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We got some test images last night at Site #2 using a small Andor Zila CMOS camera. Photos and some test images are shown below.   Enrique and Bosco installing camera mounting fixture on telescope.     Temporarily installing filter holder to see how it fits.         Installing camera on filter plate.   Reinstalling filter plate with camera.   Powering up camera.   Mark pointing the telescope to a bright star for focusing.   Bright star way out of focus.   Closer to focus now.   Looki...

We worked to finish as much as we can at Site #2 today. We fixed an unhappy servo motor on the Dec axis (motor encoder was mounted a bit off center), and got the dome home switch working with the TCS software. We finished the modifications on the camera mounting adapter, and we will try again to take some images tonight. If all goes well tonight, we will try to move the control electronics form the observing room to the electroncs vault on the ground level tomorrow.

I arrived at SPM yesterday afternoon with Mark Kelley from DFM Engineering to start wrapping up the work on the telescope installation. We are starting on fixing the wiring and other electrical issues, and we will finish up fixing the HA backlash problems at Sites #1 and #3. So far we have gotten all of the dome controller boxes working, fixed one of the focus problems at Site #1. I will stay here until April 24 or 25. Mark will stay until the job is finished, and he will be joined by Ian Huss from DFM as well on the 25th if necessary. We tried to take some images last night with...

We finished installing the mirrors and we spent the past few days working on getting the telescopes aligned and operating. Ian is going back to San Diego tomorrow and will fly home Saturday, and I will be here a few more days to finish up some things.Almost everything is working now, but there are still a few issues that need to be fixed. Ian is working on a plan to return with someone else from DFM to help him out. I will probably not be able to join them, but I think I won't be needed so that should be fine. Here is the status of the three telescopes.Site #1 (DFM Job #713):Nearly everything...

We got the secondary mirror and focus housing installed on the telescope at Site #1 this morning. We then worked on the primary installation at Site #2 in the afternoon. We are ready to glue on the radial support blocks first thing in the morningHere are photos of the secondary mirror and focus housing installation. (Some of the photos are form yesterday, before we gave up for the day.)Secondary mirror rigged up and ready for lifting out of the crate. Focus housing ready for secondary mirror installation. Bolting the secondary onto the focus housing. Secondary light shield installed around...

Today we installed the primary mirror on the first telescope, at Site #1. The operation went very well, with no problems to report. We worked on the installation of the secondary mirror this afternoon as well, but we found a couple holes in the truss ring that needed to be countersunk, so we will do that tomorrow morning and finish the installation then.Here are photos of the primary mirror installation this morning.This is me, adjusting the axial counterweights. One of the axial counterweights in the mirror cell. The mirror is supported by 36 of these guys, all of which need to be adjusted to...

We started installation of the primary mirror into the mirror cell at Site #1 this morning. We got the mirror centered and leveled relative to the mirror cell, then at the end of the day we were able to glue the blocks onto the side of the mirror which are attached to the radial support arms. We left the mirror cell covered with a space heater underneath to help cure the glue overnight, and we plan to install the mirror cell onto the telescope in the morning. After that, we will work on getting the secondary mirror installed. Here are some photos from the work today.Preparing to remove primary...

We finished assembling the main telescope structures and installing all of the cables this morning. We are now ready to start the installation of the mirrors in each of the telescopes.Here is the telescope structure at Site #1 after completion this morning.

Today we did a dry run of the primary mirror cell installation. With no mirror installed, we brought the mirror cell up to the observing floor and installed it on the bottom of the telescope. We then removed it and lowered it back down to the ground floor. The test was successful, and it was a useful exercise since we now have a better idea of what we will be doing when we do the installation for real.Here are a couple photos.Mirror cell ready for lifting. On its way up. Up through the hatch. Gantry crane rolled over to the lift table. Mirror cell set down on the lift table. Lifted up to...

Today we worked on getting the telescope and mirror cell at Site #2 ready for installation of the mirrors. We also got the focus system powered up and working with the TCS. We got the trusses, focus ring, and mirror doors installed, and we also got the spreader bar and spacers ready for the primary mirror cell. Tomorrow we plan to test the mirror doors and adjust the limit switches, and to get the focus housing cables installed on the tube assembly (currently the cables are connected directly to the focus housing on the stand on the observing floor). We also need to drill out the holes on the...