TAG Shutter Control
Electronics / General / Maintenance / Observatory
Recent maintenance updates
I hadn’t posted in awhile, and I just realized that I’ve been fixing some stuff in the observatory that probably warrant mentioning. First, I had a couple problems crop up during Snowpocalypse […]
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 […]
Aww, you missed me.
I was downtown, having a fancy date with my wife, when we got a text from W_, who was watching the house for the evening. It had been quite windy all day, […]
ATM / Electronics / Observatory
Dome automation – We control the vertical
Well, that is satisfying in a way that’s hard to describe. After thrashing for nearly 2 years over how to install limit switches in the dome’s shutter, I finally started making progress […]
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 […]
Maintenance / Observing Reports
The Gizmo — I love it when a plan comes together
I deployed the new Gizmo in anger for the first time last night, pot controlling the exposure length, hooked up to the Gemini ST-4 port, hooked up to the Canon, LCD and […]
ATM / Electronics / General
Once more into the breach – new Gizmo on the way
When I started doing DSLR astrophotography, I quickly found that the on-camera limitation of 30sec exposures was frustrating. So, bulb exposures are necessary. At the time, nothing existed to easily interface my […]
Rig maintenance – moving cameras around
I had moved the ST-4 to the main scope to do some periodic error testing on the mount at higher magnification. This helped me to see the errors more clearly, but also […]
Nintendo DS camera controller
Howdy, I’m sending this message because you inquired about a Nintendo camera controller, (probably). I’m sorry I haven’t gotten back to you about the DS camera controller thing, I’ve been inundated with […]
ATM / Electronics / Gear
D70 IR Intervalometer
This is a great little device of my own invention; it’s a “smart” IR remote control for the Nikon D70. I set it for exposure length, exposure count, and delay between exposures, […]
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.