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The most critical aspect of Home-Dome/Pro-Dome construction is making sure
that when the final bolting down takes place the base ring is "in round" (within
the stated tolerances) and that the circumferences of both the base ring and DSR
are correct (within stated tolerances). An out of round dome is the most common
cause of sticking points during rotation. The other common issues are side
rollers over-tightened (and will not freely turn), carriage bolts used where
flat head bolts are called for, objects between the DSR and base ring reverse
flange (dropped bolts for example), and wheels that are positioned such that
they the rub against the cutout when rotated. This topic deals with hand
rotation. If you problems with motors rotating the dome (when it rotates freely
by hand), that is discussed in topic #2.
A linked document "Rotation
Diagnosis" goes into greater detail
A dome that rotates freely by hand should not have an issue with properly
installed ED motors turning it. The first thing you should do is visually check
each motor to make sure that a belt is not broken, a drive wheel is not loose
and binding, and that the motor assembly is properly installed to allow even
contact with the bottom side of the DSR. A frequent problem is that the tension
of the motor drive wheels up against the DSR is not high enough. This tension is
held by the pivot arm spring so try moving the chain a link or two closer to the
attachment hook. Also check the wiring between the motors. Since DC motors are
polarity driven you could wire such that one turns CW at the same time another
is turning CCW. The ED instructions note that you should check the motor
operation when first wiring and before the motors are pushed up into place
against the DSR.
Shutter or latch engaging problems are nearly always caused by the edge of
one item catching the edge of another. To solve, simply examine closely
the location of each shutter as the problem occurs, and identify the offending
points. Fix by beveling, sanding or adjusting the interfering edge properly
Shutter or latch dis-engage problems are more complex and explained in the
below document.
A linked document
"Shutter Diagnosis" goes into greater detail
During the installation of the ES system, the "split bolts" remain in place
until the open and close cables are strung and positioned with the proper amount
of tension. The springs at the termination points of each side maintains this
tension during the open and close cycles. If the tension is released on one side
(or both) the result will that the cable will come out of the grooves and become
tangled. The only option is to go to the windlass assembly and feed the cable by
hand back into the grooves. This will require using one hand to keep some
tension on the wire outside the travel nut, while using the other to feed and
push the cable in place.
Cable frays are nearly always caused by the cable "catching" on a sharp edge.
The cable is stainless steel boat/aircraft cable and is very strong, even if one
or two (of the sixteen) strands are broken and exposed. The first step is to
trace the cable path and feel for any edges, obstructions or loose fittings
(which could pinch the cable as it travels).Fix any of these conditions
detected, then test running the cable. If the location of the fray passes
through the "travel nut" and onto the windlass shaft, the cable will need to be
replaced. If the location is outside the windlass assembly and does not catch on
any pulleys it most likely will be ok. Just check from time to time to make sure
it is not getting worse.
The PD6, 10 and 15 are normally entered by opening the shutter from the
outside, opening the door, then walking unimpeded into the dome. When DDW is not
installed, the PS (power supply) is normally mounted facing out, with holes
drilled in the wall section for the key lock and shutter toggle switch. If the
switch will not open the shutter, the first to check is that the key lock is
turned on and there is 110 or 220v AC power going to the PS. The red led will
give an indication that the unit is receiving power. Check the AC power circuit
breakers, and if possible do a test on the same circuit (possibly an exterior
light or power outlet). If power is definitely going to the PS, then it is not
making it to the ES motor itself. The point at which this "break" can occur is
the sliding contact coils and plates. As noted in the instructions, these need
to be cleaned every month or two with the plastic scrubby that was provided (or
can be purchased at most grocery stores). The buildup of dust and "grime" can
eventually prevent power transfer. The second condition would be where the coils
are right at the edge of the plates but not making good contact (the dome
stopped not precisely at "Home" or high winds to the side of the dome caused a
small shift). In both of these cases, try rocking the dome back and forth a
couple of inches by pushing on the dome shutter flanges and shutter edges. In
many cases this will re-establish contact between the coils and plates.
In the instructions, it is strongly suggested that you wire an "emergency
entry" circuit. This is done by running a wire pair directly from the shutter
motor terminals to two bolts to the outside (the bolts securing the rear shutter
panel are a good choice). If you find yourself in a no power situation, or the
condition described above, 12v DC (car/boat battery works great) can be applied
directly to these bolts to open the shutter enough to get inside and diagnose
and fix the problem. Make sure you have tested positive and negative before hand
so that the power application move the motor in the open direction and not
close.
The last resort for entry into the dome when neither of the above work or are
available is a "forced entry". The earlier design ES systems have the open cable
terminate at a bolt in the lower right hand side (facing the dome) shutter
opening dome flange. Clamp vice grips on the cable below the bolt (to be able to
hold tension on the cable by hand) and then loosen the bolt and release the
cable. With the cable tension held, (this is easiest with two people), force the
shutter up - while "feeding" a corresponding length of cable - until the shutter
clears the top of the door. At this point, place the cable back into the
bolt/nuts and tighten. The door can now be opened and entry by ducking under the
front shutter to "repair" the problem. With the newer ES system (tension springs
on both cable ends), one person will force the shutter up high enough to open
the door (that person must continue to hold the shutter as excessive force has
been placed upon the spring) while a second person opens the door enters then
closes the door. The shutter can then be allowed to return to the close
position, past the top of the door.
This situation is very similar to the condition above (PS Key and Switch). In
the case of DDW, only a key entry switch goes through the wall to the outside.
The power supply is left in an "on" state with power constantly to the DDW
board. Much like the previous issue, the first step is to verify AC power to the
observatory. If there is power, and the DDW is not responding, go through the
exact steps described immediately above.
The Technical Innovations domes are designed to be VERY weather tight - not
only to protect your equipment but in cases of domes mounted on structures,
protect the building beneath. A water leak is a direct result of improper
installation, failure to seal all the exterior seams with the silicone provided,
or bolts not tightened properly. The first step is to be inside the dome when it
rains to witness the exact point(s) of entry. This will allow the identification
of steps to take to solve the issue - most generally sealing with the silicone
places not adequately covered at the time of installation. If there is a leak
around a bolt which cannot be tightened further, go ahead and cover the bolt
head outside with the silicone.
We have tried to make he instructions as clear as possible, but it is not
unusual for a hole to be drilled in the wrong place. This results in not only an
unsightly hole, but an opening for weather entry. The quickest, and in many
cases the least noticeable, is to just "fill" the hole with a short bolt and
nut/washer inside. In many cases, it will not even seem out of place. If that
does not seem to be a good option, the hole can be filled and finished. A great
product for doing this is the fiberglass based automotive filler called "Bondo",
which can be purchased at nearly all automotive stores. Once the hole has been
filled (Bondo has very good instructions), the surface can be sanded smooth and
matching gel-coat (call us) can be touch/painted on the surface.
The outside of the dome (inside also for that matter) is a finish of a
material called "gel-coat". It is a very hard and durable material, but can
still get rub marks and scratches. The first attempt at removing these should be
with a cloth and acetone. The acetone will not harm the gel-coat, but is very
effective at removing other substances marking the surface. Scratches can often
be removed with an automotive "polishing compound" (not "rubbing compound - which
is too abrasive), and a power buffer.
The DDW board is wired directly to the "Unswitched" (hot) terminals in the PS
power supply. This means that anytime the PS is on (key switch on front), the
DDW will also be on. When checking if the DDW is powered up, the box should be
opened and the main board scanned to see if the "Heartbeat" light is on (a red
led which flashes on and off about once per second - a heartbeat rate). If this
led is not lighting, check the two circuit breakers - the push button breaker on
top of the PS box and the small slide switch type in the lower left hand corner
of the DDW circuit board. If re-setting both of these does not start the
heartbeat light you will need to test the power terminals with a voltmeter to
verify power (normally 12-14 volts) is coming into the system. If there is power
at the +12 and GND screw terminals and the board does not "light up", there is a
problem and it will need to be pulled and sent to Technical Innovations for
repair.
The computer connection to DDW (6 pin RJ11 modular jack) is an RS232 serial
(9 pin) connection with the computer. As such an RJ11/B9 adapter (provided with
your DDW system and marked "PC1") is needed at the serial connection point. If
no serial connection is available, DDW works with all USB t serial adapters and
hubs. There are two small green led lamps just above the "PC" modular jack on
the DDW circuit board. The top one should light anytime power is on to DDW. This
indicates the internal RS232 communication is established. The led closest to
the jack will light once a physical connection is made with the computer. This
does no indicate that communication has been established. Once cables are
properly attached, the main communication problem tends to be assignment and
linking to an available COM Port on the computer. In Windows "Device Manager"
you should be able to identify all COM assigned ports figure out which is
physically attached to the DDW cable. Once you know this COM id number, go back
into the DDW software configuration settings and "assign" this COM number to the
DDW software.
Nearly all problems with DDW reading the output file from TheSky6 deals with
setup issues. First, the software must be the "Professional Edition" (which
incorporates export files). Once TheSky6 is installed you must setup and "start"
the export data file (a text file called "Telescope Position File.txt")
This is accomplished by opening the program, selecting the drop down option
"Telescope" and selecting the option "Server Settings". Selecting this option
will open selection box of the same name. Near the bottom of the box is an
option titled "Log current telescope position to:" with a preceding check box.
Make sure that a check on entered in this box. Go back to the main sky screen
and send any slew command to the telescope. This will create the file, which
will then be automatically updated by the software. On the DDW side, o into
"Configure" and select "Telescope Slaving" in the upper left. From the "Setup
Telescope Slaving" selection screen choose (by clicking the button) the "Use
TheSky Level IV Telescope Log". Make sure that the proper path to the Telescope
Position File is entered (this is normally the path below:
C:\ProgramFiles\SoftwareBisque\TheSky6\data\user\TelescopePosition.txt
When the dome does not respond to commands from the DDW Hand Control unit
proceed with the following steps. First, open the DDW box and make sure that the
DDW is on and that the "Heartbeat" light is flashing on and off. Make sure that
the local/off/remote switch is set to either local of remote. Check the hand
controller to see that the red power light is on. Try swapping the gray
communications cable with another (all TI gray cables are wired straight through
and are interchangeable. If still not responding check with Technical
Innovations as repair services may be required.
There are several elements making up successful dome slaving. First and
foremost is the accurate input into DDW of observatory location and time values.
DDW compensates for less than optimal telescope location within the dome through
a series of offsets. The DDW instruction manual goes into detailed descriptions
of making these measurements and entry into the software configuration. Once
these elements are correctly set the dome slaving will be very accurate.
Yes. This section of the web site is intended to be a dynamically updated
area which will continue to expand as different topics are encountered at a
frequency indicating they would represent a useful addition to the page.
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