Heterodyne Observing Cookbook

Hiroshige Yoshida
Caltech Submillimeter Observatory

1  Quick Start Guide

• Log on to kilauea from its console or remotely using secure shell.
• Run UIP and issue PUNDIT TRUE if necessary.
• Open the dome shutter as soon as possible to help the telescope structure cool down. As of this writing, UIP is required to open the shutter.
• Make sure that the telescope is 90-180 degrees away in azimuth from the Sun, if it is still up.
• Avoid direct sunlight from hitting the primary mirror, secondary mirror, and its support structure.
• Pull the stop switch.
• Use UIP's SHUTTER command to open (fully or partially).
• Turn the IF processor on if the array AOS (AOS5) is used.
• Issue a full LO command (including the /RECEIVER option) to configure the frontend.
• The antenna zenith angle has to be smaller than 45 degrees to move the Sidecab receiver optics.
• Load the correct pointing file before you forget.
• Open a new data file.
• Issue a full SPECTROMETER command (including the /RESTART option) to configure the backend.
• Position the tertiary mirror using the TERTIARY command so that the receiver can see the sky. Manually rotate and lock the rotating tertiary mirror for the Cassegrain focus.
• Tune up the receiver and measure the y-factor.
• Remove the tertiary and fifth mirror convers if the receiver is on the Cassegrain focus.
• Turn the DSOS on for the 650 and 850 GHz receivers.
• Make sure that the secondary mirror focus is in the stealthy updates mode.
• Tune the secondary mirror wobbler while the telescope is stationary or sidereal-tracking. Set the analog PIDG knobs first.
• Load the recent pointing offsets (FAZO and FZAO) before the initial pointing. Consult the pointing logbook.
• Point often for the first 2-3 hours. Repoint no later than an hour after the initial pointing. Point every 2-2.5 hours for the rest of the night.

2  Quick Shutdown Guide

• Start closing the shutter first. It will take a long time for the shutter to fully close. Use the close switch on the control panel.
• Do not stow the telescope yet if the Sun is up. Wait until the shutter closes down to 15-20 %.
• Turn the DSOS off.
• Turn the receiver off.
• Put the mirror covers back on.
• Turn the IF processor off.
• Stow the telescope using the STOW command.
• Set the zenith angle to 53 degrees if there are heterodyne receivers on the Cassegrain focus.
• Stop the secondary mirror wobbler.
• Quit UIP and logout from kilauea.
• Push the stop switch once the shutter is fully closed and the telescope is stowed.

3  Observing Manual

Coming soon...

---

File translated from T_EX by T_TH, version 4.03.
On 25 May 2012, 09:34.