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Projects for a Poorly Gina

Gina

By Gina
in DIY Astronomer

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Gina

Gina

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Been thinking about which projects I can pursue while I get over the dreaded lurgy I'm currently suffering with.

The ones I'm not fit enough to do are :-

  1. Quad Telescope Rig - needs power and USB cables sorting out etc. in observatory.
  2. VB app to control focussing system - can't get my brain around some of it.
  3. Observatory Roof Automation - not fit to work outdoors
  4. Widefield Triple Imaging Rig - adapters for connecting cameras to lenses - too cold in back porch where lathe lives.
  5. Widefield mount mini observatory - an outdoor job
  6. CCTV control system - also outdoors

These are some projects I might be able to manage :-

  1. Widefield Triple Imaging Rig - the Arduino Nano focuser system
  2. All sky camera - get it finished off and working indoors
  3. Debayer 450D sensor - doubtful
  4. 450D dry box, filter wheel, OAG and cooling/control unit
  5. Experimental Large 3D printer
  6. Giant Wall Clock
  7. Weather station mods and reconstruction.
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Gina

Gina

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And there is me wondering how i will get time to fit the motors to my skytee 2

All my time is my own now :)  Need to keep busy to keep my thoughts off less pleasant things!

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DrRobin

DrRobin

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A white light filter, a sunny spot and some great views of our nearest star? Everyone cheers up with a bit of sun, and I even mange to take white lights and Ha through a double glazed window, so you don't even have to venture outside.

Hope you get well soon.

Robin

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Earl

Earl

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Al sky camera Gina, this has been on my list for some time and i just keep getting distractedm I have looked at some of the commercial products and im not at all impressed with the price.

If one had an intergrated cloud sensor, LAN connectivity, Solar charged and the ability to store the files internally on an USB device... WINNER.

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hughgilhespie

hughgilhespie

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Hi Gina,

Going against the flow a bit here but Item Two on your Can't Do list seems such a great shame! The rewards are huge if you can crack using VB to control things via serial interfaces. I know it is hugely difficult and I'm tempted to go off on an enormous rant about the ludicrous complexities of Windows programming but we are basically stuck with it, so nothing to be gained really. 

My point, such as it is, is that you are not alone here. There are good people in this community who have mastered the arcania and can and will help. Some sort of cooperative project is required with the aim of ending up with a reliable VB framework for serial comms that the less gifted of us (me, not you) can plug our bits of code into. A sort of VB equivalent of what the Arduino people did to C++. Something usable without too many tears and utterly incomprehensible error messages!

Just an aside - my last serious lurgy two years ago was just about long enough to get to grips with assembler programming of 8 bit PIC chips. Wrote a program to control the top slide on my lathe. Hours and hours of frustration interspersed with the odd YES moment.

Get well soon, Hugh

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Gina

Gina

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Al sky camera Gina, this has been on my list for some time and i just keep getting distractedm I have looked at some of the commercial products and im not at all impressed with the price.

If one had an intergrated cloud sensor, LAN connectivity, Solar charged and the ability to store the files internally on an USB device... WINNER.

Yes, the all sky camera project is something I would rather like to get on with :)  I'm sure I was posting a thread on this but darned if I can find it :(  I'm definitely running a long way below par :(  I think I can manage some design work sitting quietly on the settee in front of my desktop monitor but anything physical I can only do in short bursts.  Lemsip Cold & Flu hot lemon drinks with a dash of honey are keeping most of the symptoms at bay as long as I take it easy.

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Gina

Gina

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Hi Gina,

Going against the flow a bit here but Item Two on your Can't Do list seems such a great shame! The rewards are huge if you can crack using VB to control things via serial interfaces. I know it is hugely difficult and I'm tempted to go off on an enormous rant about the ludicrous complexities of Windows programming but we are basically stuck with it, so nothing to be gained really. 

My point, such as it is, is that you are not alone here. There are good people in this community who have mastered the arcania and can and will help. Some sort of cooperative project is required with the aim of ending up with a reliable VB framework for serial comms that the less gifted of us (me, not you) can plug our bits of code into. A sort of VB equivalent of what the Arduino people did to C++. Something usable without too many tears and utterly incomprehensible error messages!

Just an aside - my last serious lurgy two years ago was just about long enough to get to grips with assembler programming of 8 bit PIC chips. Wrote a program to control the top slide on my lathe. Hours and hours of frustration interspersed with the odd YES moment.

Get well soon, Hugh

Thank you Hugh :)  (One of my cousins was called Hugh :))

Per has offered to take my VB code and put it right for me, so I'll probably send it to him when I've worked out what to send :D  I've tried a couple of things to get round the current errors but no joy as yet.  I will get onto it shortly but I need to take a rest from it ATM.

I agree about the cooperative - I think we need a general VB framework as you say.

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Gina

Gina

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Recovering from this virus seems to be taking a long time :(  But at least I don't seem to be getting any worse :)  I'm just taking things slowly and steadily and making little steps of progress on my projects, doing a little bit of clearing up, avoiding going out in the cold and damp and trying to relax.  The weather doesn't help my recovery - I could do with some sunny weather to get outdoors for short periods to blow the virus out of my body.  At least I'm not missing any imaging time, I guess :grin:

I'll collect the links to my project threads and post here as a reference for anyone with an interest in particular projects.  Writing about my activities doesn't take too much effort and helps me keep going :D  

I can add a couple of little jobs to the list :-

  1. Take my non-working NAS drive and see if I can recover the data.
  2. Connect a 2TB drive (purchased a while back) to my router to make data sharing between my networked machines a bit easier.
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Gina

Gina

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Here's a list of my projects - or at least, most of them - there may be more :D

  1. All Sky Camera
  2. Widefield Triple Imaging Rig
  3. Multi-telescope imaging rig
  4. Quad remote focussing system
  5. Computer software to control Arduino
  6. Gina's Observatory Roll-Off-Roof Automation
  7. Gina's Mini Widefield Imaging Observatory
  8. Canon DSLR debayered with added cooling, filter wheel and OAG in one unit
  9. Cooled DSLR with OAG for OSC use with SW Esprit 80ED
  10. Removing all unwanted parts of a DSLR to make a minimal weight and volume astro camera
  11. Arduino Based Weather Station
  12. Remote controlled CCTV surveillance system - Arduino based
  13. 3D Printed Giant Plastic Wall Clock
  14. Anodising Aluminium
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saac

saac

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Gina sorry to hear that you still feeling poorly, rotten time of the year for it.  I understand exactly why you wan't to be back on your feet - I know what it feels like, I love to be busy doing things.  For me the best type of holiday is when I can potter about letting my attention wander freely from project to project, not really caring if I ever finish any.  I love it, the art of "pottering", a very British pastime I think, and what garden sheds were made for :p   Anyway, far more important that you get better so don't be in a rush, take a good rest and let your mind wander, serendipity of thought will deliver you a cracking project idea I'm sure.  

Funny but I was thinking a few weeks past how a summary of all your projects would make an excellent resource

Thanks for posting them above, I'm busy bookmarking them and placing them all in one folder titled " Gina's Marvelous Projects".  Hope you get better soon, have a peaceful and restful Christmas. 

Jim

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