For the last few months we have been constantly setting up an Artificial Horizon (Davis Instruments) using motor oil as the liquid. We discovered that it is very hard to take a reading off of it unless we wait at least 15 minutes for the oil to become perfectly still.
We tried leaving it in place and covering it with a 5-gallon bucket. This doesn't work very well as the glass covering it fogs up. When we try to dry the glass, the oil begins moving and we are back to waiting 15 minutes. We tried using it without the glass covers, but discovered that this only works when there isn't any wind. We live on top of a mountain, there is always wind.
Googling "Permanent Artificial Horizon" and other various wordings has not helped.
We intend to use this spot at least twice daily. We hope to learn to use the sextant as a navigational tool. However, we are mainly combining the sextant, compass & watch to mark the position of objects we see through the telescope so that we can record them in our Astronomy Diaries. Our telescope doesn't do this for us.
Waiting 15 minutes or more for the oil to stop moving is proving to be a pain in the rear because it has to be done so often. Has anyone figured out a way to permanently set up an artificial horizon that can be left in place?