MDM Observatory 2.4m Telescope Observer's Report for 2002 Oct 30

Observer(s): John Thorstensen
Institution(s): Dartmouth

Instrument: modspec + echelle

Worked for 12 hours (all night)
Conditions were Photometric most of the night.
Problems were encountered, see the separate trouble report for details.

Seeing and Weather:
   Beg: Seeing 1 arcsec, Clear, Winds Light & Variable
   Mid: Seeing 1 arcsec, Clear, Winds Moderate
   End: Seeing 1 arcsec, Cirrus, Winds Moderate

Observing Summary:

Good weather, mostly good seeing except for when looking south
into the wind (which was light).  Spectroscopy of cataclysmic
variables.

Two glitches to report: (1) I tried to get to an object at 3h
W and -30 deg, which amounts to about 3.5 airmasses; the 
telescope didn't want to go there, it cut out in mid-slew 
saying  RA or Dec encoders not responding .  After verifying
that the encoders were indeed responding, I attempted to slew
manually into the position, but again the slew stopped at
about 2h W.  So I gave up.

2) The A/C computer is convinced that the coils are frozen 
and refuses to actually cool anything.  The coils are at 8 C,
and they're not frozen (I checked).  

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Submitted on 2002 Oct 31 [6:45:20]