Autoguider Testing

Date/Time

20230223T1810-

People

Shrey, Roy, (Kasra)

Spaces

401, 433C, Dome

Goals

Figure out auto-guider
1. Get something other than "99 0 0" to be shown
2. Determine how to collect guider data on CC
Show Kasra the Moon and Mars
Test Mirror Doors

Log

Monitors were either not working or flickering, see notes.
Rebooted machine
Determined flickering was due to USB lines. We removed all but LBD1 (w/ power) and Icron Extender
We couldn't find adapters for planetary camera, so re-attached the filter wheel and planetary camera on-axis
SharpCap couldn't find FinderScope (Deep-Sky Camera)
1. Determined the issue was with USB connections to DC Tower.
2. Deep-Sky connected to LDB2, then to DC 10Gb USB port (tealISH)
3. On-axis camera connected to remote Icron Extender Box, which is connected to local box via CAT7, which is connected to DC 20Gb USB-C port
4. The ZWO Filter Wheel is connected to the remote Icron Extender Box as well
5. This configuration works – testing via SharpCap
Opened Dome via ASCOM
Opened the Mirror Doors without issue
1. Be sure to have the Mirror Doors analog switch set to "Open"
  1. This allows DFM TCS to control the mirror doors
Pointed at the Moon, pointing was off
Shrey eye-balled pointing from dome with feedback from control room
Updated Telescope Position
Then pointed at Tycho
Updated Telescope Position
Then pointed at Mars
Updated Telescope Position
Disconnected filter wheel and planetary from on-axis
1. The filter wheel needed to be calibrated
2. J/K it was fine. SharpCap knew what was up
3. https://www.baader-planetarium.com/en/baader-ubvri-bessel-filter-set-%E2%80%93-photometric.html
4. Note: The apparent color of the filter is NOT the passband of the filter
Closed Mirror Doors
Closed Dome Shutters
1. There are concerns over the lower shutter overdriving after closing, but still driving until upper shutter closes
Stored filter wheel in planetary box in shelf with filter wheel cable
AUTO GUIDING EXPERIMENT

Auto Guiding Experiment

Autoguider CCD is affixed on-axis

We will follow SBIG ST4 Manual: Quick Start Guide (pgs 4-7; https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eZHGE03GMtdPJj9Op_cJs9yjb29Hh9o2/view?usp=share_link)
After plugging in Guider CCD to ST4, it showed "99 0 0"
Cardboard box is covering light baffle
Connor and Shrey are trying to find a set of settings that gives ANY other value for the readout, other than "99 0 0"
1. EA (Exposure Adjust) was set to its lowest value (0.1s)
2. b (Boost Factor) was set to its lowest value (1)
3. BA (Brightness Adjustment) was set to its normal value (A), which only collects data from one pixel
  1. As opposed to "F" which sums the pixel value along with its eight neighbors
Connor and Shrey took a Dark Frame, and then switched back to "Find and Focus".
The display then showed "0 0 0"
1. This makes sense since the Dark Frame is subtracted from the value
Moved on to step 5 of the start up guide.
1. opened shutters, mirrors, and uncovered baffle
2. pressed "find and focus" per guide instructions
3. slewed to capella, eye balling it confirmed its probably capella
4. values still "0, 0, 0"
restarting, NEW PLAN
1. removed ccd, installed on-axis camera to confirm we are pointing at capella as a test star
2. removed on-axis camera, installed ccd
3. closed dome, darkened dome, covered baffle with box
4. beginning step 1 of quick start guide (again)
ATTEMPT 2
1. step 1: ccd installed and powered, currently reading "99, 0, 0"
2. step 2: beginning calibration, waiting two minutes
3. step 3: still at "99, 0, 0"
4. step 4: taking dark frame, dropped to "0,0,0"
5. step 5: "find and focus" pressed, removed box, opening shutters, already slewed to capella
  1. still seeing "0,0,0"
  2. next steps?
6. deviating from the manual, going to try and adjust EA to the maximum value and see if we can get anything besides 0
  1. roy raised a point, if the max value is 99 and we are using the value as the dark value, no matter what we get we could just be subtracting 99 and getting 0 for every capture we take
  2. SUCCESS? we got a value of 99
  3. display refreshes every 20 seconds
7. reduced EA to 1 second
  1. still getting 99
8. reduced EA to 0.1 seconds
  1. getting 99???
  2. this may be because when we change certain settings, we need to take a new dark frame
9. changing EA to 20 seconds, shutting hatch, taking another dark frame
  1. (0,0,0) is being displayed
10. opening shutters, uncovering baffle, attempting another "find and focus"
  1. at least three frames had been taken, still displaying "0,0,0"
Attempting to take image via CCD
1. shrey, onkar and connor split ways looking into software to utilize the ccd
2. onkar:
  1. https://diffractionlimited.com/legacy-product-support/
  2. i found this, it looks promising but i could not get it to work
  3. in CCDOps5, there is an autoguide option under "track" in the top command bar
  4. could be promising if we ever get the software to work
3. connor:
  1. https://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=48422
  2. https://www.sysnettechsolutions.com/en/install-windows-98-virtualbox-windows-10/#:~:text=After%20making%20all%20the%20necessary,machine%20and%20click%20Start%20again
  3. https://www.virtualbox.org/
  4. found the above, Forum from 2009 saying the software can't be used on anything after Windows 98SE
  5. can emulate win98 via virtualbox
  6. will be helpful for shrey's tab as well
4. shrey:
  1. d:/downloads/SBIG FTP SERVER DATA DUMP/ccd/ccd.exe
  2. found that it could only run on win98
  3. downloaded everything off the SBIG FTP server (nice), initial passing of the contents revealed ccd.exe mentioned in the SBIG ST-4 manual used for comm with ccd
5. all three of us will independently investigate these softwares

ToDo

Notes

We don't know where the adapters are for the planetary camera ↔ GAM-lite
Second DC monitor is not on. Primary monitor is flickering.
There is no set of caps/coverings for filter wheel. We feel weird leaving it in a rando
There are concerns over the lower shutter overdriving after closing, but still driving until upper shutter closes
Might have located MEADE telescope cover

Weather

Data