WORK PLAN FOR JULY, 2000

Having set the telescope up at Fairborn Observatory in June, 2000, we are beginning a series of acceptance and development tests on it, beginning with a one-week work session in July. The work planned, some of which will spill over into August or September because of the weather, had to do with making slight mechanical modifications to the telescope, aligning the primary mirror, and testing it with stars, and testing the control system. Staff making the trip were Joel Eaton, Mike Williamson, and Kenneth McDavis. They stayed at the Happy Miner Inn in Washington Camp, Arizona.

The work planned falls into four categories as follows:

  1. MECHANICAL ADJUSTMENTS and augmentation of the telescope structure.
    1. Shim the top end (to make axis of tube perpendicular to tilt axis to within 0.05 inches [2 arc min]. (done; 16 Jul 00)
    2. Measure perpendicularity of tilt axis to azimuth axis. [It is expected to be perpendicular to about 10 arc sec.] (done; 21 Jul 00)
    3. Readjust the lateral hard points to rotate the primary mirror properly. (done; 16 Jul 00)
    4. Check and adjust the lateral support levers. (done; 19 Jul 00)
    5. Check and adjust the axial support levers and hard points. (done, but decided to rebuild the mechanisms for the axial hard points)
    6. Finish gluing insulation on tube and fork. (deferred)
    7. Finish putting absolute encoder for azimuth together. (deferred-broke the cable)
    8. Test for oil leaks and tighten fittings. (partially done)
    9. Paint box for primary mirror and protect it better from rain. (done; 20 Jul 00)
  2. ELECTRICAL WIRING.
    1. Check/finish attaching power cables to south wall. (done; 15 Jul 00)
    2. Check/finish routing power cables to oil pump. (deferred)
    3. Route control cable from oil pump to telescope. (done; 21 Jul 00)
    4. Hook control wires for axial hard points up to computer. (done; 18 Jul 00)
    5. Armour wiring on top of telescope. (deferred)
    6. Run cable from camera in to computer. (checked)
    7. Hook up zero-point detectors and tilt limit syitches. (done; 20 Jul 00)
  3. Work on PRIMARY MIRROR.
    1. Colimate primary mirror. (done; 20 Jul 00 - will redo with remade axial hard points)
    2. Find north star with primary mirror (first light). (deferred - cloudy)
    3. Determine offsets of zero-point detectors from north pole (i.e., north star). (clouded out)
    4. Use north star to assess image quality. (clouded out)
  4. Work on the DRIVES and CONTROL SYSTEM.
    1. Run repeated slewing in both axes to break in drive. (done; 17-21 Jul 00)
    2. Repeat repeatability tests for tilt and azimuth. (done; 21 Jul 00)
    3. Fix (shim) second drive tractor for azimuth. (done; 19 Jul 00)
    4. Put second drive tractor for azimuth in telescope and test it. (done; 20 Jul 00)
    5. Run tests to find stars with latest control system. (clouded out)
    6. Run tracking tests with latest control system. (clouded out)
    7. Verify function of control daemon to run stepper motors and IO units. (done; 18 Jul 00)