Wise Observatory (WO) CONCAM status

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RJN
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Wise Observatory (WO) CONCAM status

Post by RJN » Fri Jul 30, 2004 3:19 pm

The Wise Observatory (WO) CONCAM2 is back to working normally. For a while there were some very strange computer problems that were hard to understand. Some computer / program combinations appeared able to operate the CONCAM, but not our preferred set up! The problem was traced to a corrupted BIOS setting that got the mode wrong for the parallel cable. (It should be EPP not SPP.) Thanks to Lior and WO student Ezra Mashal for figuring that one out!

- RJN

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RJN
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Post by RJN » Tue Aug 10, 2004 1:18 am

Lior and I discussed the possibility of changing the cadence of the WO CONCAM to increase its meteor detection efficiency during the pending Perseids. That discussion thread in NSL Science can be found here.

We decided that the existing software infrastructure does not make this simple and so we are not going to mess with it in fear that we will make matters worse. Years ago CONCAMs took images sequentially but more recently they all go off in lockstep every 3m56s. It is no longer easy to go back to "lockstep." Just decreasing the exposure time would not change the 3m56s times between exposure start times. It would just decrease sensitivity. So we will just let the software run "as is" through this year's Perseids.

- RJN

deborah
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Nice image from Wise

Post by deborah » Thu Feb 17, 2005 12:56 am

I'm getting a pretty nice image from Wise Observatory today compared to other days. For some reason before today, I couldn't see the image at all. Also, I need to learn how to post images. Maybe someone could give me the steps?
Deborah

Vic Muzzin
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Re: Nice image from Wise

Post by Vic Muzzin » Thu Feb 17, 2005 1:50 am

deborah wrote:I'm getting a pretty nice image from Wise Observatory today compared to other days. For some reason before today, I couldn't see the image at all. Also, I need to learn how to post images. Maybe someone could give me the steps?
Deborah, if you click on Img, then copy and paste the link to the image and click Img again your image should post.

khagol
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Post by khagol » Fri Feb 18, 2005 6:43 am

You may right click the image and use "Copy Shortcut" you will get it copied onto your keybord then use

Code: Select all

[img]
to inert the picutre into the post. eg.

Code: Select all

[img]http://nightskylive.net/mk/moving.gif[/img]
to insert the MK Concam image.
Image
73s,
Mayank Raichura

Rajkot, IN
20.18N, 70.56E

http://www.khagol.net
http://www.mayankraichura.com

Noctuas_Universe
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WO Status: Online

Post by Noctuas_Universe » Fri Mar 11, 2005 8:35 am

WO Concam is online with photometry available. The images seem to be over exposed in the east, causing a glare ball near the middle, it didn't seem to move so maybe it's LP as opposed to the Moon?
Best Regards
Herb Goodman KF4TVI

nbrosch
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WO CONCAM

Post by nbrosch » Fri Mar 18, 2005 6:39 pm

I am sorry not have seen your message earlier. The light glow to the East is man-made; the town of Mizpe Ramon, five km East of the observatory, has quite strong lights in comparison to the size of its population (5000 people). The lights are mostly sodium, some low-pressure and some high-pressure. These, in particular the high-pressure, affect the CONCAM significatly because of the yellow-red component to which the CCD is sensitive. The glow is stronger when there is some low clouds or fog; this happens sometime in the second half of the night and you should see the glow appear bigger in the frames.

Cheers,
Noah Brosch
Director, the Wise Observatory

Noctuas_Universe
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Re: WO CONCAM

Post by Noctuas_Universe » Sat Mar 19, 2005 7:32 pm

Yet another observatory affected by LP. Sorry to hear about that, but thanks for getting back to me anyway, even if the news was bad. Has anyone asked the town if they would replace or at least shield the offending lights?
Best Regards
Herb Goodman KF4TVI

nbrosch
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Re: WO CONCAM

Post by nbrosch » Sat Mar 19, 2005 7:53 pm

Noctuas_Universe wrote:Yet another observatory affected by LP. Sorry to hear about that, but thanks for getting back to me anyway, even if the news was bad. Has anyone asked the town if they would replace or at least shield the offending lights?
We are doing this on a continuous basis. Previously, all the lights were mercury now alomst all were changed to sodium. The low-pressure ones are reasonable because they have no continuum contribution. The local council also promised to add shielding to prevent light from being emitted skyward.

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Re: WO CONCAM

Post by ETX_90 » Sun Mar 20, 2005 5:57 am

nbrosch wrote:The local council also promised to add shielding to prevent light from being emitted skyward.
Good! Finally some light pollution awareness. :wink:
Gnidakcolhcs

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