Ad Astra Observatory

The G-11 does not have a GOTO computer like the CG-5GT had, so I started out using manual setting circles.

Despite complaints that you’ll hear about setting circles, this is actually quite an effective method of pointing the telescope. With Veronica as the imaging scope, I could center up a single star, set the circles, and then point the scope to pretty much any target I wanted, and still get it in the field of view of the camera.

When I moved to Kate, the extra magnification started pushing objects just out of the FOV, which left me needing a more accurate method of pointing the telescope.

I found the Dave Ek Setting Circles Project online (thanks, Dave!) and I put together the parts to make myself a setting circles interface. These are all the parts, ready to be assembled and put into a project box. After finding out that one of the encoders on the mount was blown and getting a replacement from Losmandy, I got the setting circles interface up and running.

Still trying it out, but it seems good so far.