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Hope the gremlins are sorted - clear tonight!

MartinB

By MartinB
in The Astro Lounge

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MartinB

MartinB

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It's been one problem after another since getting my observatory set up. My old laptop was dying a slow death after all the abuse it has suffered on frosty, dewy nights. Got a Sony Vaio which unfortunately had vista installed and doesn't lend itself to dual boot. Couldn't get a whole load of stuff to work. Changed to Windows7 and did better but no way could I get the Temma mount driver working. So, got another laptop with XP. All seemed fine except the USB hub stopped cooperating and the whole system developed a mains frequency vibration. Then my QSI chip started misting over :icon_eek: Finally my Lodestar guider packed in :eek::(:D

So I've cooked the desicant holder in the oven for 5 hours. A new hub from Maplins arrived yesterday. It's like a little block of granite compared to the flimsy offerings from Trust and Belkin. Have traced the vibration problem to the mount power supply so am temporarily using a power pack until I can get a replacement.

Just checked things out, everything connects beautifully (for the first time since finishing the obsy) and the Lodestar is working again :) So it's looking good and tonight I should be able to properly park the mount for the first time at the end of the session.

Something tells me everything is going to go horribly wrong again.

Good luck tonight all of you who are able to get out.

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Whippy

Whippy

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And here, and sat24.com shows a remarkably familiar sight again....

Indeed :). I'm hoping there's an invisible wall of high pressure that's going to hold that incoming weather system somewhere west of Milton Keynes. Unlikely I know but...

Tony..

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SteveL

SteveL

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Indeed :). I'm hoping there's an invisible wall of high pressure that's going to hold that incoming weather system somewhere west of Milton Keynes. Unlikely I know but...

I hope you are outside and enjoying that clear sky, held back by that invisible wall just west of MK.... or at least thats what the satellite images look like right now.

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steppenwolf

steppenwolf

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I hope you have a successful outing, Martin, especially after all your problems. I have been outside testing some review equipment - the first opportunity I have had for some time and the review period is fast running out! At 21:20 though, I noticed some cloud appearing in the North so my session looks like it might be coming to an end ....

Good luck everyone who has actually got out there tonight.

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RichardW

RichardW

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I hope you had a better evening than me Martin, started collecting data for IC 324 at about 18.30 but now back inside at 21.00 with everything packed away. Fog has been drifting in from the fields on and off all evening. Don't think I've ever seen my kit so wet before. Don't think much of the data will be useable. Never mind there is always tomorrow!

Richard

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Whippy

Whippy

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I hope you are outside and enjoying that clear sky, held back by that invisible wall just west of MK.... or at least thats what the satellite images look like right now.

Funny you should mention that, I've just come in for a warming coffee. The cameras are doing their thing on the and spent an hour getting reaquainted with M42 through the Argonaut :). Steadiest sky I've seen for ages but the transparancy is not great is it?

I am quite worried about my scarily accurate forcast though! Perhaps I'll give the Met Office a call and see if they want a part-time forecaster....

Tony..

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MartinB

MartinB

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Yeehaa!!! Still clear and now it looks like the high cloud which has been showing up on Sat24 to the SW is being beaten back.

Got home from work at 6.00 switched on and everything worked, that's one weird experience. Flaming star in Ha posted and now grabbing SII and OIII on the Rosette. The guiding is doing horribly strange stuff but I'm not going to be picky!

The trouble with having the obsy controlled from the house is that I've been too idle to get out, I've just sat with my feet up, glass of cointreau in hand. The shame of it.

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MartinB

MartinB

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Well I was planning an early night but now in the obsy waiting to do a meridian flip. Stunning transparency and improving seeing. Decent views of Mars through the ED120 and 5mm ortho - ice cap and some flickering disc detail in on the disc.

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