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Kenko Alt-Az?

Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2020 5:46 pm
by pakarinen
In my misguided wanderings, I stumbled across this on AMZ:

https://www.amazon.com/Kenko-121658-KEN ... op?ie=UTF8

Intriguing b/c of the setting circles, but the reviews are just meh.

Experiences? Thoughts?

Re: Kenko Alt-Az?

Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2020 10:18 pm
by JayTee
So the reviews pretty much kill this mount. My question is why on Earth would you put setting circles on an Alt-Az mount? Those numbers are continuously changing during the night for a particular object.

JT

Re: Kenko Alt-Az?

Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2020 12:51 am
by SonnyE
I can't read the Japanese reviews.

But for the price, I believe I would pass.
(And I have more than enough heads already. Including the brainless one on my shoulders. :twocents: )

Re: Kenko Alt-Az?

Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2020 4:30 am
by bladekeeper
Yeah, I think I'd pass on that one.

Setting circles work wonderfully on an alt/az mount provided you have an app that tells you the present alt/az coordinates of an object from your location. I've got a setting circle on my 12" dob base and an inclinometer. I used it at first in conjunction with Stellarium on my laptop. Dead-nuts accurate every time. I moved on to more fun star-hopping not too long afterward, but the setting circle did its job nicely. :)

Not too hard to craft a setting circle for a Twilight I or II mount. John [mention]Lowjiber[/mention] has some blog entries over on AF on doing this. In my mind, his methods should be easily adaptable to other alt/az mounts with a little study and DYI acumen. :)

Re: Kenko Alt-Az?

Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2020 4:39 am
by JayTee
Setting circles work wonderfully on an alt/az mount provided you have an app that tells you the present alt/az coordinates of an object from your location.
Well color me "corrected". YLSNED! :clap:

JT

Re: Kenko Alt-Az?

Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2020 5:41 am
by Lady Fraktor
Reading a few reviews it seems it is only good for at most 5lb capacity.
Telescopes such as the Vixen VMC110 or Celestron C90 seem to be alright with it.

Re: Kenko Alt-Az?

Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2020 7:29 am
by Graeme1858
bladekeeper wrote: Sat Mar 07, 2020 4:30 am I've got a setting circle on my 12" dob base and an inclinometer.

I printed a compass on A0 paper the same diameter as my Dob base, when I had a Dob. It worked really well. As you say, after converting RA Dec to Alt Az on a phone app. (With a digital spirit level for alt!)

Regards

Graeme

Re: Kenko Alt-Az?

Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2020 1:51 pm
by pakarinen
Before I bought my Astro Devices encoders, I used a Wixey for altitude and a DIY az circle and got realtime alt-az coords from Sky Safari. Not as accurate as my push-to, but my thought was the Kenko might be better than a DIY since it has etched circles. Obviously not the same class, but the Losmandy AZ8 has machined alt-az circles (for $700 more LOL).

I wouldn't dump my push-to, but a purely manual solution could come in handy for really quick looks or if my push-to flaked out.

A bigger concern for me would be the small payload capacity.

Re: Kenko Alt-Az?

Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2020 2:53 pm
by Lowjiber
JayTee wrote: Fri Mar 06, 2020 10:18 pm ... My question is why on Earth would you put setting circles on an Alt-Az mount? Those numbers are continuously changing during the night for a particular object.
Why? Because it is super-fast.

As I've demonstrated to several folks on here and AF, I can be dead-nuts on any target while they're reaching for their hand controller. :lol:

Here's my "secret"...

I'm an observer that never gets in a hurry... too much heartburn. :lol: When I first set up my site, I run the time on Stellarium ahead five minutes. Five minutes gives me time to light a cigarette; change eyepieces if needed; and put the Alt/Az data on the circle and Wixey.

Then I have a seat and watch the target come into view... it's usually there within thirty seconds.

Badda-Bing, Badda-Boom!

(Yes, I can do it faster, but this is a hobby as opposed to a sweatshop.:lol:)