MDM Trouble Report for 2008 Jan 15

Telescope: 2.4m
Observer(s): John Thorstensen (Dartmouth)
Instrument: echelle CCD direct + 4in FW

Problem(s) Encountered:
After taking my flats I went to find a guide star for the first
object and couldn't find anything.  After a little headscratching
I realized that the guide probe was very far out of focus -- stars
were as large as half the TV field -- and I could not get the
probe to focus.  I called Bob, and he walked me through the 
procedure for moving the guide probe motor mike manually.  Somehow
the motor mike had moved a long way from where they had set it 
up today -- Bob said the indicator had been moved to the  direct 
mark, but when I looked at it, it was a good 1.5 inches away from
where it had been set.  At Bob's suggestion I taped it down at its
nominal position - I was able to focus then, and it didn't 
trouble me for the rest of the night.

I had the distinct impression also that the rocker switch that
controls the guider focus is flaky.  While I was on the phone
with Bob I was trying to make large adjustments in the focus, 
and it would often seem to stick.  It is possible I was confused
and the mike had simply reached the end of its travel, but 
I didn't think so.  However, later in the night I did not
see the same behavior when I made some small tweaks in the
guider focus.

Everything else worked fine -- the 4in FW did not seem to 
misbehave at all, but I always moved it by a few steps at a time
so it always went 'round the same way -- so for example, 
if I was in 4 and wanted to go to 2, I'd go 6, 8, 2, 4.

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Submitted on 2008 Jan 16 [7:50:21]