13.11.2020

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Friday 13th. After days of leaden overcast we are promised some sunny periods this morning. Which. in practice meant a few brief seconds of brightness so far.

Image captured through cloud at 11.34.

10.30 49/47F Uniformly grey skies but I am set up and a waiting to centre the sun. The cloud is coming from the SW with a cool breeze increasing. Thin mist in the distance.

Meanwhile I am testing the heat bands on the new PSU while there is nothing to image. The diminutive "outdoor" sensor from a digital thermometer is handy for this. On half heat setting, on the AstroTech controller, these bands take a long time to warm up! 75F after ten minutes from 50F ambient in the dome.

Now I have rigged the Ammeter in the PSU circuit. It is drawing a steady 4A on two dew bands and the AWR drives. Restarted drives after meter connection: Now a steady 3.8A.

11.10 51/48F. Second dew band holding at 73F. Momentary brightness. Two spots visible. One on west limb and the other on the SE. Managed a couple of quick video captures of each without a GPC. Fitted the 2x GPC and waiting for closeups if the cloud ever clear again.  Blue overhead. Racing cloud over the sun! None of my captures were worth it so far. Just a mess of fuzz.

Switched off the second dew band. One band showing 3.5A with drives. Temperature dropped like a stone on the 1st band. It may not be working. Turned up the control knob. 3.6A but still only 66F. Turned it down to zero for 3.1A on the AWR drives alone.

11.33 & 1.34 52/49F First images processed. Detail lost through cloud. Still no blue sky over the sun yet. Cloud now coming from the south.

12.40 Constant cloud. Giving up.

13.00 The watery sunshine has been visible for most of the time I have been enjoying lunch. 

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