Calypso Telescope Operators Manual: Terse Checklist

Opening

  1. Observing Level Safety Check
    1. Removable panels installed
    2. Building rails clear
    3. Job crane stowed
    4. Traveling hoist hook fully retracted
    5. Trap door closed
    6. Observatory floor clear
    7. All axes parked
    8. All cords stowed
    9. Dewar fill tubes removed
    10. Dewar vent tubes inserted
    11. Transfer dewar valves closed and both auto-fillers switched to off
    12. Weather Station turned on
    13. Building control power turned on
     
  2. Electronics Room Power On
    1. Ziatech monitor power on
    2. Desk power console main power on
    3. Desk power console servo power on
    4. Desk power console instrument power on
    5. Desk power console tertiary power on
    6. Wait for computers to boot (about 2min)
    7. Verify axes parked (F8)
    8. Verify no faults (clear: F4)
     
  3. Telescope Operator Interface (TOI) Startup
    1. Login as observer on jupiter
    2. Create directory for night's data in /data2/observer
    3. Check toi.cfg file
    4. Type: run_toi jupiter
    5. Enter your name(s)
    6. Wait for startup to complete (first SHOW.SWITCHES)
    7. Verify axes parked
     
  4. Check Weather
    1. Check outside conditions: no threatening clouds, no dew condensing, no dust
    2. Bring up TOI Information->Weather window
    3. Dewpoint at least 5 deg cooler than amb temp
    4. Windspeed less than 35 mph
    5. Lightning count below 2
    6. Bring up TOI Engineering->Temperatures window
    7. Telescope temperatures above dewpoint
     
  5. Open Building
    1. Be sure power switch at top of stairs is ON
    2. Be sure to verify observing level clear
    3. Wait until Sun very low or set
    4. Open bifold doors
    5. Wait for Southwest Bifold Door light
    6. Hold "Remove Enclosure" button down (about 5min)
    7. Verify building clear of telescope
    8. Turn OFF control power switch at top of stairs
     
  6. Initialize Telescope
    1. Select WFCAM or HRCAM on TOI main window
    2. Verify instrument selection
    3. Bring up selected camera window (TOI Observe menu)
    4. Load filter set
    5. Select TOI Startup->Startup All Axes item
    6. Verify "inited" axes status
    7. Open mirror cover
     
  7. First Slew
    1. Click TOI New Object button
    2. Enter or select object, verify slewing
    3. Wait for tracking
    4. Bring up TOI Observe->Instrument Rotator window
    5. Select tracking mode and angle
    6. Turn on rotator, verify slewing
    7. Wait for tracking
     
  8. Set Up Camera
    1. Configure camera
    2. Configure image parameters
     
  9. Start Ancillary Programs
    1. ximtool
    2. xephem
     

Observing

  1. Take Sky Flats
     
  2. Focus Telescope
     
  3. Monitor Conditions
    1. Weather (TOI, KPNO status, Web, Visual checks)
    2. Telescope (Temperatures, Errors)
    3. Instruments (CCD Temperatures)
    4. Computer system (Disk space)
     
  4. Object Selection
    1. TOI Main New Object button
    2. Enter new coordinates, click Go
    3. Select catalog object, click Go (or double click catalog object)
    4. With xephem: enable sky view telescope marker and control
    5. Use xephem sky view right click mouse or xephem database search
     
  5. Adding Offsets
    1. TOI Main Add Offset button
    2. Instrument Plane: offsets in arcsec
    3. Object: offsets in RA sec and Dec arcsec
     

Closing

  1. Stow Telescope
    1. Close mirror cover
    2. Select TOI Shutdown->Park All
    3. Verify axes parked
     
  2. Close Building
    1. Hold "Close Building" button down (about 5min)
    2. Verify Park Pin light on
    3. Close bifold doors
     
  3. Reconnect Dewars and Cameras
    1. Remove and store HRCAM and WFCAM vent tubes
    2. Reconnect HRCAM and WFCAM auto-filler tubes
    3. Open valves on HRCAM and WFCAM transfer dewars
    4. Swith auto-fillers to automatic - dewars will fill
    5. Check pressures and vacuum levels
    6. Check CCD temperatures with TOI
    7. Bring up TOI Observe->Wide Field Camera window
    8. Click Rd CCD T button
    9. Bring up TOI Observe->High Resolution Camera window
    10. Click Rd CCD T button
     
  4. Power Down
    1. Exit TOI (File->Exit)
    2. Go to electronics room
    3. Desk power console tertiary power off
    4. Desk power console instrument power off
    5. Desk power console servo power off
    6. Desk power console main power off
     
  5. Observatory Report
    1. Observing log
    2. Weather conditions, seeing
    3. Hours in night, hours used
    4. Instrument used
    5. Telescope problems
    6. Instrument problems
    7. Computer system problems
     

At the End of Your Run

  1. Backup data to DVD
  2. Clean up control room
  3. Report condition of telescope to next observer
  4. Settle Room/Board account with KPNO

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Last updated: 23-Sep-08