Date: Thu, 7 Oct 2004 06:12:20 -0600 (MDT)
From: John Barentine
Subject: 3.5m Night Log 20041006
                         Apache Point Observatory
                         3.5m Telescope Night Log
                        Wednesday, October 6, 2004
                                                          ACTUAL
 ASTRONOMER      OBSERVER(S)            INSTRUMENT     START FINISH
 --------------------------------------------------------------------
 J.Hennawi       J.Hennawi              DIS            19:31  21:48
 J.Walawender    J.Walawender,J.Bally   DIS            --:--  --:--
  INST        SCHEDULED      WEATH     EQUIP     OBS     DAY  NOT USED
 I/RO/DN     START FINISH   D    B    D    B    D    B   USE   D    B
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 PU05/R      19:34  01:00  2.5  0.5  1.1   0   1.3   0    0    0    0
 CU03/R      01:00  06:09   0   5.2   0    0    0    0    0    0    0
 note: scheduled times listed include instrument change time
                  ------------- ACTIVITY LOG --------------
 Observing Specialist: J.Barentine
  First half started out promisingly enough: the sky was largely clear,
winds were light out of the west, and humidity was manageable.  About
twenty minutes after we opened, Joe noted that the rotation of DIS seemed
to be way off of what he commanded, by several tens of degrees.  Commanded
rotations seemed to work find during checkout (insofar as one can tell the
rotation angle of DIS on the low-light dome camera), suggesting that
something slipped after we opened.  Craig helped troubleshoot, and we
eventually ended up zeroing the rotator -- a difference of 44 degrees.
Joe returned to observing with the rotator now behaving, but shortly
thereafter the clouds started drifting in from the southwest.  While in
the enclosure fixing the rotator problem, I noted an intense thunderstorm
to our distant south; the clouds were probably the outflow from that
storm.  Humidity also slowly crept up.  Joe quit just after midnight, and
I elected to close.
  The rest of the night was a repeat of the last....... *glassy-eyed blank
stare* sorry, I lost count.  A repeat of the last several.  High humidity,
passing waves of clouds.  We did not reopen.
                      ------- FAILURE LOG -------
  PROG   INST   FAILURE MODE     TIME
       (SEGDFVO)    TI/SHU   START  FINISH  DESCRIPTION
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 PU05     D          T/H     19:50   20:57  Rotator slipped ~45 degrees
                 ---------------- FOCUS LOG ---------------
                                        Air/Truss   Wind
 Time   Instrument   Focus     Az  El    Temp-C    Dir MPH  filt  FWHM
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 19:39 DISslit     0(1308)     89  62  9.2/11.8   249  8    -     1.05
 19:48 NA2gdr      -786(30213) 142 50  9.2/11.6   259  7    R     0.77
                ------------- WEATHER LOG ----------------
                                  Wind                       Precip.or
     Time   Temp F Dewp F  MPH  Direction    Dust    Sky    Conditions
     ------------------------------------------------------------------
     16:01    55    35     18   271  (W)           MstlyClr    none
     17:01    55    34     15   245  (WSW)         MstlyClr    none
     18:01    52    32     15   244  (WSW)         MstlyClr    none
     19:01    49    35      8   246  (WSW)         MstlyClr    none
     20:01    49    37      8   244  (WSW)         PtlyCldy    none
     21:01    50    34      8   238  (WSW)         MstlyCldy   none
     22:01    50    32      6   264  (W)           Overcast    none
     23:01    51    31      6   263  (W)           Overcast    none
     00:01    48    43     16   144  (SE)          Overcast    none
     01:01    47    38      7   232  (SW)          MstlyCldy   none
     02:01    46    40     11   306  (NW)          MstlyCldy   none
     03:01    45    40      2   233  (SW)          MstlyCldy   none
     04:01    46    40      2   222  (SW)          MstlyCldy   none
     05:01    45    42      0   213  (SSW)         PtlyCldy    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 > 1u per 0.1 cubic feet.
                             TELESCOPE STATUS
     Telescope drives operational. Current Remark version: 2.85b
     Current TCC version: 2.7.2  Current TUI version: TUI 0.90