Horizontal Heavens Observatory "...From  A Galaxy Far, Far Away"
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This page was last updated on 10/08/14.

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FOR SALE 10in Meade LX200 EMC

About  Horizontal Mike

Horizontal Hell

Planetary Nebula Discovery

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Old Navy Pics 1974

 

GALLERIES

NEWEST Images

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Nebula

Eclipsing Infrared Binary

Yerkes Observatory

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M42 Orion Nebula

NGC2024

NGC2261 + NGC2264 Nebula

 

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

MoonLite Focuser

Photometrics Cooler

Flocking LX200R

LiteBox for Flats

CCD Inspector Page

DEC Motor Modifications

Dovetail Mounting Details

Focal Reducer Information

LXD55 Mount Mods

Meade Superwedge Modifications

Robo-Focus

05/09/2014 Storm Damage

 

MI-250 Gemini Control Box - showing internal components

Lightning Induced Ground Surge Takes Out Gemini Controller

After a long very dry record temperature summer (2009), my observatory took an indirect hit from lightning that took out my Gemini controller and a couple of USB hubs and my PC.  The images below show the visibly fried resisters, but I also lost at least three additional resisters that still "appeared" to be normal yet measured "open" with the multi-meter.  I don't have the skills to measure the other components but suspect more defective components.  Looking at the main Gemini board, it looks like repairs would be iffy at best and a full replacement is in order.

 

-->PC Motherboard fried

(Below) Rev H Gemini Control Box

(Below left) Gemini memory battery.                        (Below right) F1 fuse

 

(Below left) RS232 chip area.                    (Below right) EPROM L4 v1.04