Put a Gigabit LAN card in the old white computer (the one on the right in the bay) and fitted an Aluminium bracket loaded with cable ties to take (most of) the cables from the Paramount to the computers, off the floor and above the swinging counterweight arm.
Wow! Looking good, although a bit tight. Looks like it could be a bit of a death trap while the scope is slewing 😉 Probably the fish eye.
No – you’re right – it’s much tighter than I anticipated (does look a bit worse with the fisheye). Not going to be able to work in the dome with the thing running – hence the Gigabit LAN card for the old computer (the newer computer already has one) – for running the computers indoors to the quad-monitor system which will control all the observatory goings-on.
Also means I will need (rather than have as a nice add-on), the automatic dome rotator. Tom How is on the case with that and already has some software put together that should do the job nicely.
Greg
Might I suggest something like a rubber tennis ball (painted black of course) with a hole cut in it over the end of the counterweight shaft – sooner or later one of us is going to bash a skull on it. I know your brain is retired, but I still need mine!!
In which case we’ll leave as is shall we? 🙂