Minutes
USSKA Consortium telecon 09-25-2003
(by Wouter Vlemmings and Jim Cordes)

Present (that we know of):
Chris Carilli
Jim Cordes 	 
German Cortes
Larry D'Addario  
Paul Goldsmith 	 
Dayton Jones
Joe Lazio
Jill Tarter 	 
Yervant Terzian
Wouter Vlemmings 
Craig Walker
Sandy Weinreb   
Jack Welch




Yervant: NSF meeting discussion: 
	TDP proposal due  Dec 1, 2003
        proposal review panel "reverse site visit" expected
	in Feb 2004, funds early summer 2004
	prototyping/ ATA as a test site
	1 PI, co-PI without institute restrictions
        difficulty with International SKA office funds: they will need
		very strong justification
	need project manager, central management
	major problem: no unassociated reviewers left
	US FCC: no protection outside radio bands, no radio-quiet zones

	Proposal: submitted through fastlane, with hard copies and CDROM
		copies as well.   Length TBD needs permission from
		NSF; also, any appendices need prior approval

ISSC: -Dayton Jones has expanded set of SKA requirement replacing strawman 
       	specifications
      -send comments to Dayton with cc to Yervant and Chris
      -Session of hybrid modes in South Africa January 2004:
         4 page manuscript for concepts before Dec 16
      -Project engineer ISSC (Peter Hall) ATNF funding, location problem

Jim: TDP discussion: 
  Emphasize the big questions in justifying the TDP, ie. those
    	that drive the need for a TDP for the LNSD concept
        (a draft list was read)
  TDP work area/activity list:  (mentioned only briefly since JMC was
 	not able to send it out before traveling to Washington state).
        Will send out early next week.
  Comments/proposed plans received:
	Haystack group re systems analysis and simulator
	Weinreb re antennas, feeds and receivers, with comments
		by Goldsmith
	UCB: Welch and Bock re use of ATA as a testbed facility for
		the LNSD effort 
	Jones: suggestions re proposal format (self contained, areas of
		emphasis)
	Burke: Alidade design as presented at Ithaca consortium meeting, Oct '02

        Many emails re data and processing rates, ability to reach dynamic
		range, etc. (suggests significant activity on these issues
		in the TDP)
Discussion:

Remark (Jill): Science goals impact on LNSD technology
selling the SKA: outreach AND education

question: How much money for the TDP? 
	   No dollar amount was discussed although the phrase
           "tens of millions of dollars" was used by one NSF representative.
           Bandwidth for the outer stations ? (haystack contribution)
           Data transport/fiber dedicated/shared path 

Technical knots:  
	getting large bw from outer stations (> 350 km, say)
	Weinreb: largely a business problem
	D'Addario: not just a business problem, but technical too.
	 	Need to start with the top question: use shared or
		dedicated fiber; if shared, then what kind? 
	        Serious full time engineers are needed who report to the
	            project manager  	  
	Tarter: Do we need a center of excellence  for the data
		rate issues and others related to arrays?
		Potential partners: Teragrid, Argonne

NSF comment: any flow of technology  TO industry is a big selling point
	   for the TDP 

The TDP proposal should make clear the ties to the international project

The TDP proposal should point out elements of the LNSD design that 
	are in common with other concepts to emphasize value added
	of the TDP even if the LNSD antenna concept is not selected.

Process for proposing work effort to the PI organization (NAIC):
	-send "offers" such as those already received
	-JMC will suggest groups of individuals to work on sections
	 of the proposal who also probably will workon those areas
	 in the TDP

Action items:
	1. send JMC "proposals" for contributions to the TDP such as
		those received from some (by 4pm EDT 29 Sept 2003)
	2. JMC will write more detailed outline and circulate by 
		noon EDT 30 Sept 2003.
	
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