Log, Jan 17, 2003
7 people. The "evening" started out rather early for me today, 2 PM. Joe Hartley and I agreed to meet at the dome to try to fix the rotor. Well we made it better, but nothing short of a new 18 foot in diameter gear from Ashe Dome will completely fix the problem. There are areas that have been worn down so much that they slip. Currently sections 22 and 23 are the culprits, but over the course of the year other areas cause problems. We tightened one set screw in a spring and inserted a spring to sort of nudge the motor into the grove. We greased all the gears (including the 18 foot in diameter beast. Silicon grease is the consistency of taffy at 25 degrees and it is as sticky as taffy as well. Somehow I was able to resist seeing if it tasted like taffy.After dark, it was light out. Outside of a large city I have seldom seen such a bright sky. The fourth magnitude Great Nebula in Orion was almost impossible to see by eye. The sky shine was bright enough to cast shadows and the Moon was bright enough to see the colors in people's clothing. Even staying with bright objects, most things were washed out.The wind was fierce and the cold was worse. Even with my very warm clothing, a chill managed to seep around the edges when the wind swirled through. By 9:30, with no one there I decided that I would exercise the discretionary powers vested in me by myself and close the place rather than waiting around to see if anyone else was foolish enough to come. Luckily no one did.-Les Coleman
