The Dome

Important

• The door to the roof can only be opened with the appropriate key.
• The door has to be closed when the telescope is switched on, because the hatch of the dome could collide with it as the dome rotates.
• Usually the door of the dome itself is locked, too.
• The door opens easier if it's slightly pushed during the unlocking.
• The doorway is lower than the average person's height – pay attention to your head.

First steps:

Control box with the emergency button

• Just left to the door you can find the light switch (number 2 in the sketch).
• The left button is for the white light, the right one is for the red light.
• At the wall, next to the light switches there's a small box (number 3 in the sketch). It contains
  • the remote control of the dome (see lower left figure),
  • the sensor that receives the signals from the remote control (see upper left figure), and
  • the emergency button (the red button) that offers the possibility to disconnects the dome from the power supply in case of an emergency.

Computer setup:

Remote control for the dome

A table (number 5 in the sketch) with the laptop on it can be found at the left wall of the dome. This computer can be connect to the telescope. It runs MS Windows 7 along with the required software to operate the telescope and the instruments that can be connected to the telescope. It also has access to the internet, so that it is possible to find additional information on objects (e.g. from Simbad) during the observation.

Miscellaneous:

Furthermore, the dome inventory includes the following items:

• a small step
• a movable ladder with platform (number 8)
• a movable storage container (number 6), including:
  • equipment for the telescope
  • eyepieces
  • manuals
  • tools

Each observation (night) must be registered in the log book (either the real book or in the Wiki log book). This is especially important if adjustments to the equipment/mounting/telescope were made. The movable storage container can also be used to place a laptop on top of it, so that one can easily roll it through the dome. Always ensure that the equipment has a secure foothold.

A number of solutions of (well-) known problems and issues can be found here.