Below are summarised current procedures for moving the telescope, dome and dome shutter.
- SAFETY: check logbook for restrictions and ensure that it is safe to rotate the dome. Check safety lock-off switches. Don't attempt to rotate dome if iced up. Check no obvious obstructions e.g. blown-over cabinets can get trapped by stairs.
- In grey dome-control cabinet on Nasmyth gallery: - Turn dome-control key to LOCAL - Press DOME MOTORS START - Press CLOCKWISE or ANTICLOCKWISE buttons to rotate dome - Press DOME MOTORS STOP - Turn key to OFF (turn to remote when dome is to be operated from TCS) - If the DOME button on the engineering control desk is depressed, the dome cannot be moved under computer control, but it can be moved (at variable speed) using the buttons on the control desk.
- SAFETY: check logbook for restrictions and ensure that it is safe to open
the dome. Check safety lock-off switches. Don't attempt to
open shutter if iced up, or if humidity > 80% or wind > 80 km/h or very
dusty. Check mirror petals closed. If the dome is opened during the day,
it must point away from the sun, and the sun should not shine on any part
of the telescope structure for more than a few minutes. The sun should
never shine on an uncovered primary mirror.
- On shutter-control cabinet on Nasmyth gallery:
- Turn main power supply switch on (so that arrow points to '1')
- Turn knob below main power supply switch to 2 (NORMAL SUPPLY)
- Turn clockwise the key on the panel at right to release the emergency stop
- Press the green ON button to the left of the key, green light should
come on
- Remove the key from the emergency-stop button and insert it in the
synchronous-drive control switch, turn it on
- Use the lever to open or close the top shutter. The lever is a variable
speed control for the shutter drive motor. If it is tripping out
(loud clunking), operate at a slower speed until the shutter has moved
1 - 2 m. If this doesn't help, turn the synchronous drive off
and try again. The lever must be operated by hand only; it must not be
left jammed open or closed.
The shutter will stop moving when it reaches the correct position.
- Return key to emergency stop button, depress button, switch POWER SUPPLY
to OFF and MAIN POWER to 0.
- The shutter-control buttons on the desk in the control room are
not in use.
(Based on notes by Paul Morrall 1/97)
- SAFETY: check logbook for safety restrictions and ensure that it is safe
to open the dome. Check safety lock-off switches. Don't attempt to
open shutter if iced up, or if humidity > 80% or wind > 80 km/h or very
dusty.
- Bottom shutter is lowered for routine observing (it will vignette telescope
if elevation < 25 deg).
- Bottom shutter is opened after top shutter opened, closed after top
shutter closed.
- In grey dome-control cabinet on Nasmyth gallery:
- Insert key into BOTTOM SHUTTER, switch to LOCAL
- Press MAIN DRIVE LOWER or MAIN DRIVE RAISE until shutter stops
- If raising shutter, then raise last few cm by pressing MICRO DRIVE RAISE
until shutter stops
- The shutter-control buttons on the desk in the control room are not in use.
- SAFETY: check logbook for safety restrictions and ensure that it is safe to
move the telescope. Check safety lock-off switches. Check in dome for
people, ladders, crane cables near telescope.
- (To speed things up, drive to azimuth approx 300, and low elevation
(e.g. EL 12) from computer control, see next section, the type ENG to
return to engineering control.)
- At control panel by access-park gates on gallery level, switch MODE key
to LOCAL (it should be there anyway), then:
- Press AP1 to bring telescope to access park 1 (elevation 19 deg)
- Press AP2 to bring telescope to access park 2 (elevation 7 deg)
- To go to access park 3, start at access park 2, unbolt and open sliding
gates to full extent, remove connecting bar, unbolt and lower hinged
section of floor, press AP3
- Move from AP3 ONLY using the controls on this panel:
press AP2, wait until telescope stops, raise and bolt hinged section
of floor, close and bolt sliding gates, press ZP to go to zenith
(AP1 doesn't work from this position?)
- The park buttons on the engineering control desk are inactive.
- SAFETY: check logbook for restrictions and ensure that it is safe to move
the telescope. Check safety lock-off switches. Check in dome for
people, ladders, crane cables near telescope, telescope at access park,
GHRIL double doors open.
- On eng control desk, MODE key to ENG, then:
- Press BEARING OIL PUMP ON (light goes green)
- Press G/B OIL ON (light goes green)
- Wait for all lights on alarm panel to go out
- Switch on az and alt power amplifiers in Marconi power cabinet
- To move from engineering control desk, set rate switches low, press +
or - buttons each axis to move telescope, ramp up speed while moving,
ramp down speed before stopping
- To move from TCS (faster), start up TCS (login as TCS_LOGIN), switch
to computer control (key-switch and COMP button on engineering control
desk), type e.g. AZ 300 or ALT 45.
- BEARING OIL PUMP and G/B OIL should be off if the telescope is left
unattended (the power amplifiers can stay on).
- The telescope will not stop if the GHRIL or UES Nasmyth gates are opened
while tracking and the gates are within the access range of the platform,
but it will stop if the GHRIL double doors are opened while tracking.