In 1997 we received a major grant from the Research Corporation which put us temporarily in the unfamiliar position of being able to buy all the toys we needed, and pay the bills relentlessly arriving from research journals. But patience can pay off, and a proven record in research counts for something. We have concentrated on accumulating long, dense segments of light curves on cataclysmic variables. It has taken me years to become fully persuaded of the importance of robotic operation, but I am now a full convert. Not least among its many advantages is the fact that data are acquired at no human cost of sweat, tears, insomnia, or psychic stress.
Computers have a tougher hide.
With observing stations spaced at strategic longitudes around the world, we could in principle obtain 24 hr coverage for days on end. Computer control is desirable. A CCD camera, and convenient software for controlling the camera by computer. To be useful a light curve should have at least 40 points in a night, and 100 is usually better. About monthly we send out more explicit suggestions about targets for observing, and declare campaigns of some stated duration on particular stars.