Date: Sun, 10 Aug 1997 06:39:38 -0600 (MDT)
From: Charles Corson
Subject: 3.5m obslog 970809
                          SATURDAY AUGUST 9, 1997
                         APACHE POINT OBSERVATORY
                              OBSERVING  LOG
                                    ACTUAL
ASTRONOMER   INSTRUMENT   DATE   START FINISH
Engr	     Guider       8/9    23:30 00:25
Wyder	     DIS	  9/10   1:10  06:30
 INST        SCHEDULED      OBS      WEATH     EQUIP   DAY   NOTUSED
I/RS/DN    START FINISH   D    B    D    B    D    B   USE   D    B
EN01/O     21:55 01:10    1.4  0    0.8  1.1  0    0    0    0    0
UW06/R     01:10 04:52    3.7  0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0
(note: times listed include instrument change time)
                               ACTIVITY LOG
(* means a trouble report has been issued or appended to)
Conditions were overcast until about 22:30 when the sky began to clear.
The dome was opened at 23:00 but actual observing for the engineering run
did not begin until 23:30, mainly to let the telescope thermally
equilibrated for the engr effort.
*The azimuth drive was clearly oscillating as the telescope tracked
through the meridian.  Several images (aug09.0002-3 on tycho) show a
distinct ~2-4arc-sec oscillation.  After some attempts to regain normal
tracking, I slewed 1hr east and was able to obtain 0.9arc-sec images that
were round.
The engineering effort was an attempt to characterize the guider
performance.  However, the azimuth oscillations, and the continual chasing
of telescope/guider focus did not produce any useful data.  At 00:20,
clouds forced closing.
The clouds passed quickly and I was able to re-open for Ted Wyder's DIS
run at 1:00am.  Conditions were good for Wyder's program and we were able
to make effective use of the observing time.
*I attempted to use the guider, but soon lost communication - only a few
guider cycles were ran.  During guiding, tcc reported:
"0 0 F Modu="prt_ReadReplySet"; Text="too many replies" 0 0 I
Modu="prt_ReadReplySet"; Text="the following replies were read:"
I could not init, or reset the guider, nor could I take any more images.
Rebooting the controler will regain function, but there must be a more
graceful way.
At 00:32 we lost our ability to download the latest all sky image.  The
scanner was functioning, and we had a connection to dione, but the image
would not update.
                                FOCUS LOG
                              AUGUST 9, 1997
                  Best   Telescope           Wind            Seeing
Time   Inst      Focus    Az  El    #Temp    Dir MPH  filter  FWHM "
23:30  Spi   -325 (6196)  113 64   13/15     269 4    R       0.9
01:10  DIS   -150 (6556)  210 37   15/15     285 5    r       1.2
03:10  DIS   -100 (6635)  43  29   14/15     189 1    r       1.3
#The first temp is air, the second is truss, both in degrees Celsius
                                 WEATHER
                               AUGUST 9, 1997
                                   Wind
    Time  Temp F  Dewp. F  MPH.	  Dir.       Dust    Sky          Precip.
     16:01    61    47      3    46  (NE)     340   overcast      rain
     17:01    62    48      8    59  (ENE)    470   overcast      rain
     18:01    58    50      4     7  (N)      320   overcast      rain
     19:01    56    46     11   311  (NW)     300   overcast      rain
     20:01    54    47     14    47  (NE)     275   overcast      rain
     21:01    58    44      3     0  (N)      190   overcast      none
     22:01    57    44     11     1  (N)      258   overcast      none
     23:01    59    44      6   279  (W)      251   prtly cldy    none
     00:01    58    44      2   296  (WNW)    278   prtly cldy    none
     01:01    59    44      3   302  (WNW)    283   clear	  none
     02:01    59    44      5   233  (SW)     289   clear         none
     03:01    59    44      0   195  (SSW)    289   clear         none
     04:01    58    42      5   175  (S)      236   clear         none
note: the wind was coming from the azimuth listed. The convention
used is north=0 degrees, east=90 degrees. The dust count is particles
> 1 micron per 0.1 cu. ft.
                             TELESCOPE STATUS
Primary, secondary, and tertiary mirrors in place and collimated.
Primary support system operational.  Mirror ventilation system in
place.  Telescope drives operational.  Current Remark version: 2.36.
Current guide software version: GImCtrl.1 6.21.97.
-Charles