New Forest Observatory ®

Mini-WASP array now fitted in the dome, side panels on the frame, everything bolted down.  Will just dry run the Paramount using the Sky 6 software and call it a day.  Next step is to manually polar align and visually set up each scope.

Power now connected to the dome and the dehumidifier is running 🙂

Turned out to be a bit of a marathon job finishing off the mini-WASP observatory flooring.  On the top you can see the Pulsar Observatories’ cushioned flooring (very nice!).  Directly underneath the cushioned floor is the Pulsar Observatories supplied waterproof membrane.  Directly underneath the waterproof membrane is a carpet of welded wire mesh to prevent possible ingress of rodents (who like to live under decking apparently – certainly I know grass snakes do – so maybe mice don’t 🙂 )  And finally underneath the wire mesh is a layer of pond liner which is sealed (using white silicone sealant) to the underside of the dome).  Might all be a bit of overkill but hopefully I only have to do it once.

Here is the mini-WASP framework as fully-populated as I can manage it ready for installing into the dome this weekend.  The Starlight Xpress cnnectors between the filter-wheels and the Sky 90s arrived promptly this morning (thank you Gill Hattey!) and I fitted them straight away.  The M26C cameras sit nicely on the back of the filter wheels with a sufficient stand-off from the wheels to be able to get at the collimation screws.  And the unexpected added bonus?  The metal back distance is only spot-on that’s all 🙂  Pig in clover day today 🙂 🙂

Gary & Dave from Pulsar Observatories Ltd. started first thing this morning and have just finished installing the new house for the mini-WASP array.  Great job guys – quickly and expertly done – thank you.  Pulsar Observatories will appear in the mini-WASP sponsors page shortly, thank you guys for a great deal on the observatory!

Here is the de-wired mini-WASP framework with three Sky 90 refractors and one Megrez 80 attached.  Two Sky 90s will be used for imaging, one will be for visual, and the Megrez 80 is the guide scope in this first incarnation of the mini-WASP array 🙂

Before taking everything apart to move down into the new observatory – here is the recently tested demi-mini-WASP array on a desk in the study.  Why demi-mini-WASP?  Because I am starting off modestly with just 2 of the possible 4 Sky 90 imaging scopes in the frame.  Sky 90s numbers 3 and 4 are to follow over the next 2 to 4 years.  This was always going to be a very long-term project 🙂

Today I was extremely fortunate to have Tom How over to help me sort out the computer logistical nightmare that the mini-WASP project was becoming for me.  After a marathon 9-hour session Tom managed to get the 2 computers (with just one mouse/keyboard/monitor) running both M26C cameras, the guide camera, the two filter-wheels and the Paramount!  I wouldn’t have been able to get this lot all working given several weeks of trying – so big THANK YOU Tom!!  Tom also saved me a fortune in hardware as I was going to take the “easy” (but expensive) way out of 4 stand alone computer systems each with their own monitor/mouse/keyboard.

So once the new observatory is installed next week I can move all this clutter out of my study and into the new dome and get my study back for what it was meant for rather than being the mini-WASP workshop and assembly unit.

The mini-WASP project continues on-schedule 🙂