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Radio Astron LBA

This is an abbreviated guide to running short Radioastron experiments which interrupt other LBA observations. If you're not familiar with the script/programs mentioned here, please see the full guide to LBA observing MtPleasant26m.LBAObserving.

Hobart

  1. halt the current schedule if it is running, and stop any cdisko2 recordings.
  2. Load the experiment's procedure file, e.g proc=rk16bfho
  3. Point the telescope to the zenith with source=azel,170.0,89.0
  4. Once at zenith, run rxselect
  5. Run sched_initi to set up the LO frequencies.
  6. For L-band experiments, confirm that the OTTER interface reports Quad IN after refreshing the display. The OTTER program is running on Desktop 3 of the newsmerd:1 VNC session. For all other experiments, confirm that OTTER reports Quad OUT. (You can toggle the state with the Q command.)
  7. Run setup02 to set up the DBBC & Mark5B
  8. Check the mk5=dot? and dbbc=pps_delay responses are nominal (pps_delay should be 61971), and that dbbcdelay is ~10.5 microseconds. Else run fmset
  9. Confirm iread levels are in range and that the power levels for bbc01 and bbc09 from bread are ~16000. If not (and if the receiver is on axis), you will need to adjust the DAS attenuation in the remote backend (also on Desktop 3 of newsmerd:1 VNC session). Note previous settings if so - you will need these when resuming the other experiment.
  10. Start the main schedule, eg schedule=rk16bfho,#1 once the receiver is on axis.
  • To resume the schedule afterwards:
  1. Load the experiment's procedure file, e.g proc=v329eho
  2. Point the telescope to the zenith with source=azel,170.0,89.0
  3. Once at zenith, run rxselect
  4. Run sched_initi to set up the LO frequencies.
  5. Confirm Quad OUT in the OTTER interface and change the DAS Attenuation if necessary. Confirm power levels on the DAS are centred to within a few boxes of the centre.
  6. Run schedule=v329eho
  7. Restart the recordings in cdisko

Ceduna

  1. halt the current schedule if it is running, and stop any cdisko2 recordings.
  2. Load the experiment's procedure file, e.g proc=rk16bfcd
  3. Run sched_initi to set up the LO frequencies.
  4. Run setup01 to set up the DBBC & Mark5B
  5. Check the dbbc=pps_delay response is nominal (61959), and that dbbcdelay is within ~0.2 microseconds of maserdelay. Else run dbbc=pps_sync, and then run ./configure_fila10g.sh as oper@pcfscd. This will take ~20s and should report two timestamps at the end - these should agree to ~0.01s.
  6. Start the main schedule, eg schedule=rk16bfcd,#1
  7. Make sure the telescope stows at the end, so Bev can go up the telescope to change the receiver.
  • To resume the schedule after Bev has the L-band out:
  1. Load the procedure with e.g, proc=v329ecd
  2. Run schedule=v329ecd
  3. Restart the recordings in cdisko