Cords, Cables, Connect, Repeat and Bookshelves

 I didn't take the first photo by my Jan 14 deadline but I'm all wired up and very close.

I do remember reading in my research books that I shouldn't short myself

on electrical outlets, but

apparently my reading comprehension skills suck because I'm way short in the outlet department.

Here is the power panel in the observatory with both 110 and 12 volt,

the bundle of cables on the right side are communication cables, it's weird but when I work on the panel

I always feel like someones watching.

This is the wiring at the base of the telescope, USB cables are all powered because of their length,

The observatory also has multiple cameras installed so we can monitor everything from inside the warm room. This is the computer that runs those cameras.

Design work on the bookshelf has gone very well and I'm finally happy.

The 1st shelf just above the monitors is oversize, deep and strong, 

this shelf helps supports the 4 corner shelves, 2 per side.

The right hand corner shelves are temporarily spaced and held up by plastic file boxes 

so I could see them in place.

They will get pulled down, painted and installed this week.

First chance I get to open the dome I'll try running everything from inside the warm room but lately we have been hit with nuisance light and blowing snow.

Back On Track, More Cables & Clean Up Fires

I should say back on tracks.

Last week we had a weather prediction of heavy snow followed by cold temps

so we decided to install the tracks on the 

Rodeo on a 30 degree day instead of below 0 day in deep snow.

Track installation didn't prevent the below 0 weather but did keep the snow fall to around 2".

Even though we still don't need them, at least they're on and being ready just might keep the snow away!

Plus you have to admit this is cool.

Although my neighbors some how think there CJ looks tougher,

 I can say Rodeo is one hell of a lot easier to get into.

Jim and Michele were up over the holidays and I was hoping to run the telescope

but no such luck. Over Christmas I had placed a large order for the cables needed to hook everything together and they hadn't arrived,  so in the interim we loaded a pile of software and drivers along with registering everything.

After receiving the long powered USB cables we routed and pulled them through the conduit between

the observatory and warm room. I then started wiring everything together, guide camera to the CCD camera, CCD camera to the desk top, auto focuser to the desk top, 2 web cams to a lap top, all the power cables for  the cameras, powered USB cables, dome rotation motor and  telescope power.

I was feeling pretty smart right up to figuring out I had forgot the communications cable that runs between the telescope and the computer and it seems that one is important.

(who'd thought)

Just a few of the wires and cables, I'm going to need the big container of zip ties.

We have had enough snow to light our clean up fires

During our dirt work this summer Dean stacked up 4 large burn piles of brush, stumps and dead trees

So over the last few days we have burned 3 of them.  I can't help but think I caused great hardship for all the critters that had made the piles their winter home.

That's all for now

Happy New Years All

Healing, Support, and Happy Winter Solstice

I have to say when Cook County wants to come together they do so beautifully,

The support for everyone affected by this event not only from our county, but the entire state, was heart warming to see.

One positive out come from this tragedy could be that this huge surge of  support and caring for others might continue and grow.

People are healing and that's the best news!

Trying hard to stay somewhat politely correct in the "Holiday Season"

I want to wish you all a happy

Winter Solstice

In the world of  astronomy one should be sad with the increasing daylight hours but as a person that lives in a remote setting in the woods I say

YA-HOO

I also want to thank all you readers, 

we are approaching the end of the second year of our 1 year building project so

 "we're right on schedule

and all we're lacking is finishing up".

(my old boss just hated this statement)

This blog started in mid-January 2010 and we are working hard to be up and  running and shooting photos by our two year anniversary.

We will do a entry on that anniversary with a complete list of visits

but here is a little sample:

As of today the site has had

over 8,000 visitors

over 14,000 pages viewed

with visitors from  over 80 Country/Territory's

and well over 300 hours of content read.

So again thanks!

Coming soon will be the .com site for the observatory

and my new blog on Cook County politics.

For all  my neighbors in the small end of the lake,

yes the beavers are hitting you all hard, the new lodge is now built on Lonny's dock

and I have seen very little down my way,

 They must be very happy down there but with the water as low as it is I don't know why.

I'll try to get you some photos.

Courthouse Shooting and a Need for Change

I have to start by  sending positive thoughts to Tim Scannell and his family,

I  really appreciate Tim  both as our county attorney and a genuine human being.

My heart also goes out to all the people this entire episode has affected, both mentally and physically, and I hope everyone can move forward.

I hate to get political on this site but I have to explain the break in observatory progress.

It started years ago with my laundry.

 My laundromat is right across the street from our county courthouse, and as I waited for my cycles to run a combination of boredom and curiosity drove me to attending court and getting educated on just what goes on in our community.

After a year or so of court I got somewhat depressed and frustrated with it repetitive nature and all the dealing with alcohol.

I  then decided to changed my focus to the county commissioners meetings. 

Keep in mind that I had no local government experience what so ever, 

and I do mean none.

Now after over more then a year of sitting in the audience for 3 Tuesdays every month,  I have grown somewhat frustrated with the system, 

actually more frustrated with our fractured community and their thinking that 5 commissioners doing what ever their special interest constituencies what them to do, will fix anything.

Ghandi stated

"When the people lead, the leaders will follow"

I believe this to be true.

I wanted to live in Grand Marais since I was a child. I guess what I really wanted was

 to live in Mayberry.

(the fictional setting for The Andy Griffith Show)

Well this ain't it 

and the sad part is that I think it could be 

  but it's going to take 5000 people to come together enough to make some positive changes.

 Rolling around in the back of my mind all this time 

(lots of room for rolling back there)

I have been planing some kind of interactive, organic blog that might help and

 this was the perfect week to put pen to paper for the rough draft and outline.

The week was perfect because Cook County was having a large jury trial that was expected to last the week.

I know this doesn't seem like much but up here jury trials are somewhat uncommon and I haven't seen one before.

Monday  morning I showed up at the courthouse with pen and note pad knowing there would be slow times to think and compile my overview and outline.

The blog I'm thniking about  would give every person a voice,  a site were they could post and read positive suggestion's and solutions,

maybe inspire some out of the box thinking,

any avenue to bring a community together.

.

After three and a half days in the courtroom,  my note pad is pretty full of ideas,

 and final arguments in the trial are complete and the case is in the hands of the jurors. Around 1:00 in the afternoon  I left the courthouse to run some errands.

I had left my number with someone to call me when they had reached a verdict, receiving no call I headed back to our house around 5:00 pm. By 5:15 my phone started to ring with calls that there had been a shooting in our courthouse and that people I know and care about are shot and or traumatized

Where the f--ks my Mayberry?

I will try to get the new blog running soon so we won't have any political views on this blog but if 5000 people can't get it right were screwed as a society.

The Wait is Over, Now It's Learning Time

Our wait ended today.

After a waiting period that felt longer then a performance of Madam Butterfly that I attended

some years back,

our copy of Maxim DL Pro was in the mail box!

I'm very happy we had to order the boxed software instead of the downlodable version because a 402 page manual was included, it's around $60.00 dollars more but not having to print it was worth every dime, besides its nicely printed.

Out comes the yellow highlighter, reading glasses and coffee with Baileys.

I need to read just enough right now to make sure all our drivers are 64 bit and compatible,

understand what hooks up and determine the last of our cable needs.

We are coming up on two year anniversary of the project and this blog and I would love to be showing you some photos of at least the solar system by then.

Feels Like the Best Christmas Toy with missing Batteries

That just how it feels right now.

12 days ago the computer was all set up and I started loading camera drivers and software only to find we were missing a huge program needed to run just about everything.

We had thought this software was included with our camera purchase but it wasn't and the fact our camera was bought over a year ago didn't help.

After calling our supplier they agreed to have the company drop ship the software to the observatory, well after a week of waiting we called them again only to find they had ordered a down loadable version which doesn't help us up here in slow Internet world.

Now I'm promised delivery this week!

Other news,

the weather has been very nice with only light snow.

I have another damn raccoon in the bird feeder and the live trap is set right now.

I installed the tracks on the neighbors jeep

and I also get to put a new radiator and fuel pump in my pickup. (lucky me)

Computer Up & Running and Camera Back Installed

Our new computer was delivered the first part of the month.

I unpacked it and played with some preliminary setups trying to maximise desk top space.

Happy with the lay out I drilled large holes in the counter top for the cables, theses holes were then finished off with desk grommets.

The main computer with it's dual monitors will run the camera, guide camera, auto focuser, telescope and Photo Shop.

The others will be split up between running the dome, weather data, observatory lighting, Internet and warm room music.

I am very happy with the quality of the monitors,

hell

I'm extremely impressed with the whole package, it's rocket fast.

Thank you again Barry!

We received a great bang for the buck and

couldn't have done it without you.

Work in the observatory included:

more wiring both 12 and110 volt

degree indexing the inside of the dome

installing the dome rotation set-up

lighting controls

and camera back installation.

Camera back installed

Side view

click any photo to enlarge

Camera comes very close to the inside of the forks when the telescope is looking north.

Starting to get some snow

Today just a little open water left and with temp right now of 12 degree's it will be iced over solid by morning.

I promised a road update for my neighbors,

all the holes have been filled, big rocks pulled, some ditch work, the real bad mud holes dug out and filled along with the brush pushed back to open up the edge's.

all photos are from the east end of the road to where the gate was,

if you want more info or photos email me.

Telescope Camera Back and .COM Site Address

We have picked up

MurmurCreekObservatory.com

domain name and will be setting it up over the next few months.

Both the blog and .com site will run concurrently with the .com site containing much more technical information, easier to navigate and search and be strictly astronomy based.

The blog will continue to be more of a life journal about living in the woods and running the observatory.

Other news,

our computer will be here in the next few days and I should be able to determine just how far over my head I really am, so to be ready I started with putting the camera back together and here is a quick overview.

Back view of the QSI 583 camera with internal filter ring.

Front view.

Opening the camera to expose the filter wheel.

Empty filter wheel.

Filter wheel had to be removed for the filter installation, you can see the shutter at the top.

This is like buying a new Nikon camera, bringing it home and taking it apart to see how it works.

This is the 4 filter set from Astrodon and is the

Tru-Balance

LRGB E-Series

CCD Filters

Generation 2

Red, Green, Blue and Lumicon.

Filters installed in the wheel.

Re-installed the wheel, then the camera housing and I had no extra parts or screws!

Next was the installation of the AutoFocuser.

Jim's choice of focuser is the

Starizona

Micro-Touch

"Shorty"

I have to say that it's a very high quality piece of equipment and fit perfectly.

Last but not least is the installation of the guide camera,

again Jim stepped up with one of the best.

This is the,

StarLight Xpress

Lodestar Autoguider

The business end with it's visible CCD chip

The complete package ready to attach to the telescope.

The guide camera mounted without any kind of adapter or trouble.

I am also finishing up the wiring in both the warm room and observatory along with installing the last 2 windows in the warm room.