1 - WHT OPERATIONS DURING 2009B ------------------------------- 1.3% of the observing time was lost to technical problems. This is well below the target level of 5%. The numbers of nights allocated to each common-user instrument in 2009B were approximately: ISIS 50; LIRIS 30; AF2 17; prime-focus imaging 7; ACAM 12.5; OASIS 0; INGRID 3. The fraction of ISIS + LIRIS nights above is 67%, similar to the average during the last 3 years. The WHT hosted 7 visiting instruments this semester: EXPO, FASTCAM (used for the first time with the AO system), GHAFAS, INTEGRAL, PNS, SAURON and ULTRACAM. NAOMI continues to work reliably with natural guide stars. Elongated images are occasionally seen, suggestive of an oscillation somewhere along the optical train, but their cause has proven elusive. The old AG7 camera, used for the final flattening of the DM, has been replaced with an Andor camera which allows the procedure to run a facor of 3 faster (~ 20 Hz). GLAS was not offered in 2009B because of its failure in 2009A to deliver sufficient power. In the long-term (~ 2011), the more powerful laser being procured for the Durham CANARY experiment may become available for use with NAOMI. The WHT primary mirror was re-aluminised In November 2009, 3 years after the last aluminising. The mirror is cleaned with CO2 snow on average every ~ 2 months. The low-level control of the PF imaging camera mechanisms has already been converted from 4MS (which is becoming hard to maintain) to PLC. ACAM has always run under PLC control. The A&G box will be converted to PLC shortly, and ISIS will be next. Several other sub-systems (e.g. the dichroic changer in NAOMI) also run under PLC control. 39 user feedbacks were received for runs during 2009B. This is the largest number received for any semester during the last 10 years, probably thanks to our new policy of reminding observers who don't send in feedbacks. All but one feedback rated the run 'good' or 'excellent'. One feedback rated the observing run 'sufficient', mainly on account of perceived poor quality of documentation for AF2. Out of the 12 feedbacks mentioning the food in the residencia, 10 were negative in tone, in contrast to the generally positive comments in 2008B and 2009A. 2 - TIME-LOSS STATISTICS FOR 2009B ---------------------------------- 30 technical faults, 19 hours lost, mean 0.6 hours per fault. The faults arise in a broad range of sub-systems. No fault caused more than 3 hours to be lost. NB these statistics (as in previous reports) refer to *all* nights, including S/D/commissioning, and nights when visitor instruments were used. 3 - ACTUAL USE OF S/D/STANDDOWN IN 2009B ---------------------------------------- Service Observed 10.8 Bad weather 3.4 Technical problems 0.6 D/comm Tel. quality control 1.6 Instr. quality control 1.6 Commissioning 2.0 (ACAM) Aluminising 3.0 Bad weather 2.5 Technical problems 0.5 ---- 26.0 Total S = 14.8 = 10.8 + 4.0 associated bad weather + technical problems. Total D = 11.2 = 8.2 + 3.0 associated bad weather + technical problems. 4 - WEATHER AND TECHNICAL DOWNTIME IN 2009B ------------------------------------------- The last three columns below give for each month the numbers of observing hours lost to bad weather and to technical problems, and the number of nights considered when compiling these statisics (= all those which were not S/D/commissioning or own-instrument). Mon Yr weath tech nights hrs hrs 8 09 12 6 27 9 09 60 1 27 10 09 27 3 24 11 09 38 5 21 12 09 81 0 16 1 10 31 0 6 Chris Benn 2010 Apr 14