Subject: The New APO 3.5m Email Reminder Service

From: Ed Turner

Submitted: Fri, 10 Dec 2004 11:13:45 -0500 (EST)

Message number: 874 (previous: 873, next: 876 up: Index)

Craig Loomis and Bill Ketzeback have created an automated email service to
remind APO users of  upcoming time on the 3.5m and to request replies
regarding instrument set-up details. This system also archives user 
replies to the 35m-observing List.

An email will be sent to the contact(s) for each program listed on the APO
observing Calendar (PI or designated Observers) at 8am APO time, two days
before scheduled time (48+ hours).  So, for instance, the reminder for Wed 
night observing will be emailed on Monday morning.  Obviously, computer or 
network outages at APO will occasionally interfere with this schedule.

An example follows:

>Subject: Your UW14 APO 3.5m observing run on the night of 2004-12-03
>
>Dear Observer,
>
>You are receiving this automated email as a reminder that UW14
>is scheduled to observe on the 3.5m at Apache Point Observatory
>from 00:13 to 05:53 Mountain Time on the night of 2004-12-03.
>
>Please reply to this email at least 24 hours before your scheduled
>time with your instrument setup request for the above program.
>Your email should confirm your instrument selection,
>and list the filters, gratings, wavelength centers (for DIS), and any
>other configuration particulars. Unusual configuration requests
>should be sent 48 hours prior to the scheduled time.
>
>Please log on with Remark/TUI at least 30 minutes prior to your
>scheduled time.  Feel free to contact the site at any time with your
>questions (505-437-6822).
>The Observing Specialists are usually on site 2 hours prior to sunset.
>You have been designated as an email contact for this program. If this
>is in error, you would like to be removed, or you would like to
>add/replace other observers from this reminder list
>for this program, please send an email with the specific request to
> obs-spec@apo.nmsu.edu
>
>Thanks from the 3.5m Observing Specialists
>Please disregard this email if you have arranged for a schedule
>change or swap of this observing time.

The user can/should reply directly to the reminder email (or directly to: 
35m-observing@apo.nmsu.edu) which then sends their message, archives it to
the list database and forwards the message to the subscribers (each of the
obs-specs, Bruce, Craig, and other  interested persons but not all
techstaff). Any member of the list will be able to reply directly to these
instrument requests if they need to reach an observer with questions
without blanketing everyone on the list (unless they choose to with Reply
All). It is not recommended that general users subscribe to this list.

Thanks to Bill and Craig for devising this new tool which is intended to 
improve observer-observatory communications and prevent the occasional 
"forgotten observing time" events we typically see once or twice per year.

Ed Turner





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