GBT OPERATIONS & COMMISSIONING MEETING 28 January 2005 AGENDA 1. Az Track, Antennae Report -- Bob 2. Observing News -- Ron 3. Scheduling Status -- Carl 4. Microwave Electronics Status -- Roger 5. Digital Electronics Status -- Rich 6. Software Status -- Nicole 7. Project Planning Status -- John 8. Any other Business REPORTS 1. Az Track, Antenna Report * We've received the test results from the 4340 wear plate material sample. Good material. The Charpy impact values were lower than we expected - about the same as the 4140 material we are using. Much higher tensile yield strength. Very fine grain. * We expect a quotation for further work from SGH today. * We have shimmed several joints this week to improve wheel tilts. -- RAA 2. Observing News In the last week, we supported nine projects in fifteen observing sessions. We had three maintenance days (25.5 hrs), two PTCS test sessions (14.5 hrs), leaving about 130 hrs for observing. Average setup time remains at 40 minutes. The lost time was pretty large this week (28.5 hrs or 20% of observing plus test time) with the weather as the main source. In detail, lost time was due to: Winds: 12.2 hrs Low temperature: 5.5 hrs Az wheel seal: 5.1 hrs Timing/Clock: 1.9 hrs IF Manager: 1.5 hrs (some of this might not be fully lost). Extended setups: 0.9 hrs Spectral Processor: 0.5 hrs OCU/LO1/Irig: 0.5 hrs All others: 0.3 hrs In other news, we have a final version of a policy document that describes observer's responsibilities towards their observations and a policy concerning remote observing. These will be posted on the web soon. Next week outside observers will start using the Q-band system (yeah!). I'll try to gather Q-band news for next week's report. The support load next week should be moderate since we'll mostly have seasoned observers and one new observer. -- RJM 3. Scheduling Status Last Week ========= Observations for proposals GBT04C-031, GBT05A-034, GBT04C-054, GBT04C-055, GBT02C-054, GBT04C-056, GBT04C-049, GBT04C-039, GBT04C-008, GBT02C-017, GBT04C-019, GBT02A-008 Completed proposals GBT04C-055, GBT04C-039, GBT02C-017, GBT02A-008 Next Week ========= Observations scheduled for ** GBT05A-042 [ B] Andrew Baker HI Observations of Isolated Ellipticals GBT04C-050 [ B] Wendy Lane Measurement of Variable Redshifted 21cm Absorption GBT05A-021 [ B] Derck Smits Shock-excited OH (1720 MHz) masers in Herbig-Haro Objects GBT04C-041 [F ] Jim Braatz Monitoring Extragalactic H2O Masers Discovered with the GBT GBT05A-034 [ B] John Hibbard Ultracompact Blue Dwarfs: Galaxy Formation in the Local Universe? GBT04C-054 [F ] Chris Carilli A search for molecular absorption in the lensing galaxy toward the red gravitational lens J0134-0931 GBT04C-056 [F ] Paul Demorest Precision Timing of Binary and Millisecond Pulsars GBT05A-015 [FP ] Paul Kondratko Search for Extragalactic Water Maser Emission with the GBT: Independent Measurement of the Hubble Constant GBT02C-054 [F ] Jim Braatz Measuring Nuclear Disks in NGC 1386 and IC 2560 (H2O) GBT04B-014 [ P ] Paul Kondratko Anchoring the Extragalactic Distance Scale GBT04C-049 [ B] Yuri Kovalev, Jr. GBT Broad-Band Spectrometric Measurements of Large Faraday Rotations in AGN GBT04C-006 [ P ] Paul Vanden Bout Q-Band Search for High Redshift Carbon Monoxide Line Emission GBT01A-005 [ P ] Barry Turner A High-resolution Spectral Survey Of Tmc-1 At Q-band GBT04C-018 [ B] Alberto Bolatto A Search for Cosmological HI Absorption Systems Toward Radio Selected Flat-Spectrum Sources GBT04C-019 [ B] Ji-hyun Kang Faint HI 21-cm Emission Line Wings at Forbidden Velocities ** Scheduled as F-ixed, P-rimary, B-ackup Contact Information for week after next ======================================= Proposal PI Bands Email [NRAO contact] ---------- ------------------ ----- -------------------- GBT05A-042 Andrew Baker L ajb@astro.umd.edu [Karen O'Neil] GBT05A-021 Derck Smits L dps@astro.unisa.ac.za [Frank Ghigo] GBT05A-011 Scott Ransom S8 sransom@nrao.edu [Scott Ransom] GBT05A-045 Suparna Roychowdhu L suparna@rri.res.in [Glen Langston] GBT05A-012 Larry Morgan K L.K.Morgan@star.kent.ac.uk [Ron Maddalena] GBT05A-034 John Hibbard L jhibbard@nrao.edu [Karen O'Neil] GBT04C-012 Jennifer Donovan 8 jen@astro.columbia.edu [Frank Ghigo] GBT05A-015 Paul Kondratko K pkondrat@cfa.harvard.edu [Jim Braatz] GBT05A-016 Jennifer Donovan 8 jen@astro.columbia.edu [Scott Ransom] GBT04B-026 Michael Kramer L8 mkramer@jb.man.ac.uk [Karen O'Neil] BB202 Geoffrey Bower X gbower@astro.berkeley.edu [] GBT04C-037 Yancy Shirley K yshirley@nrao.edu [Glen Langston] GBT04C-028 Claire Chandler K cchandle@aoc.nrao.edu [Tony Minter] GBT04B-029 Ingrid Stairs L istairs@astro.ubc.ca [Karen O'Neil] GBT04C-006 Paul Vanden Bout Q pvandenb@nrao.edu [Ron Maddalena] GBT01A-005 Barry Turner Q bturner@nrao.edu [Glen Langston] Scheduled hours [backup] ======================== Category/Month-> January February March April Astronomy ~ 497 [044] 455 [251] 415 [198] 436 [191] Maintenance ~ 65 0 [135] 13 [143] 30 [111] Test & Comm ~ 173 [011] 203 [089] 262 [063] 202 [036] Un-assigned ~ 10 15 55 53 Proposal Checkouts ================== Awaiting checkout - 0 Active checkout - 14 On Hold - 8 Schedule - 60 Completed - 279 Current backlog [hours prior to 04C*] = 738 Total time to discharge [hours] = 2815 * Includes projects that are on hold for trimester 04C -- RCB 4. Microwave Electronics Status Operational issues: The 83620 LO1B synthesizer was replaced with a spare, and we are looking into the repair. We've found that the bad component, a step attenuator, costs $3142 from Agilent. Agilent has discontinued this model synthesizer, and will cease support in February 2007. A circuit has been designed to positively remove power to the Phase Cal Generator remotely, and will be tested in the system soon. We would like to do a proper design update and shielded packaging job on the PC Generator later in the year. Observers report that "the 1420MHz RFI spike" has not been seen since the Huygens, so probably the PC Gen was the cause of that also. Ka Receiver - Parts for a prototype microstip-WR19 adapter have been completed by the shop and plated in CV. Assembly is underway. Measurements are also underway to determine signal levels at the continuum detectors. 3 mm Receiver - Cardcage metalwork has been completed by the shop, purchased components have been received, and the wiring list completed. Wiring will begin soon. A prototype phase switch driver circuit has been tested successfully. R. Norrod 1/27/2005 5. Digital Electronics Status Digital Electronics Status 20 January 2005 - 27 January 2005 *****Operations, Problem summary***** Again, there were no significant problems to report this week. We did have a good scare with the equipment room overheating. Self-tests on both the spectral processor and spectrometer quickly showed that the digital parts were working correctly after cooling was restored. Langston later tested the IF to digital electronics and showed that they worked correctly as well. It is interesting (disconcerting?) to note that the spectrometer shut itself down at 10:53 AM on Sunday, presumably due to overheating, and that the overheating problem was not noticed until 6:00 AM on Monday, about 19 hours later. *****Development***** *LTA replacement: The printed circuit boards are being fabricated. The vendor is still on target to deliver assembled boards in mid-February. Effort here is being expended on firmware modifications necessitated by circuit changes. *Cross-Correlation Test Fixture: Preliminary testing was started on the first cross-correlation-and-output module. Although most of the unit is basically functional, the bandpass is not as smooth as we^Òd like. Some effort will be expended in trying to improve it. Two chips were accidentally blown during testing and these are currently being replaced. *****Plans***** Continue LTA replacement and Cross-Correlation Text Fixture development. -- Rich and John 6. Software Status Single Dish Development IPT #112 - Friday, January 28, 2005 Today ends week 4 in C1, the first development cycle of 2005. The Plan of Record is available from the wiki at Software.PlanOfRecordC12005. Next week is the last scheduled week of development before testing begins, in preparation for a release of M&Cv5.1 on February 16, 2005. An MR has been written to ensure that pointing can be done in GFM when Ka is in use, and this is awaiting sponsor review. Testing commenced this week to finalize the locally bootable disk in the CCU. The CCC recently provided the additional information needed to resolve PO#850 (which will make spectrometer activation reliable on boot) and work has started, since this is now a very low level of effort task. The astronomer's integrated desktop, which will be used to enable BCPM users to balance midway through a scan, is beginning its round of sponsor testing. Work on the IDL plotter has continued, and this aspect of IDL work is nearly complete; calibration strategies are now being implemented. Regarding current efforts to migrate to Linux, PF1 and PF2 have been completed, along with the PF support rack and the LO1 router. Only the Motor Rack remains to retire gbtaio1, which we expect at the end of C1. Operational support has been a significant commitment of time over the past week, and topics have included: * Joe spent significant time on OCU disk issues, support for problems diagnosed with NTP/IRIG and work on servo problems * The cron job that checks sampler2logs was repaired (This also closes out PO#929) * There was a problem with the IF Manager FITS file experienced by Kondratko; resulted in lost observing time but was repaired. * The balancing API was changed and patched to fix two issues with PF2 balancing. * Melinda removed the 90Mhz mixer from the PF2 filter frequency calculations, and added a prepare to the PF_Support_Rack manager when the device is in the configuration (The prepare does not automatically occur because it is not a child of the Scan Coordinator). No additional progress was made this week on GO items due to the extensive operational support. -- NMR 7. Project Planning Status January 24, 2005 Planning Meeting Minutes Rm 137 10:45 A.M. [0] Observer comments & operator log items resulting in lost time: Observer's comments received from: Bill Cotton et al Summary: Imaged all sources at C band, high priority targets at X band. Some time and/or data lost to weather, snow, wind. The second of the two days of observing were compromised by weather. Some time lost and procedures needed to be restarted due to software glitches (trajectory problem). This problem occured with increasing frequency until the antenna control computer was rebooted (two reboots). In excess of an hour\'s data lost when we stepped into the Offset mode J2000/Encoder trap. Several of the comments in the report have been addressed already, and will be released at the end of the cycle. Richard has duplicated a problem with the commanding of trajectories. Operator's log comments Significant failures the past week stemmed from: Computing: Software: Spurious CCU/SCU->NRAO link errors, spurious 500 MHz lock errors, Dynamic Corrections, config tool failed due to release problem, simulator messing up observations, config tool failed in certain environment, spectral processor hangs, GO-Lite The CCU/SCU problem was traced to an improper date in the machine. The year must be set by hand each January. The 500 MHz error will be looked at by SDD. The GO Simulation mode problem that delayed observations is being looked at. It seems that it may be due to the interactions of GO and IARDS/GFM, and can be cured by restricting the use of the GO simulator to machines that are not allowed to talk to IARDS. Electronics: None Telescope/Servo: Winds, cold, PF Focus limit, OCU disk John will talk to Tim about replacing the Focus sensor as a preventative maintenance item, instead of waiting for a hard failure. Tim is also working on the OCU disk problem. Other: Chiller shutdown. The chiller has a switch on it that shuts it down if the temperature in the compressor compartment drops below zero. Butch is going to try and find a way to keep this from happening again. the sensaphone in the equipment room was unplugged, and did not alert anyone to a problem until the temperature was over 100 degrees F. We will relocate and reprogram the sensaphone. Other Problems from Observing Reports: [1] Resource calendar schedule conflicts and discussions None. Note that day #2 includes moving telescope for servo tests. [2] Observing Schedule discussions The current observers have lost a lot of time due to weather. If any time comes available this week, they may get some of it. Carl would like any specific time reservations for next trimester as soon as possible, in order to make scheduling easier. [3] GBT development planning Test time is being scheduled generically starting in February. The Ka, CCB, and W band schedules are being more highly developed. This should all be in place by the end of the cycle. [4] AOB None. -- JMF 8. Any other Business