end up on 225 degrees. (360 minus 135) The setting circle numbers run clockwise- Is my mistake I should have set the setting circle numbers up anti clockwise or is this something everyone does?

I was thinking of drilling a hole in the upper base plate to see a circle in between the plates- for the time being I 'm glad I haven't - anyone tell me where I'm going wrong?

cheers

Steve

[Chris Hopson]

Hi Steve,

I've just made a setting circle from shelf edge label strips tonight and stuck it to the top base edge. I'm wondering now, if I should of stuck it to the bottom plate & put the pointer on the top.

Chris

[knobby]

If its on the top the numbers need to be anti clockwise, if its on the bottom, then clockwise.

The beauty of the way you've done it with tape is that it will go on either top or bottom!

Good luck

[stevetynant]

theres a number of ways to achive the end goal here- the beauty of it is though - it does work so worth perservering with.