finding my way with the Circles

[flyinggoldwing]

Hello again I am trying to find my way round with the setting circles and now getting very confused , ie I want to look at jupiter for expample I look on stellarium and if I read the info right at 18:00hrs it should be Az/Alt +214 /31 dose this mean 214 ssw on a compass and 31 on the latitude ?

OK in a nut shell how do I set the circles to find objects

Thanks

[themos]

You don't. Hardly anyone does. That's why they are called "upsetting" circles.

[E621Keith]

Depends on your mount, the setting circles on Meade fork mount SCT is pretty good, where as ones on most equatorial mount is next to useless.

Jupiter is one of the easiest object to find. Use Stellarium to work out the direction of Jupiter at a particular time, and point your scope at the brightest 'star' you see in that direction, that will be Jupiter.

[flyinggoldwing]

Thanks guys thats what I've been doing and yes the circles have been upsetting me LOL