Subject: 3.5m Night Log 20070717 Date: Wed, 18 Jul 2007 01:57:24 -0600 (MDT) From: bketzeba@apo.nmsu.edu (Bill Ketzeback) Apache Point Observatory 3.5m Telescope Night Log Tuesday, July 17, 2007 ACTUAL ASTRONOMER OBSERVER(S) INSTRUMENT START FINISH ------------------------------------------------------------------- C.Oliveira K.Collins,C.Grady DIS 20:30 00:05 Echelle --:-- --:-- M.Gladders M.Gladders DIS --:-- --:-- INST SCHED(TWILIGHT) WEATH EQUIP OBS DAY NOT USED I/ROW/DN START FINISH D B D B D B USE D B --------------------------------------------------------------------- JH01/R 21:13 01:05 0 0 1.0 0 1.6 1.3 0 0 0 UC02/R 01:05 05:06 0 0 4.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 note: scheduled times listed include instrument change time ------------- ACTIVITY LOG -------------- Observing Specialists: B. Ketzeback AZ Velocity Scale: Checkout - (temp 16.7) was 577, measured average 577, no change Tonight around 10pm (UT04:00) we witnessed an unusual pointing jump as seen at NA2 between slews. I corrected it by adjusting YTILT. Then at midnight (UT06:00) my user requested a switch to the echelle. By all indications the tertiary rotation had reached its (final) position at NA1 (No unusual sounds were heard over the intercom). However no stars could be found with the echelle. When I could find not even Vega or its halo after a 30second exposure or by dithering the telescope around, I again commanded the tertrot to NA1. Still unable to locate stars, I went upstairs for a visual verification only to find the tertiary still pointed to NA2. I once again commanded a rotation to NA1 but from the dome. I could hear the pneumatics of the clamp disengaging but there was no visible motion of the tertiary. After 30 seconds the command timed out. I then hosted into the tertiary controller and tried to home the E axis (rotation). It returned with unusual output regarding the E axis. Requesting a status report from the controller revealed that the E axis did not home as requested. Also the commanded and measured positions of the rotation do not match. I then spoke to Mark regarding the problem. He advised to do a visual inspection. If the clamp was engaged at NA2 we could proceed with observations, if it was not at NA2 or the clamp was not engaged not much else could be done. Visual inspection of the mechanism showed that no limit switches were depressed for rotation. The tertiary rotation was at NA2 however, the clamp is not engaged. This is an unsafe condition to operate in therefore I closed down for the night and sent my second half observer home. I spent the rest of the night reducing fastcam data. ------- FAILURE LOG ------- PROG INST FAILURE MODE TIME (SEDFNVOG) TI/SHU START FINISH DESCRIPTION ---------------------------------------------------------------------- JH01 E T/H 00:05 01:05 M3 will not rotate or clamp engage UC02 D T/H 01:05 05:06 M3 will not rotate or clamp engage ---------------- FOCUS LOG --------------- Time Instrument Focus Az El Temp Strc Prim Sec Air filt FWHM ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 20:50 dis-slit -134(458) 31 76 16.7 18.9 18.1 18.4 17.1 -- 1.1 ------------- WEATHER LOG ---------------- Wind Precip.or Time Temp F Dewp F MPH Direction Dust Sky Conditions ------------------------------------------------------------------- 16:00 70 47 7 184 (S) 580 mstly cldy lt rain 17:00 70 49 5 185 (S) 567 ptly cldy none 18:00 67 48 4 178 (S) 650 ptly cldy none 19:00 64 48 11 143 (SE) 710 mstly clr none 20:00 64 48 13 139 (SE) 728 clear none 21:00 62 48 20 124 (SE) 849 clear none 22:00 59 48 14 84 (E) 804 clear none 23:00 58 46 11 87 (E) 813 clear none 00:00 57 45 10 88 (E) 809 mstly clr none 01:00 59 46 9 83 (E) 785 ptly cldy 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 TCC version: 2.9.1 Current TUI version: TUI 1.3