ARCHIVE April2016
General / Maintenance / Observatory
Ready for dome controller
Armed with a good night’s sleep, I was able to figure out a way to quickly fix the home switch setup in the test circuit. Essentially, I had put a current-limiting resistor […]
ATM / Electronics / Observatory / Technology
Dome automation-0.2-alpha – Wiring up the sensors
When we last left the dome automation project, the azimuth encoders were fried. I had a working circuit on the breadboard. I wired the cable rolled from the original, and soldered it […]
ATM / Electronics / Maintenance / Observatory
Encoders tested.
I zapped the encoders in the new assembly immediately. So I tore it apart, ordered new bits from Digikey, and breadboarded it. Once I got the interface cable worked out, I now […]
Astro knowledge / Blog / Gear / General / Maintenance / Observing Reports / Techniques / Telescope
Back to basics.
I used to be good at this. Omg, gaggle of geese flying over. Local dogs wigging out. But, I digress. I got Really good at planetary, but had higher hopes, and this […]
Luna returns
What an amazing astrophotography run I had this month. It’s been quite some time since I was feeling so sleep-deprived by the time the 3-day moon showed up. There were even a […]
Camera / Gear / Solar System Photography
Jupiter April 9, 2016
Jupiter has been making a really nice pass lately, just parked in the sky under Leo’s hindquarters. It’s been a long time since I did any planetary photography of note; with the […]
Camera / Deep Sky / Gear / Long Exposure Photography
An evening with a friend
The Jr. Astronomer decided to call it a night early, but her cousin, L_, was staying the night, and he wanted to learn about the sky, so we stayed up real late […]
Deep Sky / Long Exposure Photography / Observatory
This is starting to get fun again.
Let me be frank. There are many, many things that need fixing around Hilltop O. Chasing the dome around has been a joy, actually, learning the ropes of this young ship, just […]
RECENT UPDATE
Polar Alignment Calculations
Here’s a page that derives Polar Alignment Calculations. (update 5/2020: the original site is gone, so I found the text on Wayback and am inserting it below. This is by the original […]
Gear / Observatory / Telescope
Special Guest Star takes the mount at Hilltop O
The Astro Jedi needed somewhere to store his light sab—- I mean, bucket, and I was only too happy to accommodate him. I have decided that I need to come to a […]
General / Maintenance / Observatory
Dome shutter is motorized again!
I finally decided to bite the bullet and fix the shutter motor. Things went sideways last winter, and I’ve been opening the shutter manually (and tying it shut with rope, so we […]
Trixie 2017 – tube mods
I finally got around to cutting the MTA-UTA tubes to length; the only eyepiece that would come to focus with the focuser spacer in place is the Televue 55mm Plossl. If I […]
MOST COMMENTED
Observatory
Observatory 2.0 – Time has come today!
General / Maintenance
First Light, a deeper look
Mount / Observatory / Telescope
Observatory 2.0 – Result!
Observatory
Observatory 2.0 – The Pier goes in
Gear / General / Maintenance
Martin Farmer Wormblock installation notes
Deep Sky / Long Exposure Photography
NGC2244, The Rosette Nebula
Deep Sky / Long Exposure Photography
Another beautiful night.