Lightning Shutdown Procedure
2.4-m Hiltner Telescope


Lightning

(DO NOT TURN OFF THE ROUTER, SWITCH, MDM, MDM's EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE or THE SMALL UPS IN THE RIGHT COMPUTER RACK)

Last updated 2013Apr18

NOTE: IF THERE IS NO OBSERVER AT THE 1.3M TELESCOPE, THE 2.4M OBSERVER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR A LIGHTNING SHUTDOWN AT THAT TELSECOPE AS WELL.

Walk through these procedures at the beginning of your run. If you have any questions about the procedures please ask. After hours call or email Eric.  As can be seen in the above image of the WIYN 0.9m dome taking a direct and damaging hit, lightning is a serious concern.  In an emerqency do not hesitate to call anytime.

1. Stow the Telescope

If observing, follow the usual closing procedure. Stow the telescope at zenith, close the instrument hatch and mirror covers. Close the dome, turn off the telescope drives, and press the STOP button on the telescope control panel.

2. Shut Down Computers

Workstations and Servers

There are a number of computers in the 2.4m computer room that must be properly shutdown: The Linux computers hiltner, agung and vesuvius, and the Windows Vista machine used for the weather station.  If using either the Andor or the CCDS slit-viewing camera, these Windows Vista machines will need to be powered down as well. Shutdown procedures follow:
  1. If using vesuvius (MDM8K), log off first, then log back in as user "shutdown", password "haltsystem". This will turn off the computer. If it doesn't power all the way off, press the front panel power button on its box in the rack. Alternatively you can login as the normal user and type "shutdown" and then answer "Y" at the prompt.

  2. Login to agung and hiltner as the regular observing user via ssh. At the Unix prompt type "shutdown" and answer "Y" to the question. Make sure each has shut down before proceeding to the next computer in the list. The shutdown should power off the computer--you can tell by looking at the front panel lights.

  3. Windows Vista computers for guiding and slit viewing (IF USED) are powered off from the startup menu, at the bottom-left of the screen.  Click on the small Windows logo and go to the right side of the menu to bring up the sub-menu for shutting down.

  4. If using CCDS or TIFKAM, power off the IC computer by quitting out of the data-taking program ("quit" command at the Raritan keyboard), then turning off the PC's power when you get the DOS prompt.
  1. If using mdmarc1, power off by using the "shutdown" prompt on the raritan.

Air-Bag Computer (left computer rack):

  1. DO NOT TURN OFF THE AIR-BAG COMPUTER!  Instead simply bring down the software as follows:
  2. On the air-bag computer keyboard type "CL" and wait for the air bags to deflate. The columns on the monitor to read are: Bag1:W, Bag2:SE, Bag3:SW. When inflated, the Bag readings are each ~1400 pounds. They should come down to approximately +/- 30 when deflated. After the airbags are deflated, type QQ to get out of the program.

TCS PC & Power Supply (middle computer rack):

CAUTION: Do these steps in this order:
  1. [Omit this step only in an emergency] There is a TCS mouse next to the TCS control panel in the control room. To shut down the TCS control program, left click on the little yellow telescope icon at the upper left of the screen and select "Close" on the drop down menu to close the TCS program. Then click on "shutdown" at the bottom of the screen. When a Workplace shell appears click "ok" and wait for the machine to finish shutting down.

  2. When it says it is safe, go to the computer room and turn off the TCS PC using the Power switch on the front panel of the TCS PC.

  3. Finally, turn off the TCS power supply (silver vertical toggle switch under the green light), which is just below the TCS PC. Do NOT turn off the silver TCS power supply switch until the TCS computer is OFF.
3.  Shut down the MIS interface.  


TO RESTART, DO EVERYTHING IN REVERSE ORDER.

Turn on the power supply below the TCS PC before turning on the TCS PC. If restarting CCDS or TIFKAM, make sure you power up the "IC computer".

On the Airbag computer type the following command on it's keyboard: "support" .

Make sure to power up the Windows Vista guider and if used, the slit viewing computer via the power switches on the front of each computer.

Turn on hiltner and agung computers using the power buttons on their front panels. If using mdm ccd's make sure "mdmarc1" is turned on (power switch on front of computer).

Check the instrument and telescope for correct operation. If using a CCD, TIFKAM, MDM4K or R4K, take a test exposure to be sure that the shutter is opening correctly and light is reaching the detector.

After INITIALIZING the xmis2, "double click on the FINDER "out" button to insure that the finder's prism is truly out". This will also stop any finder motor activity (noise).

Revised: 04/18/2013 [Galayda, Barr, Halpern & Pogge]