Starting Up
These may already be done If so, skip ahead
- Make sure the GAM computer is off.
The location of the switch is on the black box at the south side of the telescope. The box
has the most cables of any box on the telescope.
- Turn on power to the TCS computer
(behind the front cover of the TCS panel
which is the large black panel to the lower right of the workstation).
- Turn on the GAM. It must be turned on between starting the
TCS computer and starting the TCS software (next step), or else it fails to establish
a link.
- Start up the TCS software
- The TCS computer should be at the DOS prompt: C:/TCS
- Type TCS to start the telescope control
- Let it start up and initialize (~ 1 minute)
- Turn on the CCDs.
- Plug in the appropriate camera to the CCD Power Strip
- the flat black cord is for the Spectrograph
- the round black cord is for the Imager
- Do not unplug the guider.
- Turn on the power switch.
These must be turned on if you want to precision guide the telescope or take images.
Note: This can be done at a later time if your height requires that the telescope be moved to lower the power strip
The rest must be done at the start of every session
- Open dome doors
Do the following on the TCS console:
- 4) Miscellaneous Menu
- 6) Open/Close Dome
- Type 1 in response to open/close
- Respond 'No' to any changes
- 0) Return to Main Menu
- Doors will open noisily. You will think something has broken.
- Turn on the power to the telescope drives
- On the TCS panel, depress the [HALT MOTORS] button
- button out = motors on
- button in = motors off
- Flip up the [DRIVES] toggle switch
- Go Upstairs and take off the Shower Cap covering the
skylight baffle and remove the cover on the finder scope.
To do these, use the Movement Hand Paddle to move the telescope to due north (not the North Celestial
Pole, but below it) but don't point below the horizon but instead
about 5 degrees above.
Press the [SLEW] button on the Movement Hand Paddle while pressing the
[N] button to move the telescope quickly.
Use the stepladder to reach for them.
- Downstairs, set the time on the TCS control computer
- 1) Initialization Menu
- 1) Set Date and Time
- Type in the date and time (both UT which is EST + 5 h or EDT + 4 h).
Don't forget to roll over the date if it is AM in UT.
- 0) Return to Main Menu
- Open mirror covers
- On TCS Panel, flip the [Mirror Doors] switch all the way up (it has
three positions)
- 4) Miscellaneous Menu
- 5) Open/Close Doors
- Type 1, then NO
- They open quietly. Go upstairs to check. You can see their reflection
in the secondary mirror.
- Turn on the automatic dome tracking
- On the TCS panel, flip up the [Dome Track] switch.
- Filp up the [Auto Dome] switch.
- Turn on the telescope tracking
- On the TCS panel, flip up the [Track] switch (second from left).