RIT Observatory Startup Checklist

Michael Richmond
Mar 30, 2022

In order to use the 12-inch Meade LX200 in the dome building, perform the following.

When you first arrive ...

1. Unlock back door of house and enter building. Leave backpacks, etc., in the house.
2. Flush toilet (to verify that plumbing is working)
3. Unlock gate to dome buildings. Leave lock hanging from opened gate
4. Unlock and enter dome building

Inside the dome building

5. (If weather is good) open dome, using lowest toggle switch on dome control grey box on wall
6. Turn on power to four items:
   1. DC power supply at base of telescope pier (red switch will light up)
   2. Telescope switch on mount (red LED will light up)
   3. Electric focus unit on desk (red LED will light up)
   4. Plug in TV set to wall outlet (red LED will light up)
7. Log into dome computer using "ritobs" account
8. Remove garbage bag covering telescope, placing it on the small file cabinet under the dome-control box on wall.
9. Remove caps on the small blue guider and the larger white guider. Leave the cap on the main telescope in order to take dark frames (usually)
10. Bring cameras from house to dome. Make two trips if alone. Do not overload yourself.
    • Take white cardboard box with video camera out of the hallway closet (on a shelf underneath the main surface). Bring entire box into dome and place on table.
    • Open plastic box in back room near door, take out big red ATIK CCD camera, replace cover on plastic box and snap shut (so that dessicant inside stays dry).

Connecting items to the telescope

11. Mount big red ATIK CCD on back of telescope.
    • Hook green bungie cord onto cable tie hanging from camera
    • connect power to filter wheel. It will make small noise
    • connect USB cable to filter wheel. Computer should make USB-recognizing beep
    • connect power to ATIK camera. Fan will start to blow
    • connect USB cable to ATIK camera. Computer should make USB-recognizing beep
    • (if desired) connect telephone jack to autoguider camera
    • (if desired) connect USB to autoguider camera. Computer should make USB-recognizing beep.
12. Mount video camera on white guide telescope
    • remove camera from white cardboard box
    • remove 1.25-inch adapter from cardboard box
    • remove focal reducer from cardboard box
    • screw focal reducer onto adapter
    • screw adapter into camera
    • connect power cable to camera (green LED will light up)
    • connect coax video cable to camera (TV set will show signal)
    • slide camera into guide scope and lock in place with setscrew
13. Start filling in a log sheet for the night; continue throughout your run.

Run software on desktop in the dome

14. Create a directory under C:\data to hold the night's images. Use a name of format "jan23_2022", using the date on which the sun sets for this evening.
15. Run focuser control program
16. Run MaximDL by right-clicking on icon, choosing "Open file location", then double-clicking on the MaximDL.exe file
17. Open MaximDL's camera control window
18. Connect to camera
19. In "Setup" tab, turn on camera cooling (should be set to -20 C)
20. In "Expose" tab, set the Image Save Path to the new directory you have created

You are ready to start observing ....