Hi Steve,
Thanks for that and letting us know.
Since we cannot reply to your Spanish visit post, I hope you don't mind me mentioning something here that I am not happy about.
On pier 14, which is being replaced with a new scope, your intention as on prior occasions, is to add everything that didn't complete to the new queue. I disagree as it's pretty obvious we will end up with wasted imaging time. See below.
Not just bad weather but set up changes to cure problems has imo really impacted on what we've received from pier 14 over the last 7 months or so. The following example is probably the most extreme one, but highlights the problem of just submitting jobs without any consideration to older ones and their completion.
I was really looking forward to a 4 pane mosaic of the Spaghetti nebula submitted by Paul last September. Each pane was for 1.5 hours RGB and 7 hours HOS making 34 hours for the mosaic. Plenty of time as it was going to be available for the next 7 months.
A visit to Spain to again 'fix the stars' meant that as is planned now, we received all the data captured up to the visit and the 4 panes were added back. Fortunately there ought to have been plenty of time still available, unfortunately it didn't complete. Add up the partial data collected prior to and after the visit and that's now wasted time. Simply adding back the 2 unfinished panes is obviously not a good idea with a new scope being installed. See above.
I recognise your concerns about keeping piers fully occupied, but simply asking people to add jobs to fill the gaps when there isn't an intelligent queuing system in place, may have impacted on that mosaic and resulted in more time wasted than saved.
(There's a risk that what I'm about to write may get me banned, but what the heck.)
I know that you try and keep an eye on things and do your best to suspend some jobs or prioritise others, but I was actually referring to an "intelligent queuing system". :)
There is an opportunity to start with a blank sheet of paper and try to agree on jobs in the queue that can be resubmitted, then actually discuss future targets.
Cheers,
Ray (ex-forum member?)
Hi Ray, some things like weather and equipment failure, yep you have me, Others not so much but a lot of this feels like frustration in people not talking discussing implementing and planning ahead. Not to mention your unusual love affair with the target Sime147
As for the equipment that's fitted on Pier 14, You have all voted on changes over the years including this latest one.
After the star issue came to light many moons ago we it was offered to stay with the 35mm and native F5 but members wanted to Stay F3.6 with he reducer. because you liked the FOV and it was fine. We have done our best to flatten but as said a million times on the forum the corrector does not like 3.76um pixels and that will always be the issue.
This latest attempt with the E130 is us trying to get rid of the bad corners once and for all. Again you all had a chance to vote yes or no. and its a ton of work for us to do this, so to be dragged over the coales when its what the members voted for is a tad shall we say unfair lol
I agree its a chance for a Fresh start for all and I am hoping members finally start using our awesome scheduling software properly so it can be productive and perhaps talk to one another a little more
Ex member LOL - I have only a few rules, aggression hate etc etc plus repeated downright rudeness as you dont have any of these traits apart from a dry sense of humour your perfectly safe :)
Steve