2.4-meter Hiltner Telescope
Observer's Manual and Technical Reference

Based on the original by Peter Mack, the HTML version by Bob Barr converted from TeX by Paul Schechter.

Updated: 2007 March 08
J. Thorstensen, J. Halpern, B. Barr


Table of Contents

1 General Guidelines and Preliminary Information

1.1) About This Manual

1.2) Graduate in One Night!

1.3) Technical Problems

1.4) Transportation and Area Maps

1.5) Accommodation and Meals

1.6) Observering Preparation Form

1.7) Telephones & Fax

1.8) Publications

1.9) Sending Documents and Parcels To MDM

2 What Every Observer Should Know

2.1) Observing

2.1.1) Obtaining the best seeing!

2.1.2) Limits on observing conditions

2.2) Weather Conditions

2.2.1) Weather radio

2.2.2) Weather Monitor II

2.2.3) What to do during bad storms.

2.3) Emergency Conditions

2.3.1) Telephone help

2.3.2) Emergency radio

2.3.3) Emergency generator and the UPS.

3 Telescope Specifications

3.1) Historical Introduction

3.2) Optical Specifications

3.2.1) Collimation and the mirror support system

3.3) Mechanical Specifications

3.4) Geographical Location

4 Telescope Control & Data Acquisition Computers

4.1) Introduction

4.2) Basic Operating Instructions

4.2.1) Turning the machines on

4.2.2) Re-booting from a computer ``crash''

4.2.3) Turning the machines off

4.3) The Telescope Control Computer

4.3.1) Logging on

4.3.2) Directory structure

4.3.3) Disk storage space

4.3.4) Starting the Telescope Control Software

4.3.5) Restarting individual windows

4.3.6) A primer on windows

4.4) Some Useful Computer Commands

4.5) Quick Look and Data Reduction

5 Telescope Control System (TCS)

5.1) Introduction

5.2) TCS Computer Rack

5.3) Telescope Controller and Monitor

5.4) Telescope Control Software, xtcs

5.4.1) Introduction

5.4.2) Initializing the TCS and xtcs

5.4.3) Entering coordinates from the keyboard

5.4.4) Entering coordinates from a file

5.4.5) Down-loading coordinates to the TCS and commanding the telescope to move

5.4.6) The Setup menu

5.4.7) Manually restoring coordinates using the tilt meters

5.4.8) TCS display: setting other encoders

5.4.9) Track Rate

5.4.10) Trail Rate

5.5) Telescope Hand Paddle

5.6) The Dome

5.6.1) Introduction

5.6.2) Dome controller

5.6.3) Back-up procedure for closing a disabled dome

5.6.4) Occultation of the telescope by the dome near the zenith

5.6.5) Obtaining dome flat fields with the white screen

5.7) Moving the Telescope Out of the Hard Limits

5.8) WWV Time

5.9) Observing Room / Dome Intercom

5.10) Moving Platform

5.11) What To Do When Things Don't Work

6 The Multiple Instrument System (MIS)

6.1) Introduction

6.2) The MIS Camera

6.3) The Multiple Instrument System Control Software, xmis

6.4) RETROCAM  

6.4.1) Wide field acquisition of astronomical objects

6.4.2) Spectroscopic calibration

6.5) Guider

6.5.1) xmis guider parameters

6.5.2) Off-axis guiding for direct imaging

6.5.3) Slit plate guiding for spectroscopy

6.6) How to Focus the Guider and the Instrument

6.6.1) Focus procedure: direct imaging

6.6.2) Focus procedure: spectroscopy

6.6.3) Coarse focus of the guider.

6.7) MIS Filter wheel

6.7.1) Introduction

6.7.2) How to change filters

6.7.3) The MDM Johnson UBVRI filter sets

6.8) Technical Reference Section

6.8.1) Guest instrumentation and the MIS mounting plate

6.8.2) MIS Controller: FORTH commands (for staff use only)

6.8.3) xmis software configuration (for staff use only)

7 Autoguiding

7.1) Introduction

7.2) Brief Remarks on the Seitzer Guider

7.3) The DTI Box

7.3.1) Basic Setup of the DTI

7.3.2) Using the DTI Hand Paddle

7.4) Autoguiding with Images from the DTI (PCGUIDER)

7.4.1) Introduction

7.4.2) Basic Startup and Operation

7.4.3) Setting the Guider Parameters

7.4.4) More Guider Notes

7.5) Field Orientation Maps

7.6) DTI Technical Reference Section

8 The Instrument Rotator

8.1) Introduction

8.2) Moving the Rotator

8.3) Instrument Rotator and Flange Mounting Dimensions

9 The Pneumatic System

9.1) Introduction

9.2) Pressurizing LN2 Storage Dewars

9.3) Changing Nitrogen Gas Cylinders

9.4) Mirror Cover Failure

10 The Primary Mirror Air-Conditioning System

10.1) Introduction

10.2) Hardware Description

10.2.1) The sensors

10.2.2) The cooling units

10.3) The Control Computer

10.3.1) Turning the machine on.

10.3.2) Menu Option 1: Digital Output

10.3.3) Menu Option 2: Graphical Output

10.3.4) Menu Option F: Focus Tool

10.3.5) Menu Option H: Toggle Heater Control On/Off

10.3.6) Menu Option I: Set A/C Cooling Coil Minimum Temperature

10.3.7) Menu Option S: Set Safety Margin for Cooling near Dewpoint

10.3.8) Menu Option T: Set Primary Mirror Temperature

10.3.9) Menu Option X: Exit

10.3.10) Menu Option ?: Help

10.4) The Switch Control Panel

APPENDIX A: Startup Checklist

APPENDIX B: Shutdown Checklist

Emergency Lightning Shutdown Procedure


Updated: 2007 March 08 (Bob/mdm)