Remote Observing with Intel NUC & 4k monitors

UCSC Remote Observing has two new workstations

hardware cost $2100 in year 2017, parts are cheaper now

For these stations we have hardware parts list and instructions for assembly and install. This information is also included in the tarball of source code for on-campus remote observing stations.

Stations with components similar to these are also suitable for the experimental remote observing from home that Keck and Lick have been using while the pandemic restricts access to mountain and campus facilities.
See the web page with details and system requirements about home observing for Lick.
Contact Keck for details on home observing for Keck.


All images at 1/5 scale
All images at 1/2 scale
All images at full scale

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All 8 VNC screens for Keck ESI (DEIMOS, LRIS)
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All 4 large VNC screens for Keck KCWI on one 4k monitor
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6 active VNC screens for Keck HIRES on one 4k monitor
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All 6 VNC screens for Lick ShARCS, including Polycom window
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detail of 2 VNC screens for ShARCS and Polycom window to Shane ROR
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All VNC screens for Lick Nickel
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All VNC screens for Keck LRIS and a Zoom video session
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Intel NUC7i5BNH
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Intel NUC7i5BNH
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All VNC windows for ShARCS after height reduction to tile on 4k.
Here and in the next image a change has been made at Lick in response to the new stations.
This basically recognizes that the aspect ratio of commonly available monitors is no longer 4x3, and it is trending toward 16x9.
Image IMG_6551.JPG 1/2 scale
No overlap of ShARCS after height reduction to tile on 4k
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Bandwidth used by ShARCS VNC displays is 500 kiB/s
Steve Allen <sla@ucolick.org>
UCO/Lick Observatory
University of California
Santa Cruz
, CA 95064

Phone: +1 831 459 3046
FAX: +1 831 459 2298