David's Astronomy Pages Notes - Session 1325 Attempt (2025-05-11)

Notes (S1324)

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Notes (S1325)

	Session Aims & Highlights
	- Observing Result  - Night Summary Plot  - Session Event Log
	Operational Issues
	- Critical Issues (0),  Major Issues (0),  Minor Issues (1),  Small Defects (2),  Continuous Improvement (7)
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Session Aims & Highlights (2025-05-11)

Main aims

1. Targets.  Acquire images of a selection of variable stars, nearby stars, comets & deep sky targets as allowed by sky conditions.

 Equipment & Software

• 12" LX200 and ST-10XME
• 80mm APO and ZWO ASI 178MC
• TheSky6, CCDSoft5, DeviceHub 7.0.3 RC3.4694, MeadeGeneric 1.3.12.522 , UPB 1.5,  Pulsar Dome Firmware 1.51 & Driver 6.3.10
• Pegasus UPB & Motor Focus, TCF-S 6.0.6
• SharpCap 3.2, PHD2  2.6.13, Siril 1.0.6, deCONZ 1.18.2, ASCOM 7.0.3 RC3
• [ DomeLink 1.0 / 1.1 - not used ]
   
• AstroMain 3.74.12,  AstroPlan 1.43.6,  AstroShCap 1.3.15, AstroGuard 1.10.6   (any new items or versions in bold)
  AstroMag 1.4.5, AstroVOE 1.15.1,  AstroSN 1.14,  AstroProtect 1.10.6,  AstroMove 1.15.12
  AstroWeather 1.27.8, AstroAllSky 3.23.5,  AstroObsCam 1.11.4 (not 1.11.5), AstroColorCam 1.2.14, AstroLaunch 1.13

Highlights

• Targets.  0/13 planned target observations were fully completed and only 1 target was partially completed.  The other targets failed due to cloud/fog, suspension suspension.
• CCD Camera. There was one issue with the CCDCamera freezing but was automatically resolved.
•   Dome. There was no issues opening/closing the shutter during the session. Dome closed and parked at end of session ok.

Notes

• Attempted All-Night Session (0.7 hr)
• Ambient Temperature : 6°C (min)
• CCD Temperature: -15°C
•  Only a single 180s sub was collected from UGC 5695 w/SN2025cfc .
• Session is deemed an 'Attempt' (named S1325A) and not a Full Session.
  

Summary Plots & Logs

Observing Plan

Observing Result

Dome & Scope Slewing Performance

Slew/Centering Performance

Guiding Performance

Sky Conditions (Locate Frames)

Night Sky Summary Plot Top axis: Sky Brightness at Zenith (in ADU/s) Lefthand axis: Local Time (hh LT). Righthand axis: Sun Altitude (degs)

Actual Weather vs Pre-Session Weather Forecast

Session Event Log

Time     Event Detail 23:10:46 Session Monitoring AutoStart monitoring for Live Session opportunity between 23:10 & 02:15 23:10:50 Session AutoStarting Session autostarting (23:10) 23:11:11   CCDSoft Restarting CCDSoft being restarted (to set AutoSave No.) 23:11:38   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera connected (Set point -15°C) 23:11:40 Session Created Session Created (Live, 2025-05-11 S01325, ImageSaveNum: 1325001) 23:11:45   Scope Switched On Telescope Power has been switched on via UPB Powerbox. 23:13:32   Services Started Observatory Services started 23:13:40 Observatory (Auto) Observatory placed in Fully-Automated Mode 23:13:42 Session Pending Session pending (2025-05-11) 23:13:44 Session Initiating Session initiating (2025-05-11) 23:13:52   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera connected (Set point -15°C) 23:13:59   Plan Requested Observing Plan requested from AstroPlan (1.43.6) 23:14:34   Plan Loaded Observing Plan loaded to queue (Plan ID: 1109) 23:15:15   Telescope Connected Telescope connected (TheSky6) 23:15:39 Session Equilibration Session ready to Open Dome 23:17:00   Wait On Weather Waiting for acceptable conditions 23:17:02 Session Suspending Session suspending 23:17:04   Dome Closed Dome already closed 23:17:06 Session Suspended Session suspended 23:17:32   Queue Started Observing Queue started (13 targets selected) 23:37:37     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (1/13, 61 Cyg) due to too few stars 23:39:32 Session Resuming Session resuming 23:40:17     Target Started (NrZen) Target started (Focus Field 14, HIP 69068) 23:40:19   Dome Opened Dome opened (Opening time 45s, Zigbee 40s) 23:40:21 Session Running Session running 23:40:23   Queue Resumed Observing Queue resumed 23:40:31       Dome Unparked Dome unparked 23:44:57       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 23:47:51       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1, wide) 23:49:47       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1) 23:49:49       Focusing Started-Foc2 Foc2 Focusing Started (Secondary Scope, using ShCap) 23:51:49       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2, wide) 23:53:31       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2) 23:53:48     Target Completed (NrZen) Target completed (Focus Field 14, HIP 69068) 23:53:52     Target Started (2/13) Target started (2/13, UGC 5695 w/SN2025cfc) 23:59:11       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - unable to find a star (TCF-S) 00:02:49     Target Completed Target partially completed (2/13, UGC 5695 w/SN2025cfc) 00:02:53     Target Started (3/13) Target started (3/13, NGC 5395 w/AT2023ycc) 00:06:05   Critical Cloud Alert Critical Cloud Alert (Obs.Manager will close the Dome) 00:06:07   HardSuspend Called Hard Suspend called due to Critical Conditions (cloud) 00:06:09     Target Aborted (3/13) Target aborted (3/13, NGC 5395 w/AT2023ycc) due to cloud 00:06:11   Queue Paused Queue paused for Session Suspension 00:06:13       SoftSuspend Called Soft Suspend called due to Deteriorating Conditions (too few stars) 00:06:15 Session Suspending Session suspending 00:06:55   Dome Closed Dome closed (Closing time 45s, Zigbee 43s) 00:06:58 Session Suspended Session suspended 00:19:20     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (3/13, NGC 5395 w/AT2023ycc) due to cloud 00:21:57 Session Resuming Session resuming 00:22:42   Dome Opened Dome opened (Opening time 45s, Zigbee 40s) 00:22:44 Session Running Session running 00:22:46   Queue Resumed Observing Queue resumed 00:22:49     Target Started (4/13) Target started (4/13, IC 4408 w/AT2025kfm) 00:27:32   Critical Cloud Alert Critical Cloud Alert (Obs.Manager will close the Dome) 00:27:34   HardSuspend Called Hard Suspend called due to Critical Conditions (cloud) 00:27:37       SoftSuspend Called Soft Suspend called due to Deteriorating Conditions (too few stars) 00:27:40     Target Aborted (4/13) Target aborted (4/13, IC 4408 w/AT2025kfm) due to cloud 00:27:42   Queue Paused Queue paused for Session Suspension 00:27:44 Session Suspending Session suspending 00:28:33   Dome Closed Dome closed (Closing time 50s, Zigbee 43s) 00:28:35 Session Suspended Session suspended 00:41:19     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (4/13, IC 4408 w/AT2025kfm) due to cloud 00:57:41   CcdCamera Frozen CcdCamera appears to be frozen at around 00:57 in section 'GetCameraProperties / FilterIndexZeroBased' 00:58:16   CCDSoft Restarting CCDSoft being restarted (attempt to fix frozen CcdCamera) 00:58:23   SBIG Camera Reset SBIG Camera being power-cycled 00:59:17   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera connected (Set point -15°C) 01:03:39     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (5/13, UGC 10058 w/SN2025gvs) due to cloud 01:15:57     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (6/13, GCVS BL Lac) due to cloud 01:36:17     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (7/13, UGC 12131 w/SN2025jyl) due to cloud 01:58:17     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (8/13, M31 w/AT2025keh) due to cloud 02:08:08 User Intervention User request to close and finish session 02:08:10   Queue Aborted Job Queue aborted 02:08:13 Session Closing Session closing 02:08:18   Dome Closed Dome already closed (closed at 00:28, closing time 50s, zigbee 43s) 02:09:14   Dome Parked Dome parked (parking time 48s), Az: 90.0 deg 02:09:56   Telescope Parked Telescope parked (parking time 38s total) 02:10:20   Telescope State Handbox reads 'Scope parked Turn scope off.' 02:10:42   Telescope Switched Off Telescope Power has been switched off via UPB Switch. 02:12:05   Services Stopped Night Services stopped 02:12:08 Session Finishing Session Finishing started (Create Fits Summary, Transfer Files) 02:12:15     Dome (Find Park) Find Park started (Search Az 88.0 to 92.0°, Step 0.2°, Narrow) 02:12:59     Dome Find Park found (Best Park Az 90.0°) 02:13:18   Dome Charging Dome is parked and re-charging Ok (19mA) 02:13:20 Session Finished Session Finished

Session Alerts & Alarms

Time     Type       Name Detail 00:39:35 Red Alert Dome Relay Dome Relay (Safe) doesn't reflect CloudSensor Relay for 2 minutes or more 00:58:14 Red Alert CcdCamera CcdCamera appears to be frozen (last cycle at 00:57:41) in section 'GetCameraProperties / FilterIndexZeroBased' 01:39:24 Green Clear Dome Relay Dome Relay (Unsafe) matches CloudSensor Relay 02:11:15 Red Alert Dome Relay Dome Relay (Safe) doesn't reflect CloudSensor Relay for 2 minutes or more 02:13:18 Green Clear Dome Charging Dome is parked and re-charging Ok (19mA)

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Operational Issues (2025-05-11, S1325 Attempt)

• Critical Issues (0)
• Major Issues (0)
• Minor Issues (1)
• Small Defects (2)
• Continuous Improvement (7)
  

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Critical Issues

• None

Major Issues

• None

Minor Issues

• Two occasions reported where Dome Relay (Safe) doesn't reflect CloudSensor Relay (00:39 & 02:11). A safety protection for the Clair Observatory is the 'Dome Relay' which connects the CloudSensor (+RainSensor) to the Dome Controller. Should conditions become critical (e.g. is starts to rain) whilst the shutter is open and the AstroMain/AstroGuard programs both fail to react, prehaps due to a Observatory Computer crash, the relay should trigger and lead to the Dome Shutter being commanded to close. Two times during the S1325A session (at 00:39:35 and 02:11:15) 'Dome Relay' red alerts were raised with the message  "Dome Relay (Safe) doesn't reflect CloudSensor Relay for 2 minutes or more".  These would seem to be cases when the Dome Relay was indicating that conditions were safe whilst the relay flag supplied separately by the cloud sensor via transfer from the AllSky/Wether Computer indicated that at the same time the conditions were Unsafe, with the  implication that fail safe system would allow the shutter to remain open under Unsafe Conditions). In the case of the first alert a green alert was issued at 01:39:24 suggesting that the Fail Safe System may not have been functioning correctly for some 60 minutes. Pulsar Dome Relay Settings should be checked and the Dome Relay should be tested under daylight conditions.  Possibilities are that Pulsar Dome log wasn't being updated for some reason (but no error message suggesting that the Dome driver had stalled) or the supply of CloudSensor lags had stalled or something, or the Pulsar Dome relay settings have been lost or altered.  There were further case on the Dome Realy red alerts during General Session at 2025-05-12 05:39:48  and 23:46:48, with green alerts coming 14 minutes and 18 minutes later respectively. A daytime test was made on 2025-05--13 which demonstrated that the Dome Relay system was working correctly. This involve turning off AstroMain's ObsManager Service, commanding the Shutter to open from the Pulsa Dome Controller and confirming that Shutter began closing again after 30s (the delay time for the Relay to trigger closure of the shutter).  It is possible that the issue occurs because the Cloud Sensor Head dialog was accidentally left open following demonstration of the Relay System during an Observatory Visit. Close after review but recommend monitoring situation over the next few days.  Problem was still occuring on 2025-05-14, and still occured after restarting both CloudSensor and the Dome Controller. Dome Relay settings were checked using both the controller LED screen and using the Pulsar Dome Software.  These showed that the dome relay had the expected settings :  <AutoOpen : Disabled/Off>, <Change: Anytime>,  <Polarity : NO>,  <Delay:  30s>.   The CloudSensor Relay (sent via AstroWeather) appears to be correct. The Dome Relay which seems to be incorrect at times comes from the 13th field (12th in zero-order reference) in Dome's Volatile Record that is logged in the Pulsar Dome Ascom Log.   Ascom logs should presence of Dome Relay 2  (likely an error code) at various times,  but after restarting the dome controller and the cloud sensor, the dome relay turned to 1 (Unsafe) after 30s which is the prescribed delay period. 
             to 13:38:32      Relay 1  (Unsafe)
  13:38:32 to 18:51:15      Relay 2  (Error ?)
                            Relay 0  (Safe)
  18:51:16 to 18:53:18      Relay 2  (Error ?)
  18:53:19 to 18:55:36      Relay 0  (Safe)
  18:55:37 to 19:11:20      Relay 2  (Error ?)
  19:11:21 to 19:24:53      Relay 0  (Safe)
  19:30                  -- Dome Controller and Cloud Sensor both restarted
 19:33:14 to 19:33:46       Relay 0  (Safe)  switches to Unsafe after 30s
 19:33:47 to 20:21:09       Relay 1  (Unsafe) - 
  20:22                  -- Dome Relay Settings checked using Pulsar Software
  20:26:50 to 20:42:49+     Relay 1  (Unsafe)
   So it would seem that the issue is finally fixed.  Issue is deemed to  be resolved, but the situation should be monitored for the next few days.
   Resolved 2025-05-14 (Session, Pulsar Dome, CloudSensor)

Small Defects

• New feature to report Camera Filter after a RestartCCDSoft operation and change filter to a Clear Filter if required isn't working correctly.
  (00:58). In the previous S1324 session,  the Camera Filter unexplainably changed from Clear (C) Filter to Ha Filter when RestartCCDSoft (including SBIG Camera) intervened to resolve a frozen CCDCamera issue during Foc1 Focusing .  A fix was intrroduced in AstroMain 3.74.12 to report the Filter after reconnecting Camera and if the active filter isn't the Clear Filter to change it to the Clear Filter.   In the case of RestartCCDSoft operation at 00:58, the Filter was reported twice and there seems to have been no attempt to change it to Clear Filter.
      CCD Filter...               Ok        Filter : Ha
  Ok        Filter : Ha
  The same issue occurred at 23:11 during the Creating Live Session stage when CCDSoft was restarted in order to to set AutoSave No, and the Camera was Connected. There was a follow-up Camera Connection made at 23:13 during Session Initiating Stage which had the report line
       CCD Filter...               Ok        Filter : C
  Ok        Resetting Filter to C
  It seems that either the action logic or the reporting logic is amiss.  It is a mystery why Ha filter is somehow being activated or otherwise being reported The Ha is in Filter Position 6 (or 5 in zerobased system) )
   Fixed 2025-05-12 (AstroMain 3.74.13)
   
• Solund Station data isn't been saved to sol.txt / sol.txt files. ImportStationData() routine in existing AstroMag 1.4.5 is reusing kar.txt/kar2.txt for saving Solund data instead of saving to sol.txt / sol2.txt. Bug fixed in AstroMag 1.4.6.
   Fixed 2025-05-12 (AstroMag 1.4.6)

Continuous Improvement

• Modify AstroMag's Activity Charts to show highest activity across both X and Y axes. The current AstroMag version (1.4.5) creates Activity Charts that shows the activity level in the X Axis, but this misses potential higher activity level in the Y Axis.  AstroMag 1.4.6 has been modified to take whichever activity level (X or Y Axis) is the highest and use it in the activity chart.
   Done 2025-05-12 (AstroMag 1.4.6)
   
• Modify AstroMag's Difference Charts to show the average difference for each difference line. To QC the quality of the match between Clair Observatory Magnetometer Readings and those from Comparison Stations, it would be helpful to supplement visual comparsion of the dfifference chart with a numerical number showing the average difference. Implemented in AstroMag 1.4.6.
   Done 2025-05-12 (AstroMag 1.4.6)
   
• Incorporate Downhole Temperature onto AstroMag's Observatory Temperature Chart.  Implemented in AstroMag 1.4.6.
   Done 2025-05-12 (AstroMag 1.4.6)
   
• Incorporate Outdoor Temperature handling into AstroMag.  With the possibility that SAM III magnetometer reading are responding to outdoor temperature rather than Observatory Temperature it is proposed to incorporate Outdoor Temperature Handling into AstroMag. Requires modification to AstroMain's OutputObsTemperature() routine, AstroMag 's GetObservatoryTemperature() routine & Sam Monitor, data loader and Temperature Charts. Implemented in AstroMag 1.4.7.
   Done 2025-05-13 (AstroMain 3.74.13, AstroMag 1.4.7)
   
• Extend AstroMag's PlotCharts() routine to  include new X /Y and  D/ I polar charts. Implemented in AstroMag 1.4.8. AstroPlan updated to upload Latest.MagnetogramPolarChart_DI.png and Latest.MagnetogramPolarChart_XY.png to website. AstroMain later updated to include Polar Charts in BuildJpgPicturePageNew() on 2025-05-15.
   Done 2025-05-13  (AstroMag 1.4.8, AstroPlan 1.43.7, Website, AstroMain 3.74.15)
   
• Add capability to AstroMag to allow the vertical scale on small stackplot to be automatically synchronized that use by Scandinavian Stackplot. TProposal is to add a routine that automatically determines the height of the 200 nT scale bar used by the Scandinavian Stackplot and to and derive the vertical scale used for AstroMag's small stackplot chart. Implemented in AstroMag 1.4.9 using new 'Get200nT_Height()' routine.
   Done 2025-05-14 (AstroMag 1.4.9)
   
• Query : Is there a software button to turn on/turn off the power to Cloud Sensor. The CloudSensor needed to be restarted on 2025-05-14 in an attempt to reset the Dome Relay connected to the Dome Controller. A software button to turnoff/turn on the Smart Plug was searched for in AstroMain but couldn't be located,  and the smart plug had to be manually turned off and later back on. It is likely the smart plug was the one that was originally used in associated with the Ethernet Switch but was later re-purposed for the Cloud Sensor. This is confirmed by Zigbee report messages
    > Ethernet Switch has switched off (19:31:02, on time > 17,745,235 h)
  > Ethernet Switch has switched on (19:31:09, off time 7 sec)
  Zigbee smart plug messag, the Ethernet Switch panel on the More/Dome+ tab and the Zigbee Network List should be renamed to refer to the Cloud Sensor instead of the Ethernet Switch. Answered and fixed around 2025-05-15 (AstroMain 3.74.5).
   Done 2025-05-15 (AstroMain 3.74.5)
   

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