Subject: Interim 3.5-m telescope report

From: Bruce Gillespie

Submitted: Fri, 24 Aug 2007 13:08:18 -0600

Message number: 1050 (previous: 1049, next: 1051 up: Index)

All:

Our tradition is to skip one of the Users Committee telecons during  
the summer, which for this year is the August meeting.  In lieu of  
our usual meeting minutes, Suzanne has asked me to send you an  
interim telescope, instruments, and engineering report on the 3.5-m  
telescope, prepared by Mark Klaene.

bg


                            **************************


   3.5-m Telescope, Instruments, and CIF Projects Highlights, 7/6/07  
through 8/17/07

                                   Mark Klaene

0) Overview

Monsoonal weather continued with moderate rain and evening clouds,  
limiting observations for much of July and early August. The  
engineering time did yield some on-sky time with useful data.


1) Telescope

Tertiary rotation problems showed up causing a lot of work to locate  
a culprit.  It was finally determined that a loose wire along with  
the Galil controller was causing the problems.  Tracking tuning was  
improved.

The summer shutdown will start August 20.  The task list is included  
below.  It is an ambitious schedule with very limited days to check  
items on the sky so weather could easily cause a slippage in  
returning to science.


2) Instruments

Agile commissioning was completed with the focal reducer and fiber  
interface.  We are reviewing the data and the plans to incorporate it  
on a mirror cell side port.

The replacement DIS Red high-resolution grating has been installed,  
aligned and tested and placed in service. We will look at the issue  
of the spectra appearing near the bottom of the detector during the  
shutdown.

The Lakeshore temperature controller was repaired and placed back in  
service.

Incorporation of SPIcam into TUI is completed and will be the default  
for users when we return from shutdown.

NIC-FPS was taken off line and sent to Boulder on the 26th of July.   
The etalon is running in the test dewar, cold; the engineering chip  
is now in NIC-FPS for etalon testing.  The science-grade chip has  
been returned from Rockwell with the 16-channel upgrade.  Everything  
is on track for a return of NIC-FPS to APO in mid-September.


4) Miscellaneous

Jim Davenport completed his summer fill-in as an Observing Specialist  
and will now be moving on to graduate school. Jim's help was  
invaluable this summer, he did a fantastic job operating the  
telescope and his insights and software work proved very useful.


Summer Shutdown  Task List

M3
      Re-aluminize
      Service actuators

M1
      Re-aluminize
      Check, photograph cracks

PMSS
      Pressure transducer calibration
      Load cell calibration
      Bellofram inspection leak check
      Air line leak check with belloframs by sector
      Servo valves inspection/cleaning
      Clean mirror cell
      Vent tube repair
      Foam inspection
      Mirror cover actuator insp/service
      Calibrate LVDTs
      Investigate fore/aft mirror constraint

Mirror covers
      Re-paint white
      Repair rivets

Pump SPIcam

Pump DIS
      Purge/recharge blue camera cryotiger system
      Install new bushings in grating holders
      Remount DIS red high grating in new holder

Replace UPS batteries
      Echelle
      Inst - I level
      Elect I -level
      #3 for ops bldg

Echelle electronics fan replacement
New axis controller for	rotator
New NA2 rotator assembly
Repair strain gauge metrology noise issue
Replace temp sensors on primary mirror
Repair 2ndary accelerometer recording system

APO APO APO APO APO  Apache Point Observatory 3.5m  APO APO APO
APO
APO  This is message 1050 in the apo35-general archive. You can find
APO  the archive on http://www.astro.princeton.edu/APO/apo35-general/INDEX.html
APO  To join/leave the list, send mail to apo35-request@astro.princeton.edu
APO  To post a message, mail it to apo35-general@astro.princeton.edu
APO
APO APO APO APO APO APO APO APO APO APO APO APO APO APO APO APO