CSV offers another option for members, especially useful for those who live far enough away that regular visits are more difficult. This is the Personal Remote Observatory (PRO). PRO’s at CSV are being pioneered by Blaine McCoy, a member who lives in the Seattle, WA area.
Blaine’s PRO design uses a cabinet with a remotely powered roll-off roof. The cabinet houses the imaging equipment (in this case a Takahashi FS106 refractor with an ASI2400 full frame camera on a ZWO AM5 mount) together with high capacity LiFePO4 batteries and the necessary electronic control equipment. The system is powered by solar panels and is connected to the internet via the WiFi mesh network at CSV.
Soon other members will be constructing their own PRO’s using Blaine’s design, and plans are being made for a local company to manufacture units that after installation would simply require the user to supply the imaging equipment.