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Before entering the lab, you must have a reason or tasks at hand. | Before entering the lab, you must have a reason or tasks at hand. | ||
- | Lab booties/ | + | Lab booties/ |
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2.1 Starting the vacuum pump for the light pipes | 2.1 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 and wait for the blower to go on in about 6 seconds. |
- | 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 | + | 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 |
2.2 Filling NIRO with LN2\\ | 2.2 Filling NIRO with LN2\\ | ||
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2.3.6 M10 Alignment | 2.3.6 M10 Alignment | ||
- | Go to a computer anywhere to check the beam remotely at the telescopes. Check Vacuum Monitor that the vacuum is below 20 torr. Open telescope gui from pull down menu. Click TV [ON] to open the camera window and click [M10AL] to change view to the M10 alignment view, click [M7 open] to open the M7 mirror cover. Center bright spot in beam on the black reference spot. (Note that S2 has a double spot in the center and a single spot to the lower right. The double spot is the correct one.) You may need to adjust the IRIS or the TV brightness to see the bright spot well. [BEAM] cycles the iris from open to closed and gives a good idea of where the center of the spot is. To adjust the position, use Pico 2 to select, for example, E2M10 → [MOVE] (use large steps ~ 100). Note that the up, down, left, and right buttons do no correspond to the actual directions the spot will move. When the spot is centered, click [M7 close] to close the mirror cover * click TV [OFF] to close the window | + | Go to a computer anywhere to check the beam remotely at the telescopes. Check Vacuum Monitor that the vacuum is below 20 torr. Open telescope gui from pull down menu. Click TV [ON] to open the camera window and click [M10AL] |
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After the laser is warmed up, check sockman for old OPLE" | After the laser is warmed up, check sockman for old OPLE" | ||
- | If the OPLE System Control gui is not already running on wazoo, you can start the gui with the following command | + | If the OPLE System Control gui is not already running on wazoo, you can start the gui with the following command |
ssh -Y ople / | ssh -Y ople / | ||
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Press the Start button near the bottom. This will start up the computers, and the first stage of hardware and takes about 90 seconds to complete. The grey buttons will turn yellow with a blue icon when the computers have started up, but not loaded the drivers yet. They will then turn solid yellow when they are ready for the next step and have loaded all the drivers. (Note: E1 has often failed to start and will need to be powered on manually by the rocker switch behind the right, front cover of the E1 ople computer) | Press the Start button near the bottom. This will start up the computers, and the first stage of hardware and takes about 90 seconds to complete. The grey buttons will turn yellow with a blue icon when the computers have started up, but not loaded the drivers yet. They will then turn solid yellow when they are ready for the next step and have loaded all the drivers. (Note: E1 has often failed to start and will need to be powered on manually by the rocker switch behind the right, front cover of the E1 ople computer) | ||
- | Once all 6 are solid yellow, right click on each yellow dot, and select start. This loads the control software and will turn the button green. Once all 6 are green, you are ready to start the OPLE server. | + | Once all 6 are solid yellow, right click on each yellow dot, and select start. This loads the control software and will turn the button green. Once all 6 are green, you need to close the gui and reopen it in the control room. |
- | If using the CHAPMtoMet feature, once the OPLE server has fully started, please check sockman for CHAMPtoMet. If it is running, then MIRC is ok to start. If it is not running, log into the ople computer and run the command : CHAMPtoMet This is case sensitive. | + | Be sure to inform the MIRCX/ |
- | + | ||
- | Now the MIRC server is ok to start. | + | |
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3.2 Setting up for observing | 3.2 Setting up for observing | ||
+ | |||
+ | The first thing to start is the Ople server so you can let the MIRCX and MYSTIC observers know it is running. | ||
Turn on the following from the POWER GUI: To change the setting on the power GUI, unclick LOCK, make change, re-click LOCK. Under RACK_2, turn on [METSCOPE] (button will turn green when ON). If observing with CLASSIC or CLIMB2, turn on [NIRO CPU] and [CLS-DITH] on RACK_2. If observing with CLIMB1, turn on [NIRO CPU] on RACK_2 and [CLM-DITH] on RACK_3. For each telescope using lab tiptilt, turn on [TIP/TILT]. | Turn on the following from the POWER GUI: To change the setting on the power GUI, unclick LOCK, make change, re-click LOCK. Under RACK_2, turn on [METSCOPE] (button will turn green when ON). If observing with CLASSIC or CLIMB2, turn on [NIRO CPU] and [CLS-DITH] on RACK_2. If observing with CLIMB1, turn on [NIRO CPU] on RACK_2 and [CLM-DITH] on RACK_3. For each telescope using lab tiptilt, turn on [TIP/TILT]. | ||
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3.3 Servers required for observing | 3.3 Servers required for observing | ||
- | Servers can be opened from the pop up menu at bottom of screen 1, using the black platter icon or using the Observation Setup icon which opens them all automatically. The GPS server and the METROL server should always stay on and remain on screen 1. Close and re-open all Telescope servers after UT 0h, (because of tiptilt connection issues) in screen 2. Open Primary OPLE Server and gui, Open Classic, Climb1, or Climb2 if needed, Open Tiptilt Server if needed, Open Metrology Monitor (METROL) gui, (upper right of screen 1), this gui usually remains open. Open Metrology Laser (METLAS) gui, (upper right of screen 1), this gui usually remains open. | + | Servers can be opened from the pop up menu at bottom of screen 1, using the black platter icon or using the Observation Setup icon which opens them all automatically. The GPS server and the METROL server should always stay on and remain on screen 1. Close and re-open all Telescope servers after UT 0h, (because of tiptilt connection issues) in screen 2. Open Primary OPLE gui, Open Classic, Climb1, or Climb2 if needed, Open Tiptilt Server if needed, Open Metrology Monitor (METROL) gui, (upper right of screen 1), this gui usually remains open. Open Metrology Laser (METLAS) gui, (upper right of screen 1), this gui usually remains open. |
3.4 Open Telescope guis, or obsgtks from icons on desktop | 3.4 Open Telescope guis, or obsgtks from icons on desktop | ||
- | 3.5 Open GUIs required for observing from the menu under GTK or the desktop icons: Open Primary OPLE gui, Open Classic, Climb1, or Climb2 gui if needed, Open LDC1 and LDC2 if PAVO program is observing. If using Lab Tiptilt, open Tiptilt GUI. | + | 3.5 Open GUIs required for observing from the menu under GTK or the desktop icons: Open Primary OPLE gui, Open Classic, Climb1, or Climb2 gui if needed, Open LDC1 and LDC2 if PAVO program is observing. If using Lab Tiptilt, open Tiptilt GUI. Check that the pops are set by confirming |
- | + | ||
- | 3.6 Using the Cosmic Debris job sequencer | + | |
- | + | ||
- | Open Cosmic Debris, CD for short, from the desktop icon. On the CONFIGURE tab, check to make sure the PoPs and telescope beam assignments agree with the white board or the setup email. If the POPs are wrong on CD, then open the " | + | |
- | Set the instrument and settings on Cosmic Debris. On the " | + | |
(This section is obsolete with the retiring of the old lab tiptilt)\\ | (This section is obsolete with the retiring of the old lab tiptilt)\\ | ||
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Finish setting up tiptilt GUIs. Click re-open on the Tiptilt GUI. This will update the TT labels on the TT viewing screens from B1,B2,etc to the telescope names. Click on the [SERVO CONTROL] tab on the tiptilt GUI to bring up a second window and move to screen 5 with the telescope guis. The Servo Control GUI allows you to turn ON the servo for the TT loop and make biases for individual beams (DBIAS and ZBIAS) | Finish setting up tiptilt GUIs. Click re-open on the Tiptilt GUI. This will update the TT labels on the TT viewing screens from B1,B2,etc to the telescope names. Click on the [SERVO CONTROL] tab on the tiptilt GUI to bring up a second window and move to screen 5 with the telescope guis. The Servo Control GUI allows you to turn ON the servo for the TT loop and make biases for individual beams (DBIAS and ZBIAS) | ||
- | 3.7 Turn on metrology | + | 3.6 Metrology |
- | 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" | + | <font 14px/ |
- | 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" | + | \\ |
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+ | The new ople system has a home check procedure that will give the homing error of each cart. Use the CHECK button on the ople gui to have ople check the homing accuracy. A value of a few microns is usually returned after the cart is checked. Hit ESC to clear the display in the Ople server and check the next cart. If any cart has large values above 20 microns, home the cart again and check the homing until it shows low values. | ||
+ | |||
+ | If using the CHAPMtoMet feature, once the OPLE server has fully started, please check sockman for CHAMPtoMet. If it is running, then MIRC is ok to start. If it is not running, log into the ople computer | ||
+ | |||
+ | 3.7 Using the Cosmic Debris job sequencer | ||
+ | |||
+ | Open Cosmic Debris, CD for short, from the desktop icon. On the CONFIGURE tab, check to make sure the PoPs and telescope beam assignments agree with the white board or the setup email. If the POPs are wrong on CD, then open the " | ||
+ | Set the instrument and settings on Cosmic Debris. On the " | ||
3.8 Synchronizing the clocks | 3.8 Synchronizing the clocks | ||
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3.9 | 3.9 | ||
- | The following windows should be opened on computer screen 1 (these are usually kept open all the time): Telescope monitor, Beam Samplers and PoPs, Visbeams, Shutters and Laser Filter Wheel, VEGA Periscope, Iris, Metrology Laser and Metrology Monitor, Pico 2 | + | The following windows should be opened on computer screen 1 (these are usually kept open all the time): Telescope monitor, Beam Samplers and PoPs, Visbeams, Shutters and Laser Filter Wheel, Iris, Metrology Laser and Metrology Monitor, Sockman, Pico 2, Power, Weather, and a terminal for opening popperigtk. |
3.10 | 3.10 | ||
See the instruments page for information about starting different instruments at the beginning of the night:\\ | See the instruments page for information about starting different instruments at the beginning of the night:\\ | ||
- | [[: | + | [[: |
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4.6 Essential Observing Links | 4.6 Essential Observing Links | ||
- | 150-Foot Solar Tower Current TowerCam Image ([[http://www.astro.ucla.edu/%7Eobs/towercam.htm|http://www.astro.ucla.edu/~obs/towercam.htm]]) a live view of the mountain. Check the clock when viewing the page as it can sometimes fail to refresh. | + | Mount Wilson HP Wren Cameras |
Caltech Millikan Library Camera ([[http:// | Caltech Millikan Library Camera ([[http:// | ||
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National Weather Service ([[http:// | National Weather Service ([[http:// | ||
- | CHARA telescopes spy cams and weather graph ([[http://astro.gsu.edu/~weather/chara_scopes.html|http://www.astro.gsu.edu]]) Status of each CHARA telescope and the All-sky camera. | + | Mount Wilson Ambient station |
- | Mount Wilson HP Wren Cameras ([[http://hpwren.ucsd.edu/cameras/wilson.html|http://hpwren.ucsd.edu/cameras/wilson.html]]) 360º view of mountain in color and IR | + | Jet stream forecast |
- | Aerospace Corporation weather station ([[http://www.weatherlink.com/user/mocam/index.php?view=summary&headers=1|http://www.weatherlink.com/ | + | IR satellite loop [[https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES/sector_band.php?sat=G17§or=psw& |
- | + | ||
- | Jet stream forecast ([[http:// | + | |
- | + | ||
- | IR satellite loop ([[http:// | + | |
California Regional Weather Server ([[http:// | California Regional Weather Server ([[http:// | ||
Clear Sky Clock ([[http:// | Clear Sky Clock ([[http:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | CHARA telescopes spy cams and weather graph ([[http:// | ||
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5.1 Opening the Telescope Domes and enclosures\\ | 5.1 Opening the Telescope Domes and enclosures\\ | ||
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- | 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. | + | 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, |
- | [NOT YET OPERATIONAL] | + | [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. |
5.2 Opening telescope optics\\ | 5.2 Opening telescope optics\\ | ||
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5.5 Slewing to a Target Using Cosmic Debris\\ | 5.5 Slewing to a Target Using Cosmic Debris\\ | ||
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- | It is typically dark enough to lock on your first star if TT reports ~ 1000 counts while not point at anything (sky counts) with the SpyCams turned off. This is roughly | + | It is typically dark enough to lock on your first star roughly |
5.6 Locking Tiptilt (when using lab tiptilt) | 5.6 Locking Tiptilt (when using lab tiptilt) | ||
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6.4 Manually stowing the telescopes | 6.4 Manually stowing the telescopes | ||
- | Unlock the tiptilt beams using the Tiptilt servo control GUI. Turn the telescope TVs to SPY1 so that you can watch the telescopes and domes stow. On the Control Tab of the telescope GUI, click [STOW]. This will send the telescope and dome to the stow position. When the telescopes reach an elevation above 50 degrees, you can begin closing the mirror covers. M1 CLOSE, M3 CLOSE, M5 CLOSE, M7 CLOSE, Finder CLOSE Note that W2 and E1? finder covers and the W1 and W2 M7 covers need a second click to close. Visually inspect the telescopes using SPY2 to make sure that the mirror covers close properly. Check the Telescope Monitor for mirror cover status. After the M1, M3 and finder mirror covers finish closing, close the dome slits by clicking [SLIT CLOSE] on the telescope control tab for each telescope dome that is open. Close the dome enclosures by clicking [CLOSE] on the cylinder GUI. Watch that each reads .000 or .001 when closed. Check that the telescopes moved to their stow positions in EL and AZ: EL 90.0 deg, AZ 55.9 deg for E1 and E2, EL 90.0 deg, AZ 99.3 deg for W1 and W2, EL 90.0 deg, AZ 82.0 deg for S1 and S2. Turn off the power for [TEL AZ], [TEL EL] and [TIP/TILT] for the active scopes using the Power GUI. Visually check all telescopes in the spycams to make sure all covers and slits are closed. Leave the telescope GUIs open until the End Night Sequence is finished. (Cosmic Debris will turn on the TVs and the Spy Cam 2 during the End Night Sequence.) If the humidity is high, make sure that the heaters are turned on. | + | Unlock the tiptilt beams using the Tiptilt servo control GUI. Turn the telescope TVs to SPY1 so that you can watch the telescopes and domes stow. On the Control Tab of the telescope GUI, click [STOW]. This will send the telescope and dome to the stow position. When the telescopes reach an elevation above 50 degrees, you can begin closing the mirror covers. M1 CLOSE, M3 CLOSE, M5 CLOSE, M7 CLOSE, Finder CLOSE Note that W2 and E1? finder covers and the W1 and W2 M7 covers need a second click to close. Visually inspect the telescopes using SPY2 to make sure that the mirror covers close properly. Check the Telescope Monitor for mirror cover status. After the M1, M3 and finder mirror covers finish closing, close the dome slits by clicking [SLIT CLOSE] on the telescope control tab for each telescope dome that is open. Close the dome enclosures by clicking [CLOSE] on the cylinder GUI. Watch that each reads .000 or .001 when closed. Check that the telescopes moved to their stow positions in EL and AZ: EL 90.0 deg, AZ 55.9 deg for E1 and E2, EL 90.0 deg, AZ 99.3 deg for W1 and W2, EL 90.0 deg, AZ 82.0 deg for S1 and S2. Turn off the power for [TEL AZ], [TEL EL] and [TIP/TILT] for the active scopes using the Power GUI and disable the scopes using the dome gui or obsgtk. Visually check all telescopes in the spycams to make sure all covers and slits are closed. Leave the telescope GUIs open until the End Night Sequence is finished. (Cosmic Debris will turn on the TVs and the Spy Cam 2 during the End Night Sequence.) If the humidity is high, make sure that the heaters are turned on. |
6.5 Send the OPLE carts to the back of the rails | 6.5 Send the OPLE carts to the back of the rails | ||
- | Click the OL and MAN buttons for the active carts on the OPLE GUI Control Tab so that the buttons turn green. Turn the carts OFF using the OPLE GUI. Click BACK on the OPLE GUI to send the carts to the back. Watch OPLE Server for Back Switch indicator to light up with an " | + | Click the OL and MAN buttons for the active carts on the OPLE GUI Control Tab so that the buttons turn green. Turn the carts OFF using the OPLE GUI. Click BACK on the OPLE GUI to send the carts to the back. Watch OPLE Server for Back Switch indicator to light up with an " |
6.6 Finish shutting down in the control room | 6.6 Finish shutting down in the control room | ||
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6.8 Odds and ends.\\ | 6.8 Odds and ends.\\ | ||
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- | Back in the Control Room: If you run into any problems during the shutdown procedures, send an email to charamnt or directly to Larry and Steve so that they can work to resolve any problems that need to be resolved promptly. Please feel free to record any details in the Observers Notebook or email Tech Report to specified groups or individual employees. Lock front and side doors of Operations Center if you are the last one in the building. Close OPLE building doors; they tend to stick open, please | + | Back in the Control Room: If you run into any problems during the shutdown procedures, send an email to charamnt or directly to Craig and Steve so that they can work to resolve any problems that need to be resolved promptly. Please feel free to record any details in the Observers Notebook or email Tech Report to specified groups or individual employees. Lock front and side doors of Operations Center if you are the last one in the building. Close OPLE building doors; they tend to stick open, please |
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