The point:
In a suburban setting, sky glow makes finding star-hop stars difficult. Using a polar aligned pier, and digital setting circles allows the observer to quickly locate objects using the telescope. The only requirement is that the observer know the name of one bright star currently above the horizon. Another requirement is that the telescope declination axis be at right angles with the right ascention axis. Failure to achieve this will cause pointing errors.
Discussion:
Many of my friends in my local astronomy group star-hop to find objects that they are interested in observing, and to them, most of the fun is in the hunt. It isn't uncommon in our suburban sky glow that many many minutes are spent pursuing one fuzzy or the other. My hat goes off to them.
I decided several years ago that sifting through these skies is better done using digital setting circles. There are a number of reasons for this:
1) It takes a long time to learn how to find more than just a handfull of objects
2) Our skies don't support visual location below mag 3.8 very often
3) Our skies are cloudy a lot
4) Man has a finite lifetime
I bought JMI setting circles (Max computer) and installed them on my C8. On my polar aligned pier, I simply locate a single star, point the C8 at that star, and tell the computer at what star it is pointing. Done. 2 minutes at most, and for the whole night. When I select an item from the catalog, and use the computer to guide the scope to the item, it IS IN THE FIELD OF VIEW on my Nagler 20mm always.
When I first installed the MAX, I wasn't so successful. It turns out that the fork arms do not have to be at right angles to the telescope base. Mine were off by about 1.5 degrees, so when I located an object in one part of the sky, and then went to another part of the sky, the error would have the object out of the field of view.
I finally corrected the scope using a carpenter square, and an alan wrench (on the C8). After that, my problems were over.
