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Wixey digital angle gauge

Daz Type-R

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Daz Type-R

Daz Type-R

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Does anybody own one and have you found it useful?

Are they heavy enough to reguire a re-balance of the scope or are they as light as a feather?

Also, I take it they go right at the bottom of the scope (near the mirror) or does it not matter?

Also (last question, sorry) does this just show you degrees of tilt (up and down) rather then left and right?

(Sorry for the very crude lingo, still trying to get my head round all the jargon)

Thanks guys and gals,

Darren.

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Doc

Doc

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Basically you will have to zero your wixey. My dob doesn't go completely horizontal to enable me to zero it. So it sits on a telrad base and I made a top to it that can be adjusted so I compensate for the lack of horizontal by adjusting the telrad base.

The box sitting next to it is a dew controller which I use one port as a red light which is dimmable when using the dew controller.

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Daz Type-R

Daz Type-R

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Nice set-up. I take it the best thing to use to zero the Wixey is a spirit level?

Also, just to make sure I have understood it correctly, if, say something you want to view is 33 degres in the sky, once you have zeroed the Wixey, you just tilt the scope until it says 33, is that correct?

Sorry for all the questions.

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Demonperformer

Demonperformer

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Nice set-up. I take it the best thing to use to zero the Wixey is a spirit level?

Also, just to make sure I have understood it correctly, if, say something you want to view is 33 degres in the sky, once you have zeroed the Wixey, you just tilt the scope until it says 33, is that correct?

Sorry for all the questions.

1. Yes

2. Yes (that's ALT, not DEC)

3. No problem, keep them coming

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valleyman

valleyman

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Yes just lift the tube until the wixey reads the required angle. I set mine to zero using the base of the Dob which i level with adjustable feet and a spirit bubble.

Plonk the wixey up by the Finder(it has magnets) Lift the Tube until the wixey reads the angle then move the base in RA and you should find your target

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parkway

parkway

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External power to the Wixey? Details please?

The Wixey is powered by a CR2032 battery, which is 3 volt. You can get them pretty much any where.

Along with the Wixey, you get 2 of them and a cool little pouch to keep it in. :)

There are new models available.. one with a vial to help level it. And I noticed there is a newer model with a digital level, although I've not yet seen that one for sale in the UK. A mini-spirit level is more than adequate though.

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Demonperformer

Demonperformer

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have I got this wrong - declination is surely not the same as altitude. I always thought you needed a PDA to find alt co-ordinates of objects. can you just use declination?

Yes, Declination and Altitude are different. Declination of an object remains constant, but altitude will vary as the earth spins. Not sure what a PDA is, but CdC gives the alt of an object based on its time/date setting, and this is what I use. Declination will not work.

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parkway

parkway

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That is correct. A PDA is a Personal Digital Assistant. ie. A Palm, or Pocket PC. Essentially a mini-computer. I've just wrote a thread about looking up Alt/Az coordinates using a Palm. Check it here. Any further questions, ask away.

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ItIsOnlyMe

ItIsOnlyMe

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Basically you will have to zero your wixey.

Beware - Stupid question approaching!!

If I have to zero the Wixey how do I know that what I put it on to zero it is level? If I have to use a spirit level to make sure the Wixey is level then why don't I just use the spirit level to level the scope.

Surely it is self levelling, with the option to temporarily set it to a different level to read the difference between two surfaces.

The new model states it uses dead reckoning to be level with the centre of the earth.

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themos

themos

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If I have to use a spirit level to make sure the Wixey is level then why don't I just use the spirit level to level the scope.

The spirit level is just as good as the Wixey in terms of precision, about 0.1 degrees. The spirit level will only give you a zero, it can't measure angles.

If I have to zero the Wixey how do I know that what I put it on to zero it is level?

Use a spirit level! Or, use two Wixey measurements, after turning the Wixey around. If it's level, it won't know the difference.

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Daz Type-R

Daz Type-R

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Still thinking about getting one of these, using Stellarium, is it the AZ/ALT section when you select an object, more the ALT number that I need? so I just angle the scope until the wixey gives the ALT the object I selected in Stellarium says?

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brantuk

brantuk

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It's easy - use the spirit level to level the base, use the base to level the Wixey, pop the Wixey on the scope and raise the scope till the Wixey reads the correct degrees altitude taken from Stelarium (or CdC).

Then swing the tube around in azimuth till you get to the degrees in azimuth taken from Stellarium (or CdC). Look in the eyepiece - Bingo! there's your object :glasses1:

(if you don't have an azimuth setting circle just hop from the nearest bright star whilst maintaining alt)

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