[jamespierce (James)]

Power to the dome

While testing the setup I just ran a very long extension cord out to the Dome from the house. I had originally intended to build a completely off grid solar and battery setup, but once I had the dome up and running and I started to measure how much power I was using it became clear that it would require a very large number of panels and batteries to cover winter days. Instead I bit the bullet and had an electrician run power to the dome underground - this turned out to not be all that expensive. If you have to go with a solar setup, consider carefully how much power you will need for devices like dehumidifiers etc.

UPS Backup

While the dome is connected to the mains being out in the country there are more interruptions than you might imagine. One nice feature of the ScopeDome controller is that it will automatically close using UPS power if the dome detects a mains power failure. A good UPS also protects your computers and camera hardware by regulating the power and preventing sudden unexpected power downs. I actually run two, one for the dome and the cloud sensor exclusively. There is a hardware link between the two so that if everything else has gone wrong the dome will still shut. The other runs the scope, computer, all sky camera and dehumidifier etc.

Remote switching

Having the ability to remotely power down and reboot components is essential for a fully remote setup. My first remote power switch was a Serveredge PDU which was web accessible, but it didn’t have a scripting system and it wasn’t easily controlled from any of the telescope automation software. The switch I should have bought up front was the one I use now - A Digital Logger - 85-240V Smart Power Switch version is web accessible, has a basic scripting engine and is ASCOM compatible.

If I did it again I’d just buy the Digital Logger the first time. Otherwise I’m very happy with the electrical setup.