Join the Fun

[droege@snapmail.us]

The spring observing season is fast approaching.  I want to come up
running under Rob Creager's linux software.  It is a big learning process
for me.

Everything is now accessable over the internet.  It is possible for you to
sit at your computer and take images from one of the telescopes here. 
Well, ie will be when everything is made to work.  Rob just took some
darks and that has convinced me that the process will work.

Does anyone out there want to join in the fun?  I have gotten many
messages in the past saying "how can I help"?  Well here is a way and I
hope it will be fun.

I will start by running TOM1.  I can pull it out of it's barn any clear or
even partially clear night.  Then we can try to take pictures and get it
set up and calibrated.

I fear that if I try to do everything, that I will wear out Rob's patience
asking dumb questions.

Once I open up the doors, I think everything can be done remotely.

Things to do:

1) Learn the software
2) Make changes in parameter files to match differences in TOM1 and ROB
3) Make calibration runs.  i.e. take an image and see if the fits
parameters  match where it is really pointing and then adjust parameters.
4) Set up a run schedule
5) ...

Anyone who helps will have first call on the system(s) that I will set up
for remote operation.

If two or three of you sign up to help, then I won't have to ask so many
questions of Rob.

Tom Droege