Cal Poly 18 Bulletin 01

2011-05-18: Inital Status

I (Richard Berry) meet with Dan Gray and Greg Rohde to plan getting the Cal Poly 18 operational.

Pointed straight up, it stands 85 inches floor to top.

The telescope is 60 inches nose to tail; the altitude axis is 36 inches from the ground;
when level, the top of the tube is 48 inches high.

The encoder side of the altitude axis, with 12 megatick Renishaw-tape encoder.

Windings of the Dave Rowe direct-drive motor.

 

MUST-DO MECHANICAL

• Provide Rotater/Focuser unit

• Make/install homing switches, both axes

• Make/install limit switches, both axes

• Controllers/wiring for each of the above

MUST-DO SOFTWARE:

• Azimuth no-wrap code, to provide crossover "window"

• Servo configuration for setting up new controller

• Firmware zero-crossing hysteresis code

• Firmware phase-angle hysteresis code

• Firmware output limits code

• Firmware current limits code

• Firmware integral limit code code

Lower-priority tasks:

• Determine focus change caused by Paracorr

• Locate Newtonian focus point

• Modify struts to eliminate standoffs(?)

• Study/eliminate secondary vibration problem

• Blacken reflective surfaces visible from focus point

• House/protect control boards

• Investigate Ethernet-to-USB (Silex SX-3000GB ~$100)

• Acquire control computer and software

Telescope Dimensions for Housing:

• Axes cross 36.5" above base

• Tube 20" axis cross to mirror end

• Tube 49" axis cross to top end

• Rocker end top 23" x 23"

• Base 32" across

• Maximum width fork arms ~38"

• Level telescope 47" base to top

• Top end sweeps ~52" from axis cross

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