2.4-meter
Hiltner Telescope
Observer's Manual and Technical Reference
Updated: 2019Jan15 (Galayda/MDM)
with
contribution from John Thorstensen (Dartmouth) and Jules Halpern
(Columbia)
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 Reasulting from Observations Made at MDM
1.9)
Sending Documents and Parcels To MDM.
2 What Every Observer
Should Know
2.1)
Observing Conditions
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)
MDM Weather Monitor
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.
3.1)
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
5 Telescope Control
System (TCS)
5.1)
Introduction
5.2)
TCS Computer Rack
5.3)
Telescope Controller and Monitor
5.4)
Telescope Control System
5.4.1)
Introduction
5.4.2)
Initializing the TCS and tcsBridge
5.4.3)
Entering coordinates from the keyboard
5.4.4)
Entering coordinates from a file
5.4.5) Setting Other Encoders
5.4.6) Automatic Focus Temperature Compensation
5.4.7) Track 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 (guider)
6.3)
The Multiple Instrument System Control Software, xmis2
6.4)
The Finder & RETROCAM
6.5)
Guider
6.5.1)
xmis2 guider parameters
6.5.2)
Off-axis guiding for direct imaging
6.6)
How to Focus the Guider and the Instrument
6.6.1)
Focus procedure: direct imaging
6.6.2) Focus procedure:
spectroscopy
6.7) Filter Wheels and Filters
6.7.1) 4" filter wheel
6.7.2) MDM filter sets
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) xmis2 software
configuration (for staff use only)
7 Slit-Viewing & Autoguiding
Systems
7.1) Introduction
7.2) Andor Cameras for Slit Viewing7.3) Auguiding and Acquisition at MDM Telescopes
8.1)
8.2)
Instrument Rotator and Flange Mounting Dimensions
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 System
10.4) The User Interface and Controlling the Primary Mirror AC
10.4.1) Settings Sub-Window
10.4.2) Status Sub-Window
10.4.3) A Word on Dew Point, Mirror Cooling & Safety
10.5) Graphical Display of Environmental Parameters
10.6) Raw Data for Environmental Parameters
APPENDIX B: Shutdown
Checklist
Emergency Lightning Shutdown Procedure
Updated: 2019Jan15 (Galayda/MDM)