Some more stuff about the telescope (including a cool use i hadn't thought of )<br><br>----Original Message-----<br>
From: Timo P. Vaalsta [mailto:<a href="mailto:timo@physics.uwa.edu.au">timo@physics.uwa.edu.au</a>]<br>
Sent: Thursday, 18 March 2010 11:49 AM<br>
To: Andre Fletcher<br>
Cc: Craig Williams; Ian McArthur(Physics); Lister Staveley-Smith; Richard Dodson; Jay Jay (Cyllene); Joe Coletti; <a href="mailto:aburrell@cyllene.uwa.edu.au">aburrell@cyllene.uwa.edu.au</a>; <a href="mailto:lance@physics.uwa.edu.au">lance@physics.uwa.edu.au</a>; <a href="mailto:timo@physics.uwa.edu.au">timo@physics.uwa.edu.au</a><br>
Subject: Re: Radiotelescope on the roof of physics<br>
<br>
Hi All,<br>
<br>
The radio dish on the Bofors gun-mount was last tested by Ken<br>
Frost and I a couple of years ago. The designed purpose was to<br>
track oribiting weather satellites and recieve the high resolution<br>
image data. On recollection Ken and I managed to recieve<br>
the image data on a few occassions and then the dish was<br>
mothballed due to lack of interest. This was the high reolution<br>
images, not the medium resolution images that can be recieved<br>
by an fixed dipole or qudrapole antennas on the physics<br>
rooftop, which where at one time on live display in the<br>
Physics atrium.<br>
<br>
The status of the Bofors mounted dish was that it was largely<br>
ready to go. There remained only the minor matter<br>
of calibrating or rather tuning the gearing ratios to<br>
tracking rates.<br>
<br>
In brief:<br>
<br>
* The stepper motors, Low Noise AMPS, reciever electronics,<br>
�and control box were last stored in the Electronics Workshop<br>
�area. Since then moved for more permanent storage.<br>
<br>
* I wrote some preliminary code to control the Alt-Az mount<br>
�control logic board that drives the stepper motors; connection<br>
�via parrallel port of the computer. Though serial port<br>
�will do, provided you have enough pinouts (more than one<br>
�port needed.)<br>
<br>
* The Dongal and some of the satellite image construction<br>
�software were or are on the old Astronomy computer I<br>
�setup in the dome and on a computer donated by Peter Smith.<br>
�I think the Smith computer has disappeared.<br>
<br>
* The Azimuth part of the mount is likely to be full of<br>
�water. It needs to to syphoned out. Syphoning ceased<br>
�when the dish was mothballed.<br>
<br>
* Lister at one time sought to obtain another reciever to<br>
�record Natural sky radio sources, say the 21cm line.<br>
�Ken and I looked into it, but no gear was purchased<br>
�from the recommendations.<br>
<br>
In short - the dish was almost ready to go a few years<br>
ago. There isn't much to do if one wants to track<br>
weather satellites, just a bit of software writing<br>
to get it to track near Earth satellites, which is<br>
an exercise in celestial mechanics.<br>
<br>
Regards,<br>
<br>
Timo.