|
These ants are big and black. I always try not to step on them so maybe they treat me nice. I often put food out for them but have not given them names..well not all of them.
Last night I polar aligned the EQ8R and was happy to find I was very close such that I did not need to move the tripod . That would not be at all easy with the RASA on the mount and sixty pounds of counter weights..it seems one to many but I have yet to balance stuff...Sig.Octans was on screen when I looked thru Polemaster using Sharp cap..why Sharpcap? Because I thought I may need to do a long exposure to show trails and therefore the direction of Sig. Octans...I had to attach the camera using blue tack as there is no polar scope hole on the mount.
AND Martin the controls are much better than EQ6 very smooth.
I was able to test the repositioning of the winch motors ( expected to have better mechanical advantage..and they did) and the effect of grinding the tracks ( and painting them) to reduce rolling resistance...both made moving the roof much easier and much smoother...what I did not know but my Shipwright mate discovered was that raised BHP (letters) was on parts of the track so when the wheels hit caused that wheel to jam and the roof jump about somewhat...I think I have said all that before earlier or elsewhere...but I am dog tired..as this morning I worked around the place..filling the huge holes that the tractor left in the muddy soft soil, trying to cut up and dispose of the annex, lay out the 15 amp 40 mtr extention cord, and lay out some exceptionally heavy cable that I want to use on something..for the solar panels which now need to be a good distance away to get out of the shade..( these are the van ones not the observatory ones).the cable is heavy duty welders cable...I was given it by a house owner and she told me her late husband could connect that cable to his welder and weld even the rear gate..so no worries about voltage drop...
I worked rather hard, but slow, for probably three hours leaving me totally exhausted and unable to walk...
Tonight I am designing a set up to gather rain water off the roll off roof...because that is the only decent roof that can take a gutter..only one side will be enough... actually I could fill the tank with bought water..its only for cups of tea..I will use dam water for everything else.
I hoped to go down tonight and balance things and attach the camera and try a capture just using manual focus but as I said I cant really walk..well I can but the pain has me screaming with each step...probably better to rest and hope I am better tomorrow for blood test and doctors as I will have to take myself to town...not in the red car.
So the observatory is getting there still...the work seems never ending.
Alex
|