WIRO PRIME: Taking Dome Flats

On horatio, type:        dome off        fixed 00  -25.0        g At the service platform:  Manually move the dome till you can align the #2 on the dome wall with the control box.  This should center the white screen if you were standing where the telescope holder is. Inside the control room:  There should be a grey/green cylinder shaped box with a knob and numbers on the top and a switch on the side.  This is the control for the domeflat lights.  Adjust the knob until you get to the desired power level for the lights (as listed in the table below), and then do a multiple exposure to take the flats. Filter Power Exp time Counts U 100 V 2 s 32k B 60 V 1 s 21 k V 40 V 4 s 36 k R 40 V 1 s 32 k I 20 V 2 s 32 k 8132 35 V 5 s 15 k 8199 35 V 5 s 15 k 8615 35 V 5 s 17 k 8685 35 V 4 s 18 k Be sure to turn the domeflat lights off and move the dome back to the initial position (dome init, dome on).

Trouble shooting dome flats:

Not so flat flats:      Double check that all 4 domelights are on.  If needed, replacement bulbs are located in the lab  Make sure the electric cords are plugged in a socket. Changing a domeflat light:    Look for the cardboard box in the lab (next to the control room) mark domelights.  It was on  top of the  cabinates last time I replaced the bulbs,  so start looking there.  Anyways eventually there should be a box filled with little boxes of lights.  Take that and some gloves, some you don't actually touch the light.  Go to the service platform  and  locate the burnt out light.  double check that the light switch is turned off (and make sure it wasn't turned off before and that was the reason why the light appeared burnt out.)  Now the lamp is funny because there's many parts to it.  When we first  tried to replace a light bulb, I ended up taking the whole thing apart.  However , you just need to  take off enough of the light to pull the lightbulb out.  You do not have to remove the casing around the bulb just the lense cover.  Once you are able to remove the covering, carefully pull the bulb out.   Using the  gloves and the plastic bag the new bulb was wrapped in, carefully push the new bulb into the  lamp.  It should take a firm push, but  be careful not to break it.  Double check that the light goes on (and be sure to flip the lamp switch to on!).