Here's an idea....!

[Stars in Their Eyes]

After spending many dark nights with a red light in my mouth (to give me two free hands) and straining to see my ever-so-confusing setting circles, it made me wonder if anyone makes a mount with illuminated setting circles.......either red, or at least glow in the dark??? Does anyone know of such a product or should I go on Dragon's Den???? lol:headbang:

[James]

I used to carry a torch in my mouth a lot until I cottoned on to getting a head torch instead

James

[SteveL]

a red head torch is the way to go...

[drummerp]

I've got a red lantern that I can hang off the bottom of the mount/tripod thats works too.

But must also get me a head torch.

Cheers

neil

[barkis]

If I were you, I'd forget about those diminutive setting circles, and teach yourself star hopping to faint objects. It takes a while, but the rewards will be greater than you will ever get from those frustrating circles.

If you insist on persevering with them, then a simple circuit will allow you to fix strategically placed red LED's over them. Your scope power supply will drive them through appropriate resistors. A rheostat will permit adjustment from comfortable to off.

Ron.

[TheThing]

Or you could move to an area with terrific light pollution, where you can do away with the need for a light at all!

[Merlin66]

I had 300mm diameter setting circles screen printed for one of my scopes and used a piece of Perspex and a Red LED to both illuminate the scale and provide a vernier line.

The Prespex was a strip 6mm thick x 25mm wide and about 40mm long ( to sit over the setting circle scale lines) The end which sat over the scale was filed down to a wedge shape ie from 6mm to about 1mm at the end and polished with Brasso; on the underside ( next to the setting circle scale ) I scratched a line. Drill a hole in line with this line in the other 6mm edge to fit a RED led ( 3mm diameter)

When the LED is illuminated two things happen; the line lights up and gives a clean sharp image to indicate against the RA and Dec, and the internal reflection from the wedge section provides background illumination on the scale.

Used this while doing SuperNovae searching for about five years....

I can provide a sketch, if it helps.....

[Macavity]

I remain a tad more optimistic about setting circles - Or at least their potential in an Alt-Azimuth (e.g. Dobsonian) mount. As noted above, Red LEDs work rather well too. With a bit of thought, such ideas can be adapted to other styles of Alt-Az mount. Useful too is the eponymous "Wixey" (angle guage). You can then set altitude to within (say) 0.2 Deg, the Azimuth to (better than) two degrees. At least sufficient to get object within finder view. Of course you have to have a way of doing the "mental arithmetic" (PDA computer etc.) to know where to LOOK for the object. But ALL such things are possible...

I genuinely appreciate the opposing POV, but I think it is that manufacturers have much NEGLECTED this area, rather than a totally inherent limitation. Equatorial Mount documentation is often pretty darned inpenetrable too!

[Nibor]

After spending many dark nights with a red light in my mouth (to give me two free hands) and straining to see my ever-so-confusing setting circles, it made me wonder if anyone makes a mount with illuminated setting circles.......either red, or at least glow in the dark??? Does anyone know of such a product or should I go on Dragon's Den???? lol:headbang:

Hi, I know this thread is a bit old (but still relevant) but I currently am struggling with the GOTO vs Equatorial Mount decision as I am almost about to purchase my very first scope - a Skymax 127.

I have been reading up on the equatorial mount set up and the use of setting circles and this morning (in the shower!) I hit on exactly the same idea!!

Although the star hopping system will probably be favourite I can see times when setting circles could be handy.

A search on the forum of "illuminated setting circles" found this thread!!

Now time has moved on since the last post and I was wondering if anyone had any new developments or experiences are worth sharing??

many thanks

[bombassa]

I saw a 'Rammstein' video where the leadsinger had some light in his mouth. Perhaps a red version is available also? Then you wouldn't have to bother with an on/off switch - just shut your mouth

[EcoTed]

Maybe Till Lindemann is actually an amateur astronomer - and accidentally swallowed his torch whilst trying to adjust his setting circles??

(Sorry but "Du Hast" to take the easy jokes where you can)

Cheers

Ted

[jgs001]

I used to do this, till I read of someone who also did, but tripped, and knocked out all their front teeth. Now... headlight every single time.