Help w/ Field Orientation needed!

[jjones7777]

I'm struggling with learning how to match what I see in the eyepiece to what I see on a star chart. To make matter worse, I'm trying to learn using a refractor (w/ diagonal), and a Cass-Mak (w/ diagonal), and a dob. I'd appreciate some help from those of you who have been down this road before. Here's what I THINK I've come up with so far:

W/ a Newtonian:
a. determine West by star drift
b. North will be 90 degrees clock-wise to that West
c. turn the star chart so that North on the chart matches North in the eyepiece
d. what I see on the chart matches what I see in the eyepiece.

W/ a Cass-Mak or Refractor (either w/ diagonal)
a. determine West by start drift
b. North will be 90 degrees COUNTER clockwise to that West
c. turn the chart so that North on the chart matches North in the eyepiece
d. visualize a MIRROR-image of the star chart
e. this will match what I see in the eyepiece

I feel as though there's a step I've missed. Let me know where I've messed up here...


I know I could use computer software to print up charts (and I may be forced to do just that!), but I've got these great star charts (Atlas 2000, Pocket Sky Atlas, etc) and I want to learn how to use them in the field.

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!