Project of the Day

[Tom Droege <tdroege@veriomail.com>]

The project of the day is to build the frame to mount TOM2 in the dome.  I 
had the machine shop cut a couple of aluminum channels.  The plan is to 
build a ladder like frame to hold two Mark IVs.  One will be V and I.  The 
second will be B and R when I get the lumigen coated CCDs.

I have ordered power supplies for the next 5 systems.  Now that I know what 
it takes I can order somewhat lower powered units.  I also ordered 10 more 
filters.  I think this gets me a total of 32 camera shells.  This about 
matches the number of good CCDs that I have.  I am working on drawings to 
go out for more camera shells.  I have also ordered a number of misc. items 
so that the production line can run smoothly.  Things really go together 
pretty fast once I get rid of all the decisions.

MIKE is out on the porch waiting for clear sky.  I had to change out the 
lenses.  When MIKE got caught in the rain the lenses collected some water 
internally.  They now have big areas of condensation on internal 
surfaces.  I have a heat lamp on the lenses trying to get them to dry 
out.  I hope to avoid taking them apart.  The have been warm for several 
days, but there is still condensation.  It is getting smaller.

A couple of clear nights and I will know if MIKE is OK.  Then GLENN will go 
out on the porch.  I am short cameras so there has to be a few days of 
assembly in the basement.  I think I have enough potentially good cameras 
to complete MIKE, TOM2 and GLENN without getting more parts in.

The test stand is going and I am training Dan to fix boards.  We are slowly 
accumulating a stack of thoroughly tested boards.

I had one more occasion where TOM put out junk data.  Turning off the power 
briefly cured it.  Sigh!  Eventually I will find what is oscillating.  I am 
not certain that I am looking at the right thing until I actually catch it 
oscillating.  But I am pretty certain that it is an oscillation.  Sooner or 
later I will see it, then it will be easy to fix.

Schedule.  Sigh!  I am going on vacation July 18-25.  I don't think that 
MIKE and GLENN will be ready before then so my best guess is early 
August.  This is not "spring" but "summer" so I have only missed my 
schedule by one season.

Tom Droege