Progress Report for September 2002

[Tom Droege <tdroege2@earthlink.net>]

62 data CDs were generated during September for TOM1.  Seven were generated 
for TOM2 and 7 for TOM3 that might be useful data.  The disks are now being 
filled due to a different mode of operation so this is really more data 
than last month.  So the stack is 756 high.  It is my miser genes that 
cause me to count the shiny disks in my hoard.

TOM2 and TOM3 are now focused and pointing.  The alignment of TOM3 is 
pretty good.  TOM2 needs a small rotation.  Both need a RA trim, but the 
data is well within the 4 pixel radius.

Operation of all three systems is now pretty much routine.  It takes me 15 
minutes to a half hour of frantic work to get all three focused and taking 
data each evening.  It takes about an hour to write the data to disks at 
dawn.  Then a few hours of loading and checking data to reduce to star lists.

I have done a lot of data analysis this month.  I am looking at why the 
data is not better than it is.  I am looking for modes of operation that 
will make it just a little better.  Eventually, I will give up and accept 
that the data will never be as good as I would like in this suburban 
location.  Some data is better than others.  I am slowly coming to the 
conclusion that I cannot do everything here in Batavia so close to 
Chicago.  I am thinking that I will go for what is possible.   That is to 
survey for large amplitude variables.  The system is good enough now to 
find everything that varies more than .2 mag.  This should be useful if not 
everything that one might want.

I have switched the mode of operation for TOM1 from following a field for 
48 frames to taking an image and cogging back to the starting 
position.  This results in about 7 measurements of each star as it transits 
the 4 degree field.  Last night this covered 9 hours in RA with 7 images of 
each star in a 4 by 135 degree field.  This mode is better for finding 
intermediate period variables.  Those with a few day and longer 
period.  Since one gets field measurements over three to four months, this 
means that this data will be good for periods of a few days to a hundred 
days or so.  This should be just right to find Cepheids, R V Tau, and 
pretty good for shorter period Miras.

The October data release will be a start for this type of data as well as 
the 48 frame runs taken previously.  I quickly spotted a few stars with 
several day periods.

We have started serious design of the Mark V.  Mostly it just cures 
problems with the Mark IV design.  It will use the same electronics and 
lenses.  Dan has already made a few drawings.

Tom Droege