Digital Setting Circles for my 12" DOB...HELP....

[deepspacehunter]

Can somebody recommend a good set of user friendly Digital Setting Circles to install on my  12" Dob....Thx

Mark

[BeanerSA]

Argo Navis?

http://www.wildcard-innovations.com.au/

[Scooot]

Astro Devices Nexus is excellent.

http://www.astrodevices.com/products/Nexus/Nexus.html

[niallk]

Argo Navis?

http://www.wildcard-innovations.com.au/

+1 Bought mine direct from Oz, with encoder kit for SW 250px. Easy then to switch to my 15" with another encoder hw kit. Great accuracy, super sweet to align <1min, no levelling or anything!

I've no experience of any other system, but just to say - very happy with AN

Does feel like cheating - lots of satisfaction from persisteent hunting to find a new target, but wow it means I see much much more in a short session. Really beginning to love it.

[niallk]

Astro Devices Nexus is excellent.

http://www.astrodevices.com/products/Nexus/Nexus.html

That looks really cool: truth be told I never looked at this option prior to going the AN route.

[Stu]

Having used both AN and the Nexus/SkySafari, I would go Nexus every time. It is so much easier and quicker finding things, particularly more obscure doubles etc

[Scooot]

That looks really cool: truth be told I never looked at this option prior to going the AN route.

I've had the nexus since 2012 and used it on my OO 10" first. It was incredibly accurate and fantastic to view the scope and night sky on an iPad screen and use sky safaris "highlight observing list feature". I've set it up on my Sumerian and again I wouldn't do without it. With the Sumerian the altitude isn't quite so accurate but I know how to allow for minor errors so it's still indispensable. Although I think this is due to my scope rather than the nexus and I'd have the same problem with Argo Navis. I can't work out exactly the problem but I suspect either my altitude encoder isn't exactly in the correct place or the altitude arms aren't perfectly semi circular. As the arms on the Sumerian don't extent to a complete semi circle it's harder to position the encoder in exactly the right place. Either way the Nexus is still a brilliant bit of kit.

[Scooot]

Having used both AN and the Nexus/SkySafari, I would go Nexus every time. It is so much easier and quicker finding things, particularly more obscure doubles etc

That's the first comparison between the two I've read about Stu so thats very good info.

[Stu]

That's the first comparison between the two I've read about Stu so thats very good info.

Hi Richard,

I think that it's probably a reflection of the intuitiveness of using SkySafari vs trying to locate objects by number in a database which is always a little cumbersome. The databases of the handsets are naturally more limited than Skysafari.

The AN is a good system, accurate and easy to use. If you are having trouble sleeping then somewhere on the site is a mind numbingly boring review of it which I posted . It worked well with my Giro II with encoders added.

So, whether it is a synscan handset or AN, I think I would always get more out of the mount if using SkySafari. I have SkyFi running on my AZEQ6 and it seems to be working well with just one little niggle. Nexus does seem to be a bit more robust.

[niallk]

Hi Richard,

I think that it's probably a reflection of the intuitiveness of using SkySafari vs trying to locate objects by number in a database which is always a little cumbersome. The databases of the handsets are naturally more limited than Skysafari.

The AN is a good system, accurate and easy to use. If you are having trouble sleeping then somewhere on the site is a mind numbingly boring review of it which I posted . It worked well with my Giro II with encoders added.

So, whether it is a synscan handset or AN, I think I would always get more out of the mount if using SkySafari. I have SkyFi running on my AZEQ6 and it seems to be working well with just one little niggle. Nexus does seem to be a bit more robust.

Nice review Stu - I looked it up - thanks for heads up

One feature that I have a notion to try out sometime is a WiFi link from AN to SkySafari - but I would need to purchase an additional module to plug into the AN. I believe this would enable cursor tracking on screen which would be cool.

Sounds like the Nexus system is a very neat solution for this!

Cheers

-Niall

[Stu]

Nice review Stu - I looked it up - thanks for heads up

One feature that I have a notion to try out sometime is a WiFi link from AN to SkySafari - but I would need to purchase an additional module to plug into the AN. I believe this would enable cursor tracking on screen which would be cool.

Sounds like the Nexus system is a very neat solution for this!

Cheers

-Niall

That's the thing Niall. To get AN working wirelessly needs extra kit. With encoders and the Nexus, you are straight into SkySafari with all the alignment done within SS, no need to align the AN. It's a very neat system

[faulksy]

That looks really cool: truth be told I never looked at this option prior to going the AN route.

its made on the same industrial estate as AN and uses the same encoders as well and its only a 3rd of the price

[niallk]

Sounds like Nexus + smartphone/tablet is a very compelling way to go!