Problems of 10/12/2011

Finally our list is getting smaller and smaller. Some of the items have to be performed on site like dome driver fixing. Another thing to add to the list is much testing. This weekend hopefully should be able to get first light.

Software

• AstroHaven dome driver needs update to stop spamming error messages and to add feedback from new dome control hardware
• Add user friendly GUI to control primitive features of the system - Starting

Hardware

• Buy cabling management for inside of dome
  
• Repair crack on AstroHaven Dome
  
• Still need to spec out computer capable of extreme temperatures. Computer still needs to have PCI slots and serial ports. Don't want to use USB<->Serial
• Add lens heater on LX200GPS to reduce night dew.

Long Term

• Possibly add Android app interface/add
• Draw a plan for UPS during extreme temps

Telescope In Dome

Finally after several months of writing driver and hoping political messes the telescope is finally in. Not yet tested hopefully little testing has to be done and lots of trial runs.








With the telescope pointed at zenith with dome closed only two inches of clearance. You might wonder where am I in the pictures. I am just the guy taking the pictures. ;)

BigNG vs Insect

After four months of running our fan controller suddenly stopped responding in RTS2. Direct serial communication produced nothing either. Getting frustrated I took it from the dome to campus to work on it. By chance I happen to inspect it and noticed corrosion on some if the ICs.

On the lower left black chip the corrosion is the worse. Several pins on the IC are simply gone. This chip happens to be the USB controller hence the bad USB communication. There was some bug poo on the IC chips themselves that I scrapped before taking picture. Next fan controller I will put in an enclosure to prevent this.