David's Astronomy Pages Notes - Session 1121 (2023-06-07)

Notes (S1120)

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Notes (S1122)

	Session Aims & Highlights
	- Observing Result  - Night Summary Plot  - Session Event Log
	Operational Issues
	- Critical Issues (0),  Major Issues (1),  Minor Issues (1),  Small Defects (0),  Continuous Improvement (2)
	Images from 2023-06-07 >>

Session Aims & Highlights (2023-06-07)

Main aims

1. Targets.  Acquire images of a selection of variable stars, nearby stars, comets & deep sky targets as allowed by sky conditions

 Equipment & Software

• 12" LX200 and ST-10XME
• 80mm APO and ZWO ASI 178MC
• CCDApp2, TheSky6, CCDSoft5, DeviceHub 6.6.1.1,  MeadeGeneric 1.3.5.414, UPB 1.5, ASCOM 6.6
• Pegasus UPB & Motor Focus, TCF-S
• SharpCap 3.2, PHD2  2.6.11dev4, Siril 1.0.6, deCONZ 1.18.2, ASCOM 6.6 SP1
   
• AstroMain 3.62.5, AstroPlan 1.38.1,   AstroShCap 1.3.15, AstroGuard 1.10.2
  AstroVOE 1.13  AstroSN 1.10,  AstroProtect 1.7,  AstroMove 1.12.3
  (AstroWeather 1.20.1, AstroAllSky 3.19.1,  AstroObsCam 1.11.4, AstroLaunch 1.10.9 (1.11.1 on Dev Computer)

Highlights

• Targets. 6 out of 13 planned targets (46%) were completed. Other targets failed due to cloud.
• Dome Slews.  Every dome slew during session suffered significant hold-up wasting a total of 11 minutes, with delays of  47, 65, 89 and 175s (Hold Up Stats:5/5 slews affected, 100%, 10.9 minutes total hold-up time).  Dome Parking also failed due to a significant hold-up.

Notes:

Summary Plots & Logs

Observing Plan

Observing Result

Dome & Scope Slewing Performance

Slew/Centering Performance

Guiding Performance

Sky Conditions (Locate Frames)

Night Sky Summary Plot Top axis: Sky Brightness at Zenith (in ADU/s) Lefthand axis: Local Time (hh LT). Righthand axis: Sun Altitude (degs)

Actual Weather vs Pre-Session Weather Forecast

Session Event Log

Time     Event Detail 23:39:49 Session Monitoring AutoStart monitoring for Live Session opportunity between 23:59 & 01:03 23:39:50   AutoStart Waiting AutoStart waiting till earliest start time at 23:59 23:59:12   AutoStart Delayed Session delayed due to too few stars 00:00:57 Session AutoStarting Session autostarting (00:00) 00:01:27   CCDSoft Restarting CCDSoft being restarted (to set AutoSave No.) 00:01:40 Session Created Session Created (Live, 2023-06-07 S01121, ImageSaveNum: 1121001) 00:02:07   Scope Switched On Telescope Power has been switched on via UPB Powerbox. 00:03:51   Services Started Observatory Services started 00:03:58 Observatory (Auto) Observatory placed in Fully-Automated Mode 00:04:03 Session Pending Session pending (2023-06-07) 00:04:05 Session Initiating Session initiating (2023-06-07) 00:04:07   Plan Requested Observing Plan requested from AstroPlan (1.38.1) 00:05:50   Plan Loaded Observing Plan loaded to queue (Plan ID: 894) 00:06:13   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera connected (set point -20°C) 00:06:50   Telescope Connected Telescope connected (TheSky6) 00:07:14 Session Equilibration Session ready to Open Dome 00:07:59   Dome Opened Dome opened (opening time 45s) 00:08:03   Equilibration Started Dome Equilibration started 00:11:09   Equilibration Ended Dome Equilibration ended (3.1 mins total) 00:11:11 Session Running Session running 00:11:13   Queue Started Observing Queue started (6 targets selected) 00:11:16     Target Started (NrZen) Target started (Focus Field 16, HIP 78946) 00:11:28       Dome Unparked Dome unparked 00:12:58     Dome Slew Dome slew held up at Az. 150.6° (Delay 37s) 00:15:54       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 00:18:29       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1, wide) 00:20:27       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1) 00:20:52       Focusing Started-Foc2 Foc2 Focusing Started (Secondary Scope, using ShCap) 00:23:03       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2, wide) 00:24:48       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2) 00:25:05     Target Completed (NrZen) Target completed (Focus Field 16, HIP 78946) 00:25:09     Target Started (1/6) Target started (1/6, M101 w/SN2023ixf) 00:28:39     Dome Slew Dome slew held up at Az. 207.6, 266.7° (Total delay 142s) 00:31:00       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 00:33:11       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 3) 00:41:57   UPB.Switch Restart UPB.Switch has been restarted. 00:49:22     Target Completed Target completed (1/6, M101 w/SN2023ixf) 00:49:26     Target Started (2/6) Target started (2/6, GCVS BL Lac) 00:53:33     Dome Slew Dome slew held up at Az. 290.3, 20.4° (Total delay 169s) 01:00:15     Target Completed Target completed (2/6, GCVS BL Lac) 01:00:19     Target Started (3/6) Target started (3/6, C/2022 L2 (ATLAS)) 01:04:32     Dome Slew Dome slew held up at Az. 106.4, 108.2, 135.5, 136.1, 178.8, 177.4° (Total delay 175s) 01:12:15       SoftSuspend Called Soft Suspend is called due to Deteriorating Conditions (reducing clarity) 01:15:01     Target Completed Target completed (3/6, C/2022 L2 (ATLAS)) 01:15:03   Queue Paused Queue paused for Session Suspension 01:15:06 Session Suspending Session suspending 01:15:56   Dome Closed Dome closed (closing time 50s) 01:15:57 Session Suspended Session suspended 01:24:33     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (4/7, C/2022 A2 (PANSTARRS), ToO) due to cloud 01:33:41     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (5/7, 81P/Wild) due to cloud 01:43:01     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (6/7, HIP 87937) due to cloud 02:03:59     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (7/7, GCVS AM Her) due to cloud 02:04:04   Queue Completed Job Queue completed 02:04:10 Session Closing Session closing 02:04:15   Dome Closed Dome already closed (closed at 01:15, closing time 50s) 02:07:26     Dome Slew Dome slew held up at Az. 179.6, 177.6, 158.1, 151.5, 133.0, 132.9° (Total delay 132s) 02:07:28   Dome Park Aborted Dome Park aborted (0s, Az=132.9°) 02:08:44   Telescope Parked Telescope parked (parking time 71s) 02:08:59   Telescope State Handbox reads 'Scope parked Turn scope off.' 02:09:39   Telescope Switched Off Telescope Power has been switched off via UPB Switch. 02:11:03   Services Stopped Night Services stopped 02:11:06 Session Housekeeping Session Housekeeping started (Create Fits Summary, Transfer Files) 02:11:16 Session Finished Session Finished

Session Alerts & Alarms

Time     Type       Name Detail 00:12:58 Yellow Alert Dome Slew Dome slew held up at Az. 150.6° (Delay 37s) 00:28:39 Red Alert Dome Slew Dome slew held up at Az. 207.6, 266.7° (Total delay 142s) 00:41:56 Yellow Alert UPB.Switch disconnected UPB.Switch has unexpectedly disconnected. Restart will be attempted 00:41:59 Green Clear UPB.Switch UPB.Switch has been successfully restarted. 00:53:33 Red Alert Dome Slew Dome slew held up at Az. 290.3, 20.4° (Total delay 169s) 00:53:41 Yellow Alert Dome Discrepency Difference between Dome Az and Telescope Az is > 8 deg (GCVS BL Lac) 00:53:44 Yellow Alert Dome Discrepency Difference between Dome Az and Slave Az is > 1 deg (GCVS BL Lac) 01:04:32 Red Alert Dome Slew Dome slew held up at Az. 106.4, 108.2, 135.5, 136.1, 178.8, 177.4° (Total delay 175s) 01:04:40 Yellow Alert Dome Discrepency Difference between Dome Az and Slave Az is > 1 deg (C/2022 L2 (ATLAS)) 02:07:26 Red Alert Dome Slew Dome slew held up at Az. 179.6, 177.6, 158.1, 151.5, 133.0, 132.9° (Total delay 132s) 02:07:30 Red Alert Dome Failed To Park Parking aborted after 3 mins, Rotation Drive wheels are likely to be slipping (Dome at Az 132.9°)

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Operational Issues (2023-06-07, S1121)

• Critical Issues (0)
• Major Issues (1)
• Minor Issues (0)
• Small Defects (0)
• Continuous Improvement (2)
  

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Critical Issues

• None

Major Issues

• Every slew during session suffered a significant hold-up of hang-up.  Total lost time was 10.9 mins, which is particularly significant given the very short observing period (short summer night).  Associated with the same issue Dome Parking failed when the operation was aborted by AstroMain program after the slew to the Park Position  (Az 90 deg) took more than 180s. Fixed 2023-07-19 by adjusting the tension on rotation drive (required loosing the induction charger to access relevant nut inside the drive unit), fixed confirmed in Session S1233 (2023-07-22).
  Fixed 2023-07-19 (Observatory, Pulsar Dome)

Minor Issues

• AutoStart is being delayed by Too Few Stars even if 'Suspend When Few Stars' option is disabled. With Star Count of 2 at Sun Alt -8.7, AutoStart was delayed even though the 'Suspend When (Too) Few Stars' option was uncheck.  Few Stars Threshold showed a value of 3 from the previous session.   Changing the Threshold to 1 so that it was less than the current Star Count (2) allowed AutoStart to commence.  Threshold should not be checked against if the 'Suspend When Few Stars' option is disabled.  Incidence of issue in a later session (S1161 in Nov 2023) was caused by ScoreCard.ObservingPotential being 'Bad' due to AllSky Star Count being <= 5 and it is presumed that same issue related to the occurance of the issue in the S1121 session.  Fixed in AstroMain 3.64.1. 
  Fixed 2023-11-06 (AstroMain 3.64.1)

Small Defects

• None

Continuous Improvement

• Employ Ch2 Temperature/Humidity Sensor in Greenhouse.
  Done 2023-06-22 (Observatory / Greenhouse, Weather Station)
   
• Add/modify Weather Charts to show Greenhouse Temperature/Humidity.  Create new graphs to show 16 hour greenhouse temperature (Graph 59), greenhouse temperature difference from outside (Graph 60) and 5 day greenhouse humidity (Graph 61). Modify title of graph boxes to show current greenhouse temperature (Graph 55) and current greenhouse humidity (Graph 2). Modify 5 day temperture graph to show greenhouse temperature (Graph 14). Modify 5 day observatory temperature graph to remove Ch2  Temperature and include outside temperature (Graph 26).
  Done 2023-07-11 (AstroWeather 1.21)

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