8  The Instrument Rotator



In mid-2011, Paul Martini & Company (OSU) commissioned the refurbishment of the rotator thanks to generous funding from the NSF in conjunction to the construction of OSMOS.  Refer to the link below for detailed information related to the rotator:

New 2.4m Instrument Rotator

8.1 Rotator Display

The rotator position angle is displayed in the bottom-left of the TCS Control System GUI.  A second monitor in the dome, echoes the Control System display as well.  If the Control System GUI is restarted , the rotator position angle defaults to 0 as it employs an incremental encoder.  In the event that the rotator position value needs to be modified (not changing rotator position, simply the readout value), do so at Telescope>Initialization>Other Positions tab.  Enter the value that corresponds to the rotator's physical position and hit the "Apply" button.    Please do not do this without express consent from MDM and/or OSU staff as it could easily lead to unreliable rotator positioning!

The autoguider rotator angle must be reset for each position angle of the instrument rotator through MaximDL.  This is detailed thoroughly in section 2.3 of the Autoguiding and Acquisition Manual.  The formula for adjusting the angle in MaximDL is as follows:
Angle = -1 * Rotator Angle

8.2  Instrument Rotator and Flange Mounting Dimensions

Guest instrumentation can normally be interfaced to the MIS modules (Section 6.8.1). When large back focal distances are required or the instrument has its own finder-guider system, it can be mounted directly to the instrument rotator table.

The rotator table has a detachable flange, also shown in Figure 8-1, which can be used to mount electronics boxes, etc.

The maximum total weight of an instrument mounted directly on the rotator table depends upon its distance and distribution from the instrument rotator, and is approximately 750 pounds (340 kg). A moving platform allows heavy instruments to be raised for attachment to the telescope. Please consult the staff at an early stage if you plan on bringing out your own instrumentation.

Figure 8-1: Instrument Rotator and Flange
rotator

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Updated: 2018Sep20 (Galayda/MDM)