Project History

1991 - Created a DOS-Turbo Pascal computer program called TVSTAR to interface the Starlight-1 Photometer to a PC.

1992 - Developed a DOS-Turbo Pascal computer program to use the Starlight-1 photometer in a high speed mode enabling lunar occultation of star measurements.

1992 - Developed a DOS-Turbo Pascal computer program to automate the 24" telescope of the Peoria Astronomical Society.  A PC drove the telescope, encoders and photometer to make a semi-automated system capable of long unattended observing runs on variable stars.

1993/94 - Spent a lot of time collecting data on variable stars and publishing the data.

1995 - Applied for and received an AAS Small Research Grant from NASA to build a small robotic observatory with an SBIG ST-7 camera and a Meade LX-200 8" telescope.

1996/97 - Built the Hanna City Robotic Observatory.  Developed a DOS - C program to control the ST-7, LX200 and observatory functions.

1997 - Wrote the EzPhot DOS- C program to process the tremendous amounts of data generated by the automated observatory.

1998/99 - Changed the EzPhot program form a DOS program to a 32 bit Windows program to enable a more user friendly program. Collected  a lot of Cataclysmic Variable Star data for the Center for Backyard Astrophysics.

2000 - Created a 32 bit Windows program to replace the DOS program the controlled the Hanna City Observatory.

2001 - Built new revised electronics and moved the Hanna City telescope to a dual telescope enclosure on the roof of Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, WI.  Built the electronics and control systems for a second telescope.  Installed another telescope system at Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, NH.  All three telescopes use new software that enables control over the Internet.

2002 - Enhancing the Windows control software to enable completely automatic observatory operations.

2003 - The 8" Meade LX200 has been working great at Exeter.  Now that they have seen the capability of Robotic Observatories for schools, they want a bigger telescope and mount.  I am working with the Astrophysics GTO-1200 mount, Optec TCF-S focuser and a Celestron C-14.  What a nice system this will be.