--Apple-Mail-20-688484451 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii NICFPS has been returned to CU for work on the image dropout during = rotation and the readout noise issue. As you may be aware of, the images = dropped out when the instrument was rotated past 120 deg. This was a = significant problem that recently showed up and rendered the instrument = effectively useless for science. After extensive testing at APO it was = determined that the likely cause was in the dewar. Stephane Beland came = to the site this week and determined that the problem only shows up when = cold and rotated and needed to be returned to CU to repair.=20 It is not possible to determine at this time when NICFPS will be = returned to the site and ready for observations again. The plan is to = address the CCD readout noise issue at the same time as the image = dropout problem is repaired. We expect the work at CU to take = approximately 30-60 days. We will keep you informed as progress is made. Mark Klaene APO Operations Manager voice: 575 437 6822 PO Box 59 fax: 575 434 5555 2001 Apache Point Rd cell: 575 430 0210 Sunspot NM 88349-0059 web: www.apo.nmsu.edu=20 --Apple-Mail-20-688484451 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii <html><head></head><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; = -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; = "><div><br></div><div>NICFPS has been returned to CU for work on the = image dropout during rotation and the readout noise issue. As you may be = aware of, the images dropped out when the instrument was rotated past = 120 deg. This was a significant problem that recently showed up and = rendered the instrument effectively useless for science. After extensive = testing at APO it was determined that the likely cause was in the dewar. = Stephane Beland came to the site this week and determined that the = problem only shows up when cold and rotated and needed to be returned to = CU to repair. </div><div><br></div><div>It is not possible to = determine at this time when NICFPS will be returned to the site and = ready for observations again. The plan is to address the CCD readout = noise issue at the same time as the image dropout problem is repaired. = We expect the work at CU to take approximately 30-60 = days.</div><div><br></div><div>We will keep you informed as progress is = made.</div><div><br></div><br><div> <span class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"border-collapse: separate; = color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; = font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; = letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: = auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; = widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; = -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; = -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: = auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div><span = class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-size: 12px; "><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: = normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; ">Mark = Klaene</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" style=3D"font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; = ">APO Operations Manager<span class=3D"Apple-converted-tab"> = </span>voice: 575 437 = 6822</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" style=3D"font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; = ">PO Box 59 <span class=3D"Apple-converted-tab"> = = = </span>fax: 575 434 5555</font></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: = normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; ">2001 Apache Point Rd<span = class=3D"Apple-converted-tab"> = </span>cell: 575 430 = 0210</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" style=3D"font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; = ">Sunspot NM 88349-0059<span class=3D"Apple-converted-tab"> = </span>web: <a = href=3D"http://www.apo.nmsu.edu">www.apo.nmsu.edu</a> </font></div><d= iv style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; = min-height: 14px; "><br></div></span></div></span><br = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"> </div> <br></body></html>= --Apple-Mail-20-688484451-- APO APO APO APO APO Apache Point Observatory 3.5m APO APO APO APO APO This is message 1213 in the apo35-general archive. 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