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uc:uc20260113_january_13_2026 [2026/01/13 20:54]
nchanove 		uc:uc20260113_january_13_2026 [2026/01/13 21:17] (current)
nchanove
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 === Additional site, telescope and instruments discussion ===  === Additional site, telescope and instruments discussion === 
  
-There was one student group that visited last month. We've had some winter weather and were closed for two nights due to ice on enclosure and the lightning arrestors.+There was one student group that visited last month. We've had some winter weather and were closed for two nights due to ice on the enclosure and lightning arrestors.
  
-As for instruments, both KOSMOS and ARCTIC each had some problems this past month. There was an instance when the KOSMOS disperser wheel was commanded it got stuck; this was remedied by the operator going up to the observing level and moving it by hand. We had one instance where the camera focus wasn't set properly and caused confusion regarding the telescope focus; this was corrected. We've seen some stress cracks in the UW-manufactured silicon wafer slits, likely due to differential expansion of the aluminum holders. We are working to identify a manufacturer for new spares/replacements.+As for instruments, both KOSMOS and ARCTIC each had some problems last month. There was an instance when the KOSMOS disperser wheel was commanded and then got stuck; this was remedied by the operator going up to the observing level and moving it by hand. We had one instance where the camera focus wasn't set properly and caused confusion regarding the telescope focus; this was corrected. We've seen some stress cracks in the UW-manufactured silicon wafer slits, likely due to differential expansion of the aluminum holders. We are working to identify a manufacturer for new spares/replacements.
  
 ARCTIC had a failure of the filter wheel; this was discovered by an observing specialist in the afternoon and fixed by the engineering staff that same day so it did not impact observing. We had another instance where the instrument exposure was stuck and could not be commanded to take another. An init was done, which caused a dropped quad, and the user elected to observe in the single amplifier mode for the rest of night. We had a more serious issue with an ion pump that resulted in loss of vacuum to the instrument. This was due to a failure of a high voltage cable that became welded to the pump; both needed to be replaced. Special thanks for Cary Smith who came in during his time off during the winter break to restore the instrument. ARCTIC had a failure of the filter wheel; this was discovered by an observing specialist in the afternoon and fixed by the engineering staff that same day so it did not impact observing. We had another instance where the instrument exposure was stuck and could not be commanded to take another. An init was done, which caused a dropped quad, and the user elected to observe in the single amplifier mode for the rest of night. We had a more serious issue with an ion pump that resulted in loss of vacuum to the instrument. This was due to a failure of a high voltage cable that became welded to the pump; both needed to be replaced. Special thanks for Cary Smith who came in during his time off during the winter break to restore the instrument.
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   * SoonerCam: See above site report and subsequent discussion.   * SoonerCam: See above site report and subsequent discussion.
-  * KOSMOS grisms: our proposal requesting funds to support the purchase of three new grisms for KOSMOS was not selected. We will move forward with the purchase of one or two grisms using ARC funds. If users have an opinion about this they should complete the following form no later than Friday January 30.+  * KOSMOS grisms: our proposal requesting funds to support the purchase of three new grisms for KOSMOS was not selected. We will move forward with the purchase of one or two grisms using ARC funds. If users have an opinion about this they should complete the following form **no later than Friday January 30**: https://forms.gle/Fr6LVu9o8Up782hW7
   * ASPEN: we have an NSF proposal pending but learned that we did receive some funds from the State of New Mexico to further advance the design. We will move forward with building the atmospheric dispersion corrector first since it can be used with ARCES. We presented a poster about ASPEN at the Jan. 2026 AAS meeting and received some positive feedback, and we submitted several papers about the instrument for the SPIE conference this summer. We still plan to hold the Preliminary Design Review in the first half of 2026, likely now in Q2.   * ASPEN: we have an NSF proposal pending but learned that we did receive some funds from the State of New Mexico to further advance the design. We will move forward with building the atmospheric dispersion corrector first since it can be used with ARCES. We presented a poster about ASPEN at the Jan. 2026 AAS meeting and received some positive feedback, and we submitted several papers about the instrument for the SPIE conference this summer. We still plan to hold the Preliminary Design Review in the first half of 2026, likely now in Q2.
-  * Ocotillo: Things are progressing; we have the camera in hand and someone is working on camera characterization and software. We have the grating, some optics, and the fiber in hand. The TEG will be hiring an engineering/technician at the BS/MS level very soon; interested parties should look for the job ad on the UW hiring site shortly.+  * Ocotillo: Things are progressing; we have the camera in hand and someone is working on camera characterization and software. We have the grating, some optics, and the fiber in hand. The TEG will be hiring an engineer/technician at the BS/MS level very soon; interested parties should look for the job ad on the UW hiring site shortly.
  
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uc/uc20260113_january_13_2026.1768337670.txt.gz ยท Last modified: 2026/01/13 20:54 by nchanove

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