Observatory Startup: 1) Turn on the tensor lamp to illuminate the stairs 2) Obtain "switch key" from top desk drawer. It fits the east-most switch just east of the door to the deck. It turns on the outlets on each peer. Note lamp on peer nearest door. 3) Unplug the ceiling light (those lights roll with the roof). 4) Verify all telescopes will clear when roof opens. Be careful because sometimes 12" Newtonian tilts upward and won't clear roof. 5) Open the roof. Open it fully there are trustworthy stops on the rails that prevent derailment of the roof at both ends. Meade 12" SCT Initial Setup: 1) Uncover scope and attach dew-shield. 2) Verify that the telescope power is OFF. 3) Plug in the Handbox (never hot-plug!). 4) Make sure telescope is plugged in (dew zapper too). 5) Attach parallel port and power cable to CCD 6) Plug in USB flash drive 7) Plug in power strip for CCD and PC 8) power up the strip: CCD fan goes on 9) Power on PC CCDops: connect to CCD, select temp >20C below current temp. 3) Determine a star on which to synchronize and note the Meade Star Number. 4) Press the key on the handbox labelled "STAR". 5) Type-in the Meade Star Number. 6) Press ENTER and check handbox display to make sure desired star is shown. 7) Using Up, Down, Left, and Right buttons on Handbox, slew to the selected star. 8) Center star in eyepiece. (Set slew speed using leftmost buttons on Handbox). (Telescope probably not tracking yet). 9) Press AND HOLD the enter key until telescope synchronizes with selected and centered star. (It might not "beep". Watch the display for a message indicating success). 10)Telescope should now be synchronized with sky. CCDops: Dark Frame->None, 4sec exposure, find star, resync, start focus planeratyr mode ...SAO#, M#... To slew to objects: 1) ***WARNING*** When slewing telescope to find objects, I would first slew the scope manually to get near the object (instead of using GOTO). The reason for this is because some objects may require the scope to swing the CCD imager through the fork. The CCD imager will *NOT CLEAR THE FORK* and will smash the CCD imager and the telescope. (At f/6.3 or f/10 this may not be a problem, but be careful anyway.) 2) Once the scope is manually slewed to near the object to be imaged, AND you are sure it will not try to swing the CCD imager through the fork, THEN you can perform a GOTO by proceeding with the instructions that follow. 3) For Messier objects, press the "M" key on the Handbox keypad. 4) Type-in the Messier number. 5) Press ENTER. 6) Verify the object shown in the Handbox display is the one you want. 7) Press GOTO. 8) Scope should slew to the object. If it looks like scope is going to swing CCD imager through fork, SHUT IT OFF! 9) Center object, focus, and image! (I'm not going to expand this step right now, as this is getting really long already. Anyway, this is the EASY part, right?) Shutting Down: 1) Shut off the CCD cooling from the software. (Wait for cooling % to get to 0%) 2) Select SHUTDOWN from the software. (Note that if you just shut the CCD imager off without going through the shutdown procedure, you will NOT damage the CCD imager noticably. However, over many shutdown cycles, failure to use the shutdown process will start having a noticable effect on the images...usually hot pixels) 3) Completely Shutdown/turn off the software and computer. 4) Manually slew scope to horizontal/level position. check reticule off 5) Shut off the telescope. 6) Unplug the pwoer strip. 8) Put away the dew shield 9) Cover the telescope with the protective covers (but not the big plastic bag). 10) Verify telescope is OFF . 12) Cover telescope with big plastic bag (not critical but desirable). Closing the Roof: 1) Verify all telescopes have clearance for closing roof. 2) Use switch on North wall behind Meade SCT to close roof. (switch trick) 3) Do not leave roof unattended when it is closing. 4) Roof will usually make a "thud" sound when closed. Shut off the switch. 5) Do not let the roof motor run when roof has stopped or you will burn out the motor. 6) Plug the hanging ORANGE extension cord for lights back in. (West wall by door.) 7) Use the "switch key" to shut off power to the observing deck. (Light on base of 10" newtonian will go off when power goes off.) 8) Return the "power key" to the desk in the classroom. check dark 9) Double check everything.