Guest Philmarriott Posted November 6, 2013 Share Posted November 6, 2013 Hi everyone. As the title suggests im after a wixey gauge if anyone has one lying around. Thanks Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BAZ Posted November 6, 2013 Share Posted November 6, 2013 If you have to buy a new one, get the one with the built in level, which is accurate to a tenth of a degree. This saves messing about when calibrating it. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/231081896692?hlpht=true&ops=true&viphx=1&lpid=95&device=c&adtype=pla&crdt=0&ff3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=95&ff19=0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Philmarriott Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 Cheers Baz will have a look. Picking up my first scope today celestron c8 n with the cg-5 mount and tracker. Its a good deal as the focuser has been upgraded, its got a finder scope and some other things Rob told me were good. Picking it up this lunch time and hopefully get some viewing done in the next few days! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teslar Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 Errm. Could anyone tell me why you'd need that level (pun intended) of precision assuming it's for setting up a mount Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catman161 Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 it's for using the wixey as a means of finding objects in the sky on a dobsonian I presume rather than simply levelling a tripod. You need to level the OTA to "zero" the wixey (which is where the spirit level comes in handy) before you can start using your preferred planetarium software to give you the alt/az coordinates of specific objects you want to find. You then use the wixey to be able to know when you are at the correct altitude and your setting circle on your dob base to see that you are at the correct azimuth coordinate. Then its a breeze to find stuff in the sky manually. Its pretty accurate if you set up carefully and ensure all is as it needs to be. I used to do it before I mounted my 200P on the NEQ6. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peepshow Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 Anyone using a barn door tracker with a DSLR camera mounted on a ball and socket joint with long lenses can also use a wixey, also by setting the wixey to zero when horizontal. Then adjusting camera lens to be exactly vertical or horizontal using the wixey on a straight part of the lens barrel which is parallel to the optics, or across the top of the lens housing. Camera is now set at zero sited on your latitude. Then slew the camera in DEC on the ball and socket joint, to read off wixey, the new DEC angle required from your initial latitude position. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teslar Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 Thanks I'm educated now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweedledee Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 I'm going to have a go with my new wixey on the 10" Schmidt Newt on the SkyTee 2 altaz mount. A wixey has various uses not just for dobsonians as Richard says above Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peepshow Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 I'm going to have a go with my new wixey on the 10" Schmidt Newt on the SkyTee 2 altaz mount. If your wixey doesn't have a built in level, Pete, use a spirit level on a pre tested surface that is level to set your wixey to zero. Reverse the spirit level as a check for its accuracy first. My 12 inch 'Stabila' level is spot on I found. The flat top of a big oak bookcase we have is exactly level to less then 6 arc minutes in one area so that is my level datum used to set the wixey to zero........... ...........You see, I am well read. Your mount looks to be ideal for wixey use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catman161 Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 I should've been more comprehensive with my answer. What I meant was a Wixey is useful for any Alt/az mount application. I wasn't saying it was a use that was exclusive to dobsonian style mounts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweedledee Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 Thanks Richard. My wixey is the one recommended by Martyn in the 2nd post of this thread. It does have a built in bubble level, and is a nice quality bit of kit. It is strongly magnetic on the base so it holds tight to a metal scope tube or other metal surface. They sent me NINE CR2032 button batteries with it! It only takes one . My Skytee is not ideally suited to an azimuth circle, but that could be sorted with a bit of work. I intend to initially try to locate difficult objects using just the altitude on the wixey, and panning in azimuth through the general object vicinity. That method should narrow down the object location substantially. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BAZ Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 Anyone other than Pete (nine!) who needs CR2032 batteries, I found Wilko's did them at a reasonable cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teslar Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 Check eBay guys. This has had a the price reduced to £25 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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