MDM Trouble Report for 2013 Jan 15

Telescope: 1.3m
Observer(s): Marcus Levine, Emir Karamehmetoglu (Columbia)
Instrument: Templeton

Problem(s) Encountered:
The bulk of our trouble was associated with the extremely cold weather, pushing 10 degrees Fahrenheit. The declination drive of the telescope locked up while slewing, which rendered the automatic pointing function of the TCS completely unusable, resulting in a  point failed to converge  error message, in addition to a  point track rates incorrect  error.
After much fiddling, we figured out a viable system for pointing the telescope manually, using a combination of the GUI and physical paddles. After slewing the telescope with the physical paddle until it locked up, we increment in the same direction with the GUI paddle, then continue moving with the physical paddle until the telescope locks up again, then repeat the GUI paddle incrementation. Using this strategy, we were able to successfully point the telescope and track targets.

In the process of trying to resolve the pointing problem, we repeatedly tried to home the telescope. Due to its inability to slew, the telescope would also fail to home properly, resulting in a  ERROR where m_ha not homed  message on TCS (also an ERROR where m_dec not homed message). After eventually homing the telescope manually using our physical/GUI paddle routine, we reset the pointing of the telescope by zeroing the tilt sensors and setting  zero ra=xx:xx:xx dec=+31:57:12 , which convinced the telescope that it was in the home position and re-calibrated the HA and Dec readout on TCS.

Unfortunately, our troubles did not end there. With the telescope successfully tracking, we moved to position the guide probe. At first Maxim DL failed to connect to the guide camera, but a restart of mdmikon1 resolved this problem. After acquiring a guide star using JSkyCalc and exposing the frame in the Guide window of Maxim DL, we began tracking. After about 30 seconds, the telescope jumped off the star by precisely 1.5 arcmin in declination.
This behavior consistently repeated every time we attempted to set a guide star. Re-calibration of the guide camera and extensive (but responsible!) fiddling with the settings failed to resolve the problem. Without guiding, we were unable to resolve reliable data frames without trailing, so we attempted to close the dropout shutter to reduce the wind's impact on tracking. As we attempted to close the dropout, it got stuck about a foot from closed position. We attempted to open the shutter again and re-close it, but to no avail.

Unable to capture reliable data frames, we gave up the struggle, closed the main shutter despite the dropout being only partially closed, and shut down for the night.

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Submitted on 2013 Jan 15 [3:59:34]