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Table of Contents
26m Pointing Solutions
This page describes work to use the PCFS on hobart and the Hobart 12m DBBC to measure pointing and gain characteristics of the 26m.
Setting up
Use the PCFS version that uses dbbchb in DDC mode and mk5hb
hobart: fs-mk5hb
Starting the observations.
Check that the sources you want to observe are not commented out. Edit /usr2/control/ctlpo.ctl if necessary. Then:
proc=point initp acquire
Data will be logged to /usr2/log/sx.log
Stoping the observations
In the field system:
kill
Then zero out the offsets:
prep
Understanding the solutions
Search the RA wiki for Bricky
See also:
newsmerd: ~/Brucehack.sh
To mount image of 26m antenna control floppy:
mount -o loop sys26m.june2017.img /mnt/usb/
Useful pages
Observing log
2017 18 - 23 Oct: Observing three sources around Dec = -42 to look for repeatability of pointing over full elevation range, get idea of variation in gain.
2017 23 Oct - : Paused for Callisto noise diode monitoring
2018 23 - 24 Feb : All-sky survey. Lots of non-detections, presumably due to poor weather. Cloud, rain. Data may not be much use for gain curve measurement. Stopped at 055/00:20 UT due to poor weather.
2018 25 Feb : 056/2240 UT : started observations again in good weather. Much tweaking of source list and got working by 057/0305 (26 Feb) UT. ~10:00 UT: Simon takes over for VLBI NAPA
26 Feb ~21:00 UT: Re-started pointing but SX looks to be warm. Asked Brett to investigate. 058/10:38 : Stopped.
67/22:30 UT: Started in good weather following fix of hydraulics fault. Stopped by Simon at ~68/02:00 UT
79/01:40 UT: More pointing. Wind close to limbs, partly cloudy.
2018/106 (16 Apr) 04:20 UT: Started pointing with new model loaded following Y-encoder replacement. X solutions should be OK but Y may not be. There is a -0.07 deg DC offset plus the solutions acquired with the old Y encoder. These observations are for testing/verification of the new model but a subsequent update is required probably. Weather is windy at start, partly cloudy.
2018/107 (17 Apr) 01:40 UT: Re-started with pointing model after previous one discovered to have offsets applied with the wrong sign (oops). Good weather.
2018/129 (9 May): The previous pointing model was made with the wrong sys26m configuration file. It was set so that the correction file for the old encoder (SN 6007) was in use rather than the new one. The current Y1 encoder has an unknown serial number but by process of elimination is probably 6106. The host.cfg file on sys26m has now been changed accordingly. The current pointing model in XY_GRID.BIN is the model used for the old Y1 encoder (6007) but with a -0.07 deg offset determined by Jamie (newsmerd:~observer/floppyimage/XY_GRID_20180412.BIN). Pointing will be done with this setup, currently on sys26m, but awaiting good weather. High winds and rain forecast for the next few days…
