Time/Date
20230130T1730-2230
People
Onkar, Roy, later Gabriel
Spaces Occupied
PHYS 401, 433C, Dome
Goals
- Inventory
- Serendipitous stargazing
- Test two-instances of SharpCap?
- Decide on second dome camera location
Log
- Starting Up Scope
- Control Computer(CC): Started DFM TCS, ASCOM Dome Control Panel, TheSky6
- Front Panel: Enabled MTR Driver Chassis, Drives
- DC: Opened Blue Iris
- CC: Dome Control > Connect; Then Open
- CC: TCS > Telescope > Initialization > Apply Windows Date & Time; Sync
- CC: TS6 > Telescope > Link > Establish
- Cameras
- Collected Deep-Sky camera from shelves with adpaters
- Planetary camera was still on-axis
- Connected Deep-Sky Camera to Finderscope; powered; connected to Icron extender with long USB-3.0/B
- Connected Planetary Camera to On-Axis port; connected to LBD1
- DC: SharpCap > Cameras > ZWO ASI 2600MM Pro (Deep-Sky)
- Finderscope camera is working
- DC: SharpCap > Cameras > ZWO ASI 178MM (Planetary)
- On-Axis camera is working
- Bandwidth Test
- Opened two instances of SharpCap
- Set exposure time to 100ms for both, got nominal frame rates for both cameras; no frame dropping
- Changed the Planetary CMOS to also run through Icron extender with long USB-3.0/B
- Started dropping frames through SharpCap
- Switched back to original setup with Planetary CMOS through LBD1
- Issue with SharpCap:
- SharpCap went through phase where it only detected the planetary CMOS
- Eventually fixed issue by repeatedly power-cycling Deep-Sky camera and reseating data cable
- Looks clear
- Enabled AutoDoming
- Slewed to Mars
- lul Forgot mirror doors and dome
- Opened those via ASCOM and TCS, respectively
- Turns out: not clear
- Closing up
- Slewed telescope to zenith
- Disconnected from TS6
- Slewing to Zenith
- Telescope > Movement > Offset/Zenith Tab, Apply Zenith Position & Slew
- Didn't work
- Nothing happened. Scope was clearly off-zenith
- Opened TS6 and reconnected to scope, then asked to slew to Zenith – this worked.
- NOT SURE WHY.
- Closed Mirror doors via TCS
- Removed both cameras from scope and stored on shelves
- Began inventory-ing?
ToDo
- Spec-out new long USB 3.1 - B, at least the longest
Notes
- Slewing to zenith thru TCS didn't work as expected (at all)
- AutoDome: Danced +- 7 degrees off of telescope azimuth
Weather
Data
None. Cloudy.