South Africa (SA) CONCAM status
South Africa (SA) CONCAM status
The South Africa (SA) CONCAM3 that supports the SALT telescope site in Sutherland, South Africa, has been off-line since 2004 May 28. There was a computer failure that might have been caused by heat. There was also a (different?) computer problem related to the hardware clock on the computer, which appeared not to work. Even with these problems the SA CONCAM can be brought up, we feel. However, there now appears to be a firewall problem inhibiting a secure connection.
We have a new computer that are willing to send to SA to replace their computer (which we would then fix), but we are reluctant to send it until a "sunset" switch is installed. The sunset switch would turn off the electronics during the hot daytime, so that we would not endanger another computer.
- RJN
We have a new computer that are willing to send to SA to replace their computer (which we would then fix), but we are reluctant to send it until a "sunset" switch is installed. The sunset switch would turn off the electronics during the hot daytime, so that we would not endanger another computer.
- RJN
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- Asternaut
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Wed Aug 04, 2004 9:55 am
CONCAM users may be interested to know about the availability of weather forecasts for the SAAO site in Sutherland which are now being made in operational mode. These forecasts have been developed for SALT. For more information please go to:
http://www.saao.ac.za/~saltmet/
where you will find the links to the forecast products.
http://www.saao.ac.za/~saltmet/
where you will find the links to the forecast products.
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- Ensign
- Posts: 99
- Joined: Mon Jul 26, 2004 8:55 pm
- Location: Michigan Tech
- Contact:
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- Ensign
- Posts: 95
- Joined: Fri Jul 30, 2004 8:30 pm
SA Concam
SA COncam has been in operation for at least week without fail after the sunset switch has been installed. We also improved the shielding against the hot sun of the karoo desert . We have used a 3mm aliminium plate to cover the box in the direction of the SUN. But this seems to baffle lens from seeing more sky because of the aliminum shielding on the way ( Image seems smaller than previous images). The technicians will rectify this in future by lowering the aliminum cover to be at the same height as the lens.
Update: The SA team reports that the computer has failed. We have two replacement computers here at MTU but both have bad power supplies. The power supplies were ordered a while ago and should have come in by now. But they have not.
I have been calling CyberRearch every day trying to get the sales manager to call me back. I spoke with him two weeks ago and he said that he is checking on it and that he expects to send us two free power supplies in the next few days. But they are not here, and now he won't return my calls. When we speak he sounds so up-front and earnest!
The latest is that he is out of the office and due back tomorrow, 2004 Sep 28. I will keep trying him. By Wednesday if I have still had no success we may have to go a different route to get a working computer to send to SA. We here at NSL central apologize for the delay.
- RJN
I have been calling CyberRearch every day trying to get the sales manager to call me back. I spoke with him two weeks ago and he said that he is checking on it and that he expects to send us two free power supplies in the next few days. But they are not here, and now he won't return my calls. When we speak he sounds so up-front and earnest!
The latest is that he is out of the office and due back tomorrow, 2004 Sep 28. I will keep trying him. By Wednesday if I have still had no success we may have to go a different route to get a working computer to send to SA. We here at NSL central apologize for the delay.
- RJN
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- Ensign
- Posts: 95
- Joined: Fri Jul 30, 2004 8:30 pm
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- Ensign
- Posts: 46
- Joined: Wed Feb 09, 2005 4:35 pm
- Location: Salisbury, NC
- Contact:
SA Concam
I just checked the SA Concam and it has a weird noisey image from 2004/9/15 displayed now, and some rise set times from 2004 as well at the bottom of the page.
They may be working on it and the image may be fixed by the time you read this but I thought I would post the info anyway.
They may be working on it and the image may be fixed by the time you read this but I thought I would post the info anyway.
Best Regards
Herb Goodman KF4TVI
Herb Goodman KF4TVI
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- Ensign
- Posts: 46
- Joined: Wed Feb 09, 2005 4:35 pm
- Location: Salisbury, NC
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SA Status: Offline
SA Concam is still down. Last image was taken on March 1, 2005, currently displaying the image from 2004.
Best Regards
Herb Goodman KF4TVI
Herb Goodman KF4TVI
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- Ensign
- Posts: 95
- Joined: Fri Jul 30, 2004 8:30 pm
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- Asternaut
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Tue May 02, 2006 6:34 pm
- Location: University of Keele
SALT / Sutherland CONCAM offline since 19/03/06
Hi,
The CONCAM at Sutherland took its last picture on 19/03/06. Does anybody know its current state, and if there is an expected return to operation date?
I was hoping to use the images to callibrate a cloud detector.
Thanks,
Dave
The CONCAM at Sutherland took its last picture on 19/03/06. Does anybody know its current state, and if there is an expected return to operation date?
I was hoping to use the images to callibrate a cloud detector.
Thanks,
Dave