Blaine Lomberg

Third day of bRing commissioning, with all the major testing and configuring completed. The bRing electronics, hardware and some parts of software was verified for controlling the switches, e.g. the fans ensuring bRing kept ventilated, the peltiers ensuring bRing is temperature controlled inside and directing necessary heating/cooling in the insulated hood where the West and East Camera’s are situated.

bRing with it’s shutters being opened and closed via software testing phase in electronics workshop before moving it to the observing platform.

bRing being transferred by SAAO support stuff using a forklift  to the observing platform where it will be powered and connected to the local network.

bRing on the observing platform with bRing- team and SAAO technicians and other stuff supporting in getting it mounted and oriented towards South.

bRING mounted to the platform, with power and network connectivity. Now ready for a integration and dry run on the sky of Sutherland.

bRing -ZA with first light on Magellanic Clouds.

Team bRing celebrating first light !!

First stages of bRing integration and software executed perfectly and obtained first light with great success. Now bRing needs to be optimized and be ready for science verification and final commissioning before finally performing observations on Beta Pictoris.

 

Second day of bRing commissioning, and started unboxing bRing from its shipping crate in the Electronics Workshop on the plateau!!

bRing arrived all intact and in very good condition.

After unwrapping bRing  with some of its tools and peripherals, we made  visual checks that bRing was in good condition before suppling power to bRing and its UPS.

First work completed for bRing was some safety checks, inspections, sealing any holes and ensuring cables and wires was all connected. In addition, some of bRings fan guards was installed on the peltier fans for cooling purposes in the insulated hood of the bRing housing. The lenses was focused and fixed to 3m on the East and West camera.

bRings platform modification’s, power supply and network connectivity was discussed as to supply these connections inside bRing to the outside world, as bRing is autonomous in operation.

Tomorrow, we plan to close bRing up and move it to the platform.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First day of bRing commissioning, we (Remko, Jeb, Patrick – Leiden Team and Steve and myself – SAAO Team) met at 10am at SAAO to leave for Sutherland. After a lovely lunch and 4 hour drive we got to Sutherland and started some planning and orientation.

So far, we got to the site location for bRing and have checked that it’s concrete pier, power source and fibre connectivity is completed and ready for commissioning.

With a meeting this evening, we have outlined some idea’s on what is needed to be completed on bRing and identified tasks to different members on what can be done in the week, before we take it to site location at the end of the plateau.

Tomorrow we find bRing at the workshop and unpack it to start the first phase of our commissioning.