Luddite needs help

[rowan46]

Being a portage astronomer everything has to be carried. I am looking to ditch some of the weight and to this end It looks like I am being dragged kicking and screaming into whatever century we are currently in. Its my map case thats the problem it weighs about 4kg including laminated maps.

I have been reading about ways to navigate and one idea that I find interesting is an azimuth circle and digital inclinometer I believe dobs have been using them for years. To this end I have printed and laminated my circle found a way of attatching my inclinometer and now now need a computer to handle the calculations from ra to alt az. I have in the past toyed with getting a phone but ultimately the problem with phones is that people ring you if you have one.

So I thought about getting a nexus 7 tablet it does have the required gps I have a compass for calculating north. So what (app?) is required to navigate the sky and turn ra into alt /az coordinates? I notice that stellarium has this function on pc does the app have the same capability or is there something better?

Of course once I have ditched this weight it should free me up to be able to carry more eyepieces

[Peter Drew]

People can only phone you if you give them your number.

[knobby]

Several apps give the co ords of objects, ranging from free, Google sky... Skeye , to a few quid, sky safari, mobile observatory.

I like sky safari which has a few levels / prices

Good luck

[rowan46]

People can only phone you if you give them your number.

Then who is Dave from Delhi and Mary from Manilla? why do they keep offering me payday loans. compensation for accidents I never had and asking me to do surveys. Its bad enough getting these calls at home I do not want them whilst settling down to look for fuzzies.