From: "Camron Hastings" Subject: 3.5-meter Night Log 980929 Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1998 06:19:15 -0600 Tuesday, September 29th 1998 APACHE POINT OBSERVATORY 3.5-meter Observing Log ACTUAL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ASTRONOMER OBSERVER(S) INSTRUMENT DATE START FINISH ---------------------------------------------------------------------- E.Turner T.Hoyes SPIcam 9/29 20:12 21:02 UWGRB A.Diercks/C.Stubbs SPIcam 9/29-30 21:12 00:55 W.Zheng W.Zheng SPIcam 9/30 01:25 05:35 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- INST SCHEDULED OBS WEATH EQUIP DAY NOTUSED I/RS/DN START FINISH D B D B D B USE D B ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PU01/R 20:12 21:02 - 0 - 0.8 0 0 0 0 0 DD01/R 21:02 01:10 0 0 0 4.1 0 0 0 0 0 JH03/R 01:10 05:35 0 0 4.3 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 -------- ACTIVITY LOG -------- 1st half observing specialist: Tia Hoyes Tia's last night as an APO observer was tonight. No comments! 2nd half observing specialist: Camron Hastings I took over to again cloudy skies. Tia closed right before I started, and it sprinkled on and off afterwards. I mounted DIS early and had time to install and calibrate the high res gratings for JH03, but they never were used due to weather. At times the radar showed cells with up to 50k feet echo tops and hail! We just received drips. DIS again seemed to dump its supply of LN2 somewhere between the time Tia filled around 17:00MDT and when I checked around 00:30MDT. I refilled the transfer dewer. The observer for JH03 was completely unfamiliar with the REMARK interface, the DIS interface, or other pertinent operating specifics. He said that his last experience was watching someone observe over 2 years ago! I really think that these observers are getting cheated when they get time on the 3.5 but have never been trained in any way. Had we clear skies, I feel confident in saying that he would have lost a minimum of 1/2 his time to learning curves on the interface. We need a better system of training and certification if only to insure that the observers have the best chance of success when they get their time. I see this too often. In addition, Johns Hopkins decided to back up computers, reboot, or some task that disabled his interface for almost 2 hours. W.Zheng called me and we confirmed that the net worked everywhere else, just not there. If this sort of thing happens often I suggest some coordination with the dept and the computer services there, as this could have also caused a major waste of his observing time if skies were clear. -------- OBSERVER COMMENTS ------- Alan Diercks & Chris Stubbs (DD01): None that I received Wei Zheng (JH03): No comments sent by mailing time. FOCUS LOG September 29th 1998 Best Telescope Temp Wind Seeing Time Instrmt Focus Az El Air/Truss Dir MPH filter FWHM" ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 21:00 SPIcam +025(6851) 144 52 16.4/18.1 151 21 B45 1.2" WEATHER LOG September 29th 1998 Wind Time Temp-F Dewp-F MPH Direction Dust Sky Precip ------------------------------------------------------------------ 16:01 69 46 18 192 (SSW) ---- Mstly Cldy None 17:01 66 46 17 185 (S) ---- Mstly Cldy Light 18:01 63 45 15 180 (S) ---- Mstly Cldy Light 19:01 63 44 18 181 (S) ---- Mstly Cldy Light 20:01 62 44 10 186 (S) ---- Prtly Cldy None 21:01 62 43 15 176 (S) ---- Prtly Cldy None 22:01 61 44 16 153 (SSE) ---- Prtly Cldy None 23:01 59 48 20 152 (SSE) ---- Mstly Cldy Light 00:01 59 48 24 164 (SSE) ---- Cloudy Light 01:01 59 44 15 160 (SSE) ---- Cloudy Light 02:01 58 44 20 161 (SSE) ---- Cloudy None 03:01 59 44 18 207 (SSW) ---- Cloudy Light 04:01 58 45 13 203 (SSW) ---- Mstly Cldy None 05:01 55 48 13 141 (SE) ---- Prtly Cldy None 06:01 55 46 4 185 (S) ---- Mostly Clr None note: the wind was coming from the azimuth listed. The convention used is north=0 degrees, east=90 degrees. The dust count is for the 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: 2.42a Current guide software version: GIm Ctrl v3.0b 15.out - Tia Hoyes, Camron Hastings