Eccosorb Shield Setup

  1. Setting up the Shield
  2. Revision History
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Setting up the Shield

There's really not much to this, but it's easiest to have all the pictures on one page that can be printed out all at once.  Click on any of the pictures to get a full size view (about twice as large).

There are 7 separate eccosorb pieces.  They are stored in the 3rd floor storage lab (possibly in a garbage bag to protect against water damage).  Be careful with the eccosorb pieces -- you don't want them to fall apart and have to cut new pieces.

Assembly order is as follows:
  1. Install the large left nasmyth hole piece.  This blocks the path to the sidecab.  The piece looks as follows:

    front
    		 back
    		 closeup

    The order of installation is as follows:

    1. Move the telescope to ZA = 65.  This will make it easier to install the pieces.

    2. Install the small rectangular piece.  This view is looking toward the elevation axis from the alidade platform.



    3. Insert the large piece (same view):



    4. Push the piece so the circular protuberance on the back side fits into the circular hole in the elevation bearing. leaving the flat part of the back side flush against the elevation bearing wall (same view):



    5. In the end, the piece should look as follows (from slightly different point of view):



    6. Return the telescope to near zenith (ZA < 25 or so).

  2. Install the left slot piece.  This is a thin rectangular piece that blocks the slot on the left side of the optics box under the left nasmyth hole.  It is seen in the above picture and below.  You might find it easier to insert the piece by insert it down as shown by the left picture below. In the right hand-side picture below, you can see a bolt that screws the piece to the metal angle piece at the lower left. 

      
  3. Install the right side slot piece, shown from below, screwed in as the left side slot piece was.



  4. With the two left side pieces in place, you should see:



  5. Install the two front pieces.  It doesn't really matter which order they are installed in, but they have to be wedged together to stay in place.  (Note the obsolete left-side eggcrate eccosorb.  THIS PICTURE NEEDS TO BE UPDATED.) 





  6. Finally, we add a thick piece inside the sidecab at the input port because something in the sidecab radiates RF, as shown by the pictures below: There exists a piece cut specially for this purpose.  The following pictures show the outline of where that piece should be placed and the piece in place. 
      
    7. This piece too has a protuberance on its back side that goes into the elevation bearing hole, as shown by the following pictures. 
    1. Make sure to ground yourself with a grounding strap to avoid accidentally damaging the SIS receivers.
    2. Use the little ladder in the sidecab to get yourself high enough to insert the piece with a bottom up movement so the screw in the LHS slides into the opened slit of the eccosorb piece.
    3. Push the piece so the protuberance goes into the elevation bearing hole. Eventually the piece should align with the black marks.

      
That's it.  If it is necessary to use either the sidecab or the right Nasmyth focus, just remove the two large front pieces so you can access the flip mirror and remove only the pieces that will lie in the beam's path.  All other pieces should be left in place.

Revision History
Questions or comments? Contact the Bolocam support person.