Subsequent to the distribution of the preliminary 4Q observing schedule on Saturday, I received several requests from various PIs on scheduled 4Q programs to try to find trades or switches with other scheduled programs for them that would make their time allotments more effective. First, I should note that is quite possible, likely even, that such trades are possible and desirable (in that they would help both programs). I cannot pretend that the schedule I devise is even approximately optimal given all the many constraints and preferences. Second however, I have to remind everyone that it is the PI's responsibility to find and arrange any such trades by contacting other PIs and the institutional scheduler(s) concerned. After a bit of early experimentation years ago, I found that it simply takes way too much of my time to do this job for the PIs and is quite inefficient too, in that I typically ended up simply being a middle-man in some correspondence between the PIs and scheduler(s) concerned. Waiting for me to pass the requests and responses back and forths only slows the process down. So, if you would like to make a time trade to improve the value of your scheduled 3.5m time, please do try to arrange it one by contacting other PIs who have suitable time slots. This can only serve to improve the effectiveness with which we employ the telescope as is thus a "good thing". All of the information that you might need to select good prospects for such trades, including contact info and the scheduling constraints of other programs, is available in the online version of the schedule. Two additional points: 1) If possible, please arrange any such switches and send the request for approval to me and the relevant APO staff at least a week in advance of the first affected observing time. However, if some circumstance requires you to make a last minute trade, this one week advanced notice should not be regarded as a hard limit. We can and often have changed the schedule with very much less notice. It is simply a courtesy and decreases the liklihood of glitches (like having the wrong instrument mounted at the beginning of the night). 2) Please use the ascii template available in message #200 of apo35-general to formally request approval of the trade (it is rare that one would not be approved if all concerned PIs and schedulers agree to it) and to inform all concerned. Ed Turner APO APO APO APO APO Apache Point Observatory 3.5m APO APO APO APO APO This is message 706 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