Powering up the TV system

The TV control box is at present in Bay 1 of the telescope control console. There are two monitors associated with the TV. The first is the `raw video' monitor which is on top of the control console and secondly there is the all-singing, all-dancing Grinnell monitor which is incorporated into the control console to the left of the main GD4K display. Below the Grinnell monitor is an array of feature-selection buttons. The final piece of hardware in the TV system is a joystick controller box which normally resides on the telescope control console desk - or nearby.

To operate the system follow these steps:

1.

Make sure all lights are out in the dome.

2.

Turn on the power to the two monitors of the TV system and let them warm up, so that you can see if any image is on the TV camera.

3.

Ensure that the gain control of the TV control box is turned fully off (turn anti-clockwise until it clicks).

4.

Press the black ON power button on the control box. The two lights labelled DELAY & RESET will come on. Wait (about 15 secs) until they go out and the green ON light comes on. If RESET does not go out, press OFF, check step (3) and try again. If these lights are still reluctant to go off a gentle anti-clockwise turn on the gain control switch will usually do the job.

5.

The TV control box has two scan reverse toggle switches (which allow the orientation of the TV display to be changed to match finding charts for example.) Initially, however, they can be used to test the status of the system. When the monitors are powered up, and adjusted in brightness to give a visible background, switching the toggle switches will, if the system is OK, result in the bright edge of the TV cathode traversing the screen. If this is not seen then check the monitor brightness settings. If there is still no response then call for help.