Motion Oddities and Mirror cover failure--pneumatics control loss!

Sunday, June 14, 2026 6:01 AM

Problem(s) Encountered:

The telescope wouldn't move. This was weird, since the RA drive did spin when commanded, but only a "clunk clunk clunk" resulted. Dec drive doesn't seem to spin at all. The mirror covers wouldn't open -- it's conceivable they came down out of order, but until the telescope moves there's no point in investigating that further.

Solution:

Traced back the issue to power ports in the TCS Galil system, specifically J4 & J5 connections.  Reseated connections and all problems disappeared.  It is unclear to me why the telescope did not move.  However, it is possible that when the power went flaky, the brakes engaged.  This may explain why motion wasn’t occurring but I would have expected a blown fuse if demand for movement went on too long.