Logbook Icon Walter's LogBook
July 2007

Overview

After over four years of trouble-free service, my dome was showing home position as zero degrees azimuth (it is really 279); I did a firmware chip transplant to try to correct it and wound up hobbling the dome (there is now no computer control over rotation). Despite this I was able to continue imaging, though it requires me to turn the dome manually with the hand paddle.

The SXV-H9 is the imaging camera, with exposures for variable stars of 120 seconds at 4x4 binning (unguided). This month's session notes are below the overview section.

Monthly Statistics, July 2007
Night Imaging
Time (s)		 Exposure
Time (s)		 #
Targets		 #
Exposures
2007-07-21215621738097364
2007-07-2411975105602488
2007-07-25222261832074271
2007-07-29231232030072230
2007-07-31186841460090350
5 nights 97570
(27.10 hr)		 81160
(22.54 hr)		 357 1303

Session Notes

Sat/Sun, July 21/22, 2007

I replaced the firmware chip to try to correct a dome malfunction the other day and now I have no computer control of dome rotation (and a few other things). So I had to spend the night in the dome (listening to CDs and taking naps) keeping the dome slot turned the same direction as the telescope was pointing. It was a nice night, and I saw a nice satellite go by east of Deneb around 2:36am and I think I saw ISS about an hour later (going N). It was neat at the end of the session to see the scope park itself and be turned off. Then I closed the dome and went to bed to catch a few more winks.

Tue/Wed, July 24/25, 2007

I slept out in the dome again tonight. I noticed a lack of stars at about 1:20am -- the sky was cloudy and the satellite loop didn't look very good, so I shut down the session. Total session was 3 hours and 24 fields were imaged (though the last two were clouded out!).

Wed/Thu, July 25/26, 2007

I slept out in the dome again tonight so I could keep the dome turned in synch with the scope. Still 30C in the control room at 4:30am. Comfortably cool in the dome though. The unfinished part of the attic was 40C at dusk.

Tue/Wed, July/August 31/1, 2007

There were a few clouds at the beginning of the evening, so I was an hour or so late starting tonight. I saw a nice meteor with a brief train overhead around 1am (headed west).