MDM Trouble Report for 2004 Oct 29

Telescope: 1.3m
Observer(s): Grogin & Wegner (JHU & Dartmouth)
Instrument: Echelle

Problem(s) Encountered:
Hardware problem:

Sky images early in night showed strange background -- 
flat except for ~10% enhanced counts in a broad ring 
~1/4 out from image center & ~10% depressed counts within the
ring.

Eventually diagnosed as camera ice-up and cured w/ 
nitrogen gas. 

Software problem : 

after taking biases, observers reset exposure time to
900s but failed to clear bias settings by entering 'object' 
before typing 'go'.  Camera  exposed  900s without error, but 
apparently shutter did not open.  Future exposures cured by
entering 'object'.  Would be nice if warning message appeared 
when executing a 'go' with finite exposure time while 'bias' 
settings still in place.


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Submitted on 2004 Oct 30 [7:40:28]