Mirror cover open/close status failure

Sunday, December 12, 2021 7:26 AM

Problem(s) Encountered:

No problems with 2.4m, except for the same faulty mirror cover reading as the previous night, and a restart needed for the xmis at the start.

Solution:

Failed magnetic reed switch on the south mirror cover (the failed portion being the wired half mounted to the telescope structure.  Replaced the wired side.  I also noted that even with the repair, the OPEN indicator was slightly intermittent.  Checking, the magnetic switches had slightly more distance between them on the south side, particularly compared to the other three.  I placed some washers on the bolts holding the switch component on the mirror cover to bring the switches closer together when opened.  This appears to make the switch much more responsive.