New 1.0m

The "new" 1-m telescope was installed in the dome that previously housed a 30-inch telescope. The telescope was built by APM Telescopes[1] and was lifted into the dome on 02 August 2016. Commissioning is currently underway.

The 30-inch telescope was donated to the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Watch this space!

Commissioning Aids

Running SHOC through rts2

• Start rts2 control of SHOC on shocndisbelief:
  

ssh ccd@shocndisbelief.suth.saao.ac.za
sudo bash
cd /home/petr/rts2/src/camd
sudo killall CameraServer && sudo ./rts2-camd-andor --server 1ms1.suth.saao.ac.za

• Take images with SHOC:
  

ssh -X observer@1ms1.suth.saao.ac.za
rts2-xfocusc -d C0 -e 1
(where -e is the exposure time option. Add "-X 1" to overlay grid lines).

• Take and save an image with SHOC:
  

CTRL-C out of rts2-xfocusc
rts2-scriptexec -d C0 -s 'E 1'

Running AG Lodestars through rts2

• Check whether Lodestar is connected:
  

ssh pi@1mag1.suth.saao.ac.za (or pimag2 for DER2)
lsusb
Look for "Starlight Xpress Lodestar autoguider" in output

• Start rts2 control of Lodestar on the pi:
  

ssh pi@1mag1.suth.saao.ac.za
sudo bash
/etc/init.d/rts2 start

• Take images with the Lodestar:
  

ssh -X observer@1ms1.suth.saao.ac.za
rts2-xfocusc -d AG1CCD -e 1
(where AG1CCD is on DER1 and -e is the exposure time option).

• Take and save an image with the Lodestar:
  

CTRL-C out of rts2-xfocusc
rts2-scriptexec -d AG1CCD -s 'E 1'

• Loop multiple saved images:
  

rts2-scriptexec -d AG1CCD -s 'for 5 {E 1}'
(also rts2-xfocusc --save)

Pointing tests

Follow section on Running SHOC through rts2 then

Troubleshooting

• Naughty telescope claims "Trying to contact centrald" and rts2-mon won't start:

sudo /etc/init.d/rts2 start

• Certain subsystems don't wake up:

sudo /etc/rts2/start-rts2

• Certain subsystems don't wake up with start-rts2 command above:

ps -Af | grep rts2

sudo killall <relevant process>

where <relevant process> could be: rts2-centrald - comms (?) rts2-apm-multidev - mirror & baffle cover & primary mirror fans rts2-teld-sitech-altaz - alt & az motors rts2-sitech-focmirror - M2 and M3 rts2-httpd - for thrift? rts2-cupola-saao - dome

• Derotators still don't wake up with start-rts2 command above:

rts2-rotad-sitech -f /dev/derotators --defaults-der1 -=/etc/rts2/D1.ini --defaults-der2 -=/etc/rts2/D2.ini