TO Tips: OPENING PROCEDURE

• Fill the instrument(s) cold box with nytrogen,
  (be careful not to close the nytrogen bombone too tightly).
  • NSFCAM about twice a day
  • CSHELL about once every three days
• Check (listen) if detector cooling system is working.
• Open ball for the instrument.
• Open inside backdoor and main backdoor.
• Open air pressure for the mirror.
• Make sure lights are off.
• Leave the platform in a safe position.
  If arrived after the beginning of the night, check the platform position.

• Turn monitors on.
• Turn camera on.
• Power on secondary mirror, reset (will stop the beep)
• Dome mode: pause OFF, AUTO.
• System mode should always be in STANDARD position.
• Enter the default values for the tracking rates,
  (means the most efficient to track a star during the previous night(s) and has to be adjusted to needs - area observed in the sky and position of the telescope -);
  typically, RA = -15.0420 (W) and DEC = -0.0020 (S). Also check the guide value (~2).
• Open upper shutter, move lower shutter if necessary (cf air masse). Reset in dome if necessary, (one or both, if lower shutter is stuck, and does not move whem resetted, reset the upper shutter too).
  Trick: use an elastic band to hold the switches, shutters will move while you are still in the dome.
• Reset, then disable breaks.
• Mirror air handler on (only after opening the vanne).
• Open mirror cover
  ( only when shutters are out of the way , means when there is no dirt or worst possibly falling over the mirror).
  It is open as long as the green light is on, even though the red light is still on (cameras in the dome allow you to check the doors open).
• Counterweights and focus should always be enabled.
  In case of instrument change, check weight and collimation values (cf folder).
• On the Sun, openwindows (o), open a TCS-term window, GO to run the Telescope Control System, then push ENTER to initialize tracking rates and guide value.
• Lights off in the dome and window screen closed.
• Set the focus approximatevely to the default value corresponding to the instrument.
• Find a nearby Bright Star and correct the coordinates (PB 5).
• Help the astronomers in their search for the best focus,
  keep in mind the focus will change according to the the temperature along the night.
• Set the beam switch according to the astronomers request.

TYPICAL OBSERVING SEQUENCE / DOME / TELESCOPE / CSHELL / NSFCAM / BOLOMETER / REMEMBER! / TROUBLE SHOOTING LIST / CLOSING PROCEDURE

IR WEATHER MAP / UKIRT WEATHER / GEMINI CAMERA VIEW /

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