Almost 100%

Last night was just before full moon, which made it perfect for taking the "new" imaging system out and giving it a trial run. What makes it new? Here's a quick recap:

• New batteries connected in parallel
• A new DIY power hub and powered USB3 hub riding piggyback on the telescope along with the finder and autoguider
• A new laptop
• StellariumScope and Stellarium running the mount
• The latest version of PHD2
• Astrotortilla (AT) integrated with BYEOS
• ASCOM control of the mount and autoguider
• TeamViewer on the laptop to allow remote access to the desktop
• A Wireless router to allow connectivity for the remote access

Amazingly almost everything worked! Although AT was able to control the imaging camera correctly, no images were being passed to it by BYEOS (which did have its server mode on). I suspect some sort of interference between AT and Stellarium, so next time I will change my workflow.

I was able to take a first check of the router's range by carrying my tablet about 120m distant. I could still control the imaging laptop using it, and even snapped off a few pictures. I couldn't really walk any farther without adding obstructions to the signal, but given the imaging site was in a depression and not line-of-sight, I think 120m was a good start. It's almost got to be better at the Nebraska star party, where it will be broadcasting from atop a rise.

Remote Control of Imaging Laptop

It's still snowing here-15 inches last Saturday and Sunday, 2 to 4 more inches tomorrow. Naturally my thoughts have turned to Summer warmth. And where is the best summer warmth found? The Nebraska star party, of course!

Along with that warmth comes mosquitoes. They start coming out at dusk and can be pests the entire night. Your only options are hope for a good breeze, DEET up, or seek shelter. Breezes are not reliable, and DEET doesn't deter Nebraska mosquitoes from buzzing around your head. So option 3 is the most reliable, but how do you monitor your laptop while you're sitting in a vehicle or tent?

With TeamViewer you say! And you're correct, it's the remote access software of choice for many people in astrophotography. It's easy to use, powerful, and free for personal use. But it does come with one catch. As typically used it requires internet access. What do you do if you don't have that?

Conveniently, TeamViewer does permit a no-internet mode of operation. After you install it on your imaging laptop start the application and go to the menu's Extras / Options  dialog. Under "Network settings" change the Incoming LAN Connections to "accept exclusively," click OK and you're done!

(TeamViewer will now assume you're connecting to a LAN and will use the laptop's assigned IP address as "Your ID" on its main screen. Any other devices on the same router will now be able to connect with your laptop, even if the router isn't on the internet.)

Without the internet you need to set up some form of communication. I tried several methods to control my imaging laptop with my phone or tablet.

• Use the laptop as an access point, then have the controlling device connect to it. I couldn't get TeamViewer to work with this configuration.
• Use my tablet as an access point. Unfortunately my particular tablet couldn't do this.
• Use my phone as an access point. This worked, but turning on the capability required phone service to verify that it was allowed.  Since I don't have service at the Nebraska Star Party, this won't do for now. At other sites with service (like the Iowa Star Party) it may be the best option.
• Use a wireless router. This works perfectly. You don't need an expensive router for this, but there are a couple of considerations: the wi-fi bands used must be compatible with your devices; It should be reasonably waterproof on top to deal with dew, and you might want to look at the voltage requirement. I settled on the ASUS  RT-N12 ($20 from Amazon) that accepts 12V DC and can be powered directly from my batteries. The ASUS is found to consume a scant 2.3W which means it draws a tiny 0.2A.

The theoretical range of the ASUS is 500m, which would provide this coverage around my usual campsite (atop a very low rise) at NSP [CORRECTION: the red circle denotes a distance of 250m around the campsite, not 500m]:

ASUS Theoretical Range at NSP

Will it really be this good? I hope to do a little survey once I have it set up. if it allows me to see my laptop from Dob Row I'll be really pleased. If not, I'm quite confident it will easily reach my tent (maybe 3 to 5m away) and allow me to sit in mosquito-free comfort while imaging!

New Batteries; Nice Try, Fleet Farm, but You Can Do Better

My 50Ah batteries have arrived, both purchased from Battery Superstore though Amazon. Delivery was promised by April 4-9, but they got here March 31-The day after placing the order! Both were double-boxed, arrived in perfect shape, and were fully charged. Amazing!

They're smaller than I had imagined, and should fit easily into the Group 24 boxes that will arrive tomorrow.

Today and Tomorrow are snow days-another 4 to 10 inches of the stuff are due to arrive, followed by another week of well below normal temperatures. It's a good time to get the battery boxes wired up with their Anderson Powerpole connectors. But first I'm going to get my new imaging laptop loaded up with  the software I need to image- BackyardEOS, ImagesPlus, and Astrotortilla. Yes, I'm actually going to join the 21st Century and start using plate solving as part of acquisition!

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I did a few more battery capacity tests, staring with a Duracell Powerpack 600 28Ah portable power supply I'd been given years ago.  The nice thing about this is it has some bells and whistles built into it-radio, light, and inverter. The previous owner said it has been allowed to go dead at least once, so I wasn't terribly hopeful; in fact I was ready to send it off for recycling. It tested out well enough, though: 253 minutes, 15.7Ah. That's about 56% of the stated capacity, which is quite a bit better than either of my old wet lead-acid batteries were able to provide.

I also tested my old 7Ah power supply. I replaced the battery in it several years ago, and it has been used only a few times since then to run a small camping fan when it gets really hot.

After a full charge (or so I thought) it kept the inverter going only 40 minutes during which it produced 2.58Ah. Not very good! I recharged it and let it sit on the charger overnight, then tried it again. The second performance was much better, 71 minutes and 4.42Ah. That's about 63% of the 7Ah capacity. In its capacity as a fan battery it needs to provide only a fraction of an amp, so it will probably do better.

The way the 7Ah battery rebounded after a first draining makes me wonder if I should retest the Duracell. Maybe I'll do that tomorrow.

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I've had a personal boycott going with Mills Fleet Farm since the Sandy Hook shooting in December of 2012. MFF sells assault-style rifles and large clips, and also handguns. I won't shop in a any store that sells weapons like that, so my money is now going to stores like Menards, Home Depot, and Ace Hardware.

MFF recently decided to stop advertising their weapon offerings, but it isn't changing what it sells. Changing advertising is a good, but essentially meaningless public relations gesture. It's time they do better: get rid of guns designed to kill people, Fleet Farm.