We offer FREE master calibration files on the FTP folder under the directory CALIBRATION FILES for all membership plans.  These are updated regularly and will work well for most users.


However, if you have a special need for custom calibration files, you can do calibration runs while the roof is closed on the observatories.  These are free so long as the roof is closed, but will be charged full rate for your plan if the roof is open.


To do this, log in to the telescope while the roof is closed using the offline plan generator drop down link (preferably during the evening when the roof is closed for weather as opposed to during Roof Closed:  Day Light, but this can be done then as well).  Once logged in click "Back to Telescope" and select "Cal. (Dark/Bias)" from the left hand side of the menu.  This will open up a Web Form like the Calibration Example image like the one below.





From here you have control over what you want.  For this example, I'm going to take calibrations as if I were running 180s Bin 1x1 Luminance and 60s Bin 2x2 Red, Green, and Blue when I intend to image.  When you do this, you will want to match the exposure time and binning you intend to use for all images.  (IE: if you do 300s Lum 1x1 and 180s Red, Green, Blue 2x2 you will want to collect 300s Bin 1x1 and 180s Bin 2x2 darks as well as Bin 1x1 and Bin 2x2 Bias)


This means I want about 5-10 180s Bin 1x1 Darks and 5-10 60s Bin 2x2 Darks, as well as 5-10 0s Bin 1x1 Bias and 5-10 0s Bin 2x2 Bias.



To do this, you would want to fill out the Web Form as it looks in the below image.  (By Selecting "0" second Duration - the system will automatically treat the images as Bias)





After you have filled it out, simply select Acquire Cal Frames and the system will do the rest.  Please note that the system will still end Calibration sessions if there is a pending reservation, regardless of the system being closed.  The reservation system continues to run while the roof is closed and reschedules reservations as needed.  To do this, it will still follow the same steps a reservation would while the roof is open.  


This means the reservation system will first check to see if the reserving member is currently running a plan, if they are not, but someone else is, the system will abort that session in order to open the system for the reservation.  It then checks to see if the roof is closed, if it is, it reschedules or cancels (depending on member request), if it is not closed, it will begin the reservation.  This is usually done in a minute or so, but can take up to 10 under the right conditions.


This means that if a reservation is set to begin during your calibration run, the calibration run will be aborted until the system has either rescheduled or cancelled the reservation.  If this happens to you, it's best to wait 10 minutes and then begin your calibration run again.


Unlike the iTelescope Staff collected calibration files mentioned above, which will appear in the "CALIBRATION FILES" folder on the FTP, these calibration files will appear in the telescope directory for the system they were taken on.  


So, if you use are taking your own calibration files for T8, you would want to check the "t08" folder for the calibration files.  Unlike standard imaging runs, which each get their own folder based on target, calibration files will be "loose" zip files directly under the telescope directory.