September 9, 2017
People: Sam, Forrest
GPS and GPS-UTC Offset were all fine (offset was changed from +17 to +18 for greater accuracy). Completely readjusted wedge and base to get everything back in line with Polaris. Two star alignment was successful, and didn't even require much adjustment. Telescope failed to return to home position, and on power reset, completely failed to point at the sky. I think there's something wrong with the telescope's brain. The gears sound fine now, and the autostar is definitely OK. The problem is with the telescope itself. Something in there was probably damaged or corroded due to extreme temperature fluctuations.
A possible redesign of the dome might remedy the temperature changes. A sliding door rather than a hinged door would be easier to open, and save on weight, which would give us the freedom to include insulation in the dome. Minimal internal heating to keep the inside above freezing during winter would reduce the damage done to the scope by seasonal temperature changes.
