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--- chara:operating_procedures [2021/11/04 16:53]
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+++ chara:operating_procedures [2021/11/04 16:55]
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 .1 Starting the vacuum pump for the light pipes
-Go into vacuum pump shack. Flip on power switch for pump (wait for blower to go on) Open valve slowly (parallel to pipe means open) Note if fan cords are plugged into wall outlet to keep pumps cool. Note oil temperature when you start up. Oil temps below 15º C make for a labored start. There is currently a block heater on the north side of the pump and a space heater on the south side.  Inform Larry if the oil temp is low and the heaters did not run to bring the temp up before starting.\\
+Go into vacuum pump shack. Flip on power switch for pump (wait for blower to go on) Open valve slowly (parallel to pipe means open) Note if fan cords are plugged into wall outlet to keep pumps cool. Note oil temperature when you start up. Oil temps below 15º C make for a labored start. There is currently a block heater on the north side of the pump and a space heater on the south side. Inform Larry if the oil temp is low and the heaters did not run to bring the temp up before starting.\\
 Go into lab building, check pressures on Vacmon display. If pressure is higher than 100 torr in any of the lines, pump those lines only one at a time. Open valve a little, then come back to open fully. When all lines to be used are well below 100 torr, open all those valves. The final pressure should be 0.5 - 1.0 Torr in each line. The pump will normally bring all 6 lines down to .2-.3 Torr. The S1 and S2 lines leak the most during the day and will read the highest in the afternoon when you return, usually between 10-20 Torr in the summer and 20-30 Torr in the winter. Note any unusual vacuum readings as they can indicate a leak beyond what is normal. Sometimes a line isn't pumped down the night before and can read higher than 30 Torr. Pump the highest ones down first as stated above.
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 .7 Turn on metrology laser and home the carts
-Make sure that no one is in the lab. Turn the Laser on using the metrology laser GUI. The [Laser Power] button will go from red to green. On the Metrology Monitor GUI, click [INITIALIZE] to initialize the metrology. A window will pop up to indicate a successful initialization. Hit [OK] on the window to close it. Select REFALL and the UNK signal for each cart being used. Hit "OK" to bring up plots. Click [CLEAR] on the metrology monitor to turn the unknown signals from red to white. The signals should look like nice sine waves. If they are too small in amplitude or erratic, a metrology alignment or self interference may be the reason. To close the metrology signal windows, click on [RUN MULTIPLE] again\\
+<font 10.5pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;#333333;;white>Make sure that no one is in the lab. Turn the Laser on using the metrology laser</font>    GUI<font inherit/inherit;;initial;;inherit>. The [Laser Power] button will go from red to green. On the Metrology Monitor</font>        GUI<font inherit/inherit;;initial;;inherit>, click [INITIALIZE] to initialize the metrology. A window will pop up to indicate a successful initialization. Hit [OK] on the window to close it. Select REFALL and the UNK signal for each cart being used. Hit “OK” to bring up plots. Click [CLEAR] on the metrology monitor to turn the unknown signals from red to white. The signals should look like nice sine waves. If they are too small in amplitude or erratic, a metrology alignment or self interference may be the reason. To close the metrology signal windows, click on [RUN MULTIPLE] again</font>
-Home each of the active carts. The carts must be homed before observing or else fringes will not be found. Do not forget this step or endless frustration will follow. At the start of the night the carts will usually be at the back of the rails with the back switch (BS) column marked with an "X" on the OPLE server. On the "Control" Tab on the OPLE GUI, click [HOME] on each of the active carts. This will move the carts to the front of the rails where the home switch is located. If the carts do not appear to be moving after clicking "Home," go into the computer area of the lab to make sure the power for the carts and the cable pullers are turned on. If they are, then you can put IR laser googles on and go into lab to listen if the carts are making loud grinding or squealing noises when they are trying to move. If they are, then the VME may need to be restarted or the cart inspected (serious problems with the carts need to be fixed by daytime staff). After the carts finish homing, the ople server will say "HOMESETDONE" * To check that the carts have homed properly, click [TRACK] on the Control Tab of the OPLE GUI * The cart will track to home switch at the target position of "0.000000" on the OPLE Server * Make sure the "X" lights up and stays steady under the HM column on the Primary OPLE Server for each cart you will be using. Also make sure that the errors between the laser and target position are small, (0.007µm or less is typical), when tracking at the home switch. If the errors jump when the cart is tracking on the home switch, then turn the cart [OFF], move the cart [BACK] about a meter from the home switch, turn the cart [OFF], and try clicking [TRACK] again. Please wait for each command to register on the OPLE server before clicking the next button in this sequence. If the errors do not stay near zero, the metrology laser may be out of alignment and the signal is low or the VME may need to be restarted. Pull up a metrology signal window as shown above and confirm the signal is strong. It will look like a sine wave with an amplitude the same as the window height. If it is low, adjust it carefully with the MET2 gui in PICO 2. Get the sine wave to equal the window height. If it is ok and the problem persists, go to the lab, turn off the Burleigh amplifiers, turn off the VME, wait 15 seconds, turn it back on and wait for the red light to go off. Turn on the Burleigh amplifiers when the light has gone off. Try tracking the cart again. After checking to make sure the carts track properly, turn the carts [OFF]
+\\
+<font 10.5pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;initial;;white>Home each of the active carts. The carts must be homed before observing or else fringes will not be found. Do not forget this step or endless frustration will follow. At the start of the night the carts will usually be at the back of the rails with the back switch (BS) column marked with an “X” on the OPLE server. On the “Control” Tab on the OPLE</font>             GUI<font inherit/inherit;;initial;;inherit>, click [HOME] on each of the active carts. This will move the carts to the front of the rails where the home switch is located. If the carts do not appear to be moving after clicking “Home,” you can put IR laser googles on and go into lab to check them and listen if the carts are making loud grinding or squealing noises when they are trying to move. If they are, then the cart(s) may need to be inspected (serious problems with the carts need to be fixed by daytime staff).</font>
+<font 10.5pt/Calibri,sans-serif;;#333333;;white>After the carts finish homing, the ople server will say “HOMESETDONE” * To check that the carts have homed properly, click [TRACK] on the Control Tab of the OPLE</font>    GUI<font inherit/inherit;;initial;;inherit>* The cart will track to home switch at the target position of “0.000000” on the OPLE Server * Make sure the “X” lights up and stays steady under the HM column on the Primary OPLE Server for each cart you will be using. Also make sure that the errors between the laser and target position are small, (0.007µm or less is typical), when tracking at the home switch. If the errors jump when the cart is tracking on the home switch, then turn the cart [OFF], move the cart [BACK] about a meter from the home switch, turn the cart [OFF], and try clicking [TRACK] again. Please wait for each command to register on the OPLE server before clicking the next button in this sequence. If the errors do not stay near zero, the metrology laser may be out of alignment and the signal is low. Pull up a metrology signal window as shown above and confirm the signal is strong. It will look like a sine wave with an amplitude the same as the window height. If it is low, adjust it carefully with the MET2 gui in PICO 2. Get the sine wave to equal the window height. If it is ok and the problem persists, you can try to restart the respective cart’s computer/OPLE1-6 server(s). Try tracking the cart again. After checking to make sure the carts track properly, turn the carts [OFF]</font>        .
 .8 Synchronizing the clocks
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 .1 Opening the Telescope Domes and enclosures\\
 \\
-You can begin opening the telescope domes and enclosures at least two hours before sunset. The white board has times written down that the domes can be fully opened.  This happens when the sun is below 35º.  Before this time, the domes can be vented by partially opening them. This will help air out the domes and improve seeing at the start of the night. Hot days benefit from an earlier opening to allow the scopes to cool. Before opening the domes make sure to check the current weather conditions and the forecast to make sure conditions are safe to open and are likely to be stable as you wait for it to get dark. Also confirm that Robert or Narsi have finished the alignments in the lab or the control room as opening the domes may interupt their alignments. Call the computer room at #424 if you do not see either of them. Monitor the progress of opening the domes by turning the televisions [ON] using the telescope GUIs. Click [SPY1] to view the dome slit. In the summer, when the sun is higher overhead, use the Dome GUI for each telescope to position the domes in the anti-sun position using the RA/DEC tab and the ANTI-SUN setting for AUTODOME. This will position the dome slit opposite the sun so that you can open the slit well before sunset. You may also go to the Dome Tab on the Dome GUI, manually enter an anti-sun azimuth value from 70º-110º in the text box on the right, and press [GOTO]. This will move the dome slit to the east and opposite the sun. When the domes are facing east (and all labalignments, dichroic changes or coude alignments are finished), click [UNL SL] and [SLIT] on the Control Tab of the obsgtk GUI to open the dome slit fully. If opening very early, use [UNL SL] and [VENT] to open it halfway.  Be sure to open them fully when the sun has reached 35º for maximum cooling.
+You can begin opening the telescope domes and enclosures at least two hours before sunset. The white board has times written down that the domes can be fully opened. This happens when the sun is below 35º. Before this time, the domes can be vented by partially opening them. This will help air out the domes and improve seeing at the start of the night. Hot days benefit from an earlier opening to allow the scopes to cool. Before opening the domes make sure to check the current weather conditions and the forecast to make sure conditions are safe to open and are likely to be stable as you wait for it to get dark. Also confirm that Robert or Narsi have finished the alignments in the lab or the control room as opening the domes may interupt their alignments. Call the computer room at #424 if you do not see either of them. Monitor the progress of opening the domes by turning the televisions [ON] using the telescope GUIs. Click [SPY1] to view the dome slit. In the summer, when the sun is higher overhead, use the Dome GUI for each telescope to position the domes in the anti-sun position using the RA/DEC tab and the ANTI-SUN setting for AUTODOME. This will position the dome slit opposite the sun so that you can open the slit well before sunset. You may also go to the Dome Tab on the Dome GUI, manually enter an anti-sun azimuth value from 70º-110º in the text box on the right, and press [GOTO]. This will move the dome slit to the east and opposite the sun. When the domes are facing east (and all labalignments, dichroic changes or coude alignments are finished), click [UNL SL] and [SLIT] on the Control Tab of the obsgtk GUI to open the dome slit fully. If opening very early, use [UNL SL] and [VENT] to open it halfway. Be sure to open them fully when the sun has reached 35º for maximum cooling.
-[NOT YET OPERATIONAL]  On the enclosure GUI, click the [OBSERVE] button to open the lower cylinders to the observe position. Wait for the slit and enclosures to open to .300 and then wait for the sun to go down.
+[NOT YET OPERATIONAL] On the enclosure GUI, click the [OBSERVE] button to open the lower cylinders to the observe position. Wait for the slit and enclosures to open to .300 and then wait for the sun to go down.
 .2 Opening telescope optics\\

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