TelOps Nightly Procedures

The nightly procedures are carryed out by the following TelOps teams: Observer Support, Telescope Operators and Floater Operators.
Floater operators can performed the Observer Support or the Telescope Operators tasks.

There are 3 procedures well defined in order to operate efficiently and safe:

1. Beggining of the night (Observer Support Team).
2. During the night (Telescope Operators).
3. End of the night (Telescope Operators).

Only for internal use, the documents linked in 1 and 3 are from the TelOps NAS storage disk. If you have access go to  139.229.13.92/TOLNAS0/TelOpsDocs/Procedimientos/Observer Operators.

During the night

• Watch the weather, make sure the bad weather rules are followed.
• If wind speed is greater than 15 mph on average wind buffet on the telescope may produce elongated images in which case the sliding doors should be closed if need be,raise windscreen.
• A 1° temperature difference between the mirror surface and the ambient air will create additional mirror-seeing (typically up to 0.5" extra for 1° difference). Thus our goal is to maintain the mirror temperature within 1° of the predicted temperature of the following night.
• Occasionally look at BCS telemetry and check that:
  • All for mirror sensors are within 0.5-1°C of each other.
  • Mirror temperature, dome temperature and outside temperature are within 1°C of each other.
• Check the M1 cooling system:
  • Use the GUI M1/OIL cooling system : vncviewer ctio4a:4 
  • Check R.A. bearing hydraulic oil cooling is working (if not, the oil temperature will rise quickly to around 30°).
  • The oil temperature must be between 8° to 10°C at the Hidrostatic Bearings.
• Do DECAM CheckList around 3 A.M.
• Report any problems.