BSM_NH's anniversary!

Affiliation
American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO)
Tue, 11/20/2018 - 14:11

BSM_NH just turned 1 year old a few weeks ago!  Looking at the logs, it acquired data on about 110 nights during the period, about what I would expect for northeastern U.S.  For the most part, it has performed well, though we've had some hardware issues, mostly related to the mount.

To mitigate that going forward, BSM_NH is undergoing a number of changes.  The first was the replacement of the aging ST8-XME camera with a more modern ZWO ASI-183mm version.  It gives nearly the same field, but with higher QE and faster potential observing cadence.  Next is moving the OTA into a new enclosure furnished by Gary Walker, where a Paramount ME on long-term loan from the Tzec Maun Foundation will provide improved pointing and tracking.  That will happen over the next couple of weeks, so there may be some down-time as far as new imaging is concerned.

Hopefully, BSM_NH will be a workhorse system for AAVSOnet for the coming future!

Arne