Category: Maintenance
Deep Sky / General / Long Exposure Photography / Maintenance / Observatory
Bootstrapping the software rig
Hilltop Observatory got a few clear nights to play around with the new software rig. The “capture” part of the process is decently well-behaved already — I almost have plate solving working […]
Observatory 2.0 – beta 2 Electrical corrections
Yeah, so I flunked the first inspection. Compliments on the neatness of the work, no nail plates needed, and a Handy Correction List(tm) that explained what I needed to pass next time. […]
Hilltop Observatory, One with the Earth
Well, I finally got the observatory grounded. After consulting the ham radio online forums, I came away with another plan of attack, and after measuring between the two existing rods, one of […]
Stupid Grounding rods, always ruining everything
NEC 250 requires grounding rods 8′ long to be inserted (vertically) into the ground around each building. I need two of them for the observatory. I picked these up at Home Depot, […]
Hilltop Observatory gets on The Grid
After the heroic effort that everyone put in on Saturday, I had just a few things to take care of in order to get hooked up to the house main breaker panel. […]
General / Maintenance / Observatory
Hilltop Observatory Work Party!
Getting the electricity completed in the observatory finally reached the top of the to-do list. I’d been working with a proof-of-concept system, half of the outlets done, trench through the yard, running […]
General / Maintenance / Observatory / Technology
Bursts of insight
The rig is flying tonight. First target went behind the house, chasing the second across at a speedy clip — I have been learning how often, and how much, to adjust the […]
Observatory 2.0 – And the build continues
Now that I’ve taken a little victory lap, it’s time to get the rig tuned up a bit. I have some photos in the pipeline, more half-processed “proof of concept” shots. You […]
First Light, a deeper look
Part of the reason that it’s taken so long to get to First Light is that I am actively knocking the rust off of my astronomy workflow. There are so many little […]
Maintenance / Techniques / Technology
Observatory 2.0 – We control the horizontal and the vertical
The observatory just inherited two computers; the 2010 iMac from the house, and my old 2009 Macbook Pro laptop. Both of them had full hard drives, and needed a refresh, so I […]
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.