Restarting for a new Winter season

It’s been about 10 months since the observatory has been running, a lapse caused by some other priorities followed by a long spell of poor weather. Now I’m working through a checklist of things to get it back on the air.

• Planning to do some wide-field imaging this winter, I dismounted the AT8RC and mounted the SV80S refractor, moved the focuser, and redid the counterweight and balancing for this lighter scope.
• Replaced the observatory canvas cover, which had become tattered last year.
• I repaired the mount for the flat-field light panel, which had become unglued during the heat of summer.
• Numerous computer upgrades, bringing software, patches, licenses, etc., back up to date.
• Having just been outside in the cold, I turned the PC internal heater on for the season. If the sky remains clear, I hope to calibrate the focuser tonight and maybe tune up the polar alignment.