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(meteorobs) Late preliminary report
I am just now making a brief preliminary report whose purpose is solely to
entertain. My "grand experiment" involving multiple observers and a computer
system met with some difficulties. Unlike so many other sites across the
country, we had perfect weather: absolutely clear, warm, no wind. My
limiting magnitude, never very good because of my age, was an astounding
5.29. Our overnight low was about 43 degrees Fahrenheit. There was much
cloudiness during the day at the site in northwestern Arizona, but it all
cleared up after sunset. We had 10 active observers.
The primary news was that I faced a comically complete equipment failure.
(Well, comically to a disinterested observer.) My computer system, tested
and retested repeatedly prior to departure, tested upon arrival at the site,
and tested upon final setup, had worked perfectly; when observations began,
it failed. Calm, determined testing and swapping out of components
established that all replaceable components were functioning perfectly, that
power was stable at all components, and that signal integrity was perfect.
Despite the fact that all components of the system functioned perfectly, the
system as a whole refused to function. After giving up on the elaborate
computer system, I discovered that the tape recorder was also refusing to
function. Even my ballpoint pen wouldn't write! Fortunately, the calculator
did work, probably because it was not necessary during observations and I
had brought along a slide rule as a backup. I was able to jury-rig the tape
recorder to function after about fifteen minutes, and so was able to gather
some data, which is not yet fully reduced -- the jury-rig failed immediately
after observations were completed. I will be posting some data later, but
for now I thought readers would get a good laugh out of my "best-laid plans"
experience. So much for hundreds of hours of preparation and a like amount
of expenditure.
I will be asking for some details from all those who used tape recorders to
record data and were anywhere on the West Coast.
Chris Crawford
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