Does anyone else do stupid things like this?

Geoff45 (Geoff) · #1 18-03-2007, 03:21 PM

Went down to the ASNSW dark sky site at Ilford. Friday was cloudy, but at sunset on Saturday things looked good. Set up and started to tweak polar alignment. The Losmandy wasn't tracking properly at all. Things were rapidly drifting in both Dec and RA. I had tried PHD autoguiding just before leaving Sydney, so my first thought was that somehow it had interfered with the Gemini Software. I even tried resetting defaults---PITA, but nothing worked. Fortunately it clouded over completely. I'll say that again: Fortunately it clouded over completely. Went back to the kitchen, sat in front of a warm fire, drank wine chatted, when suddenly the light came on in my brain. I was pretty certain about the problem, but I had to check, so I dragged my arse into the mist and drizzle, uncovered the scope and checked. Sure enough, I had connected the RA cable to the Dec motor and the Dec cable to the RA motor!
Geoff

astro_nutt · #2 18-03-2007, 04:01 PM

Ouch Geoff!!!...that's like the time I put the batteries in my home-made hand controller back to front..and nothing worked..of course it was the last thing I checked....(cause I was very sure that it was a broken connection!!)..after 20 minutes of trying!!!...now I colour-code all connections!!

Cheers!

xelasnave · #3 18-03-2007, 04:05 PM

The other night (in Sydeny) took the gear out using the compass to get a ruff North as I had little idea where it was...and then pointed the mount in that general direction

. Finally realizing that I was pointing in the opposite direction to where I should be I turned the lot around to point South..

I then proceeded to lower the altitude (had driven down from Tabualm that day so I was tired and stupid) rather than raise it

. The only thing I got right was to remove the lens cover

.

At home (on a different mount) I have switched the hand box for North instead of South and spent considerable time trying to figure why the stars were speeding by, blaming the batteries and counter weights for the problem… mmm I could go on but that will do… there is something about being tired and cold that does it to you I guess

.
alex

rmcpb (Rob) · #4 18-03-2007, 05:09 PM

I think everyone has those blonde moments at least a couple of times a day. Proves you are human

Lert · #5 18-03-2007, 05:49 PM

I once spent a whole morning troubleshooting and trying to start my motorcycle only to find that the kill switch was activated.. complete brainfade..

mickoking · #6 18-03-2007, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lert

I once spent a whole morning troubleshooting and trying to start my motorcycle only to find that the kill switch was activated.. complete brainfade..

Yes i've done that too, and more than once

davidpretorius · #7 18-03-2007, 07:12 PM

top effort gentlemen, yup.....we have all done something similiar

leon · #8 18-03-2007, 08:40 PM

Sure have, it is amazing how all of a sudden the brain fires up and the problem is solved

Leon

Adrian-H · #9 18-03-2007, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghsmith45

Went down to the ASNSW dark sky site at Ilford. Friday was cloudy, but at sunset on Saturday things looked good. Set up and started to tweak polar alignment. The Losmandy wasn't tracking properly at all. Things were rapidly drifting in both Dec and RA. I had tried PHD autoguiding just before leaving Sydney, so my first thought was that somehow it had interfered with the Gemini Software. I even tried resetting defaults---PITA, but nothing worked. Fortunately it clouded over completely. I'll say that again: Fortunately it clouded over completely. Went back to the kitchen, sat in front of a warm fire, drank wine chatted, when suddenly the light came on in my brain. I was pretty certain about the problem, but I had to check, so I dragged my arse into the mist and drizzle, uncovered the scope and checked. Sure enough, I had connected the RA cable to the Dec motor and the Dec cable to the RA motor!
Geoff

errr, and you even looked in the eyepeice to drift align, and didnt notace it?

im sure that allmost everyones gone through the experiance of looking through the eyepeice and wondering why you cant see anything, then remembering you forgot to take the dust cap off?

seeker372011 (Narayan) · #10 18-03-2007, 09:43 PM

goes with the territory..how about going mad trying to star align and then realising you havent changed the lat and long from your dark site to your current location-after umpteen tries?

rogerg (Roger) · #11 19-03-2007, 02:42 PM

I have done exactly what you described - plugged the cables in the wrong plugs on the Gemini/motors.

I was lucky enough to realise really quick when the first goto resulted in the RA moving the amount that I expected the DEC to move. It could have easily kept me guessing in any other circumstance.

Geoff45 (Geoff) · #12 19-03-2007, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rogerg

I have done exactly what you described - plugged the cables in the wrong plugs on the Gemini/motors.

I was lucky enough to realise really quick when the first goto resulted in the RA moving the amount that I expected the DEC to move. It could have easily kept me guessing in any other circumstance.

Yes, my problem was that I didn't try the goto, because when polar aligning I usually just point the scope at a convenient couple of stars, then when I'm happy with the PA, I align the goto function. Problem was that I was so convinced that it was a software problem, that I didn't consider other possibilities.
Geoff

JohnH · #13 19-03-2007, 05:35 PM

My best "senior" moment...

Just got my mount back from repair shop set it up level, adjuted alt and az approximately. Set up power pack, controller, cables, add counterweights - CrACKKK! Had not locked the mount in ALT, the CW hit the controller I had carefully mounted on the S tripod leg directly in line with the weights of course, and, being really stupid, I had the height of the controller perfectly matched to the CW lock so it hammered the display of my starbook...arghhh.

Fortunately it only cracked the case...

bloodhound31 · #14 20-03-2007, 09:23 PM

I shot an entire roll at McNaught with ISO400 film....with the camera set on ISO100......

Baz

bloodhound31 · #15 20-03-2007, 09:26 PM

And then the other day, I was sitting on the gutter of my local church roof, leaning over and cutting a branch....I was holding onto the branch I was cutting, thinking," If this branch lets go suddenly, I'm going to fall."

The branch let go suddenly........

Shall I decline to mention my name?

Miaplacidus (Brian) · #16 20-03-2007, 10:08 PM

Have I ever told you guys about my Gravox cake...?

bloodhound31 · #17 21-03-2007, 06:04 PM

ROFL!!! This I gotta hear......

Miaplacidus (Brian) · #18 21-03-2007, 09:56 PM

Well, you know how the box looks very similar to cocoa...

Not recommended. Very salty.