ALFA/CIMA Observing Checklist

Prepared by the E-ALFA Drift Group (A1946)     21Sep2004

This is a short checklist of the things to do when observing... for more details see the observing cookbook.

Before Observing

• Make sure that ALFA will be ready for your observations

  • ALFA cover must be removed.
  • If you need to rotate the feed, the motor must be switched on

Startup:

• Log in: dtusr

• User: yourname, aNNNN, select spectral line

• Load/Save State: load your setup file ***.gui

• Pointing control

  • Point telescope
  • Set ALFA rotation angle
  • choose beam 0 as center

• Receiver IF/LO Control --> New Improved IFLO Control

  • Check central frequency and bandwidths
  • Apply this setup

• Backend Control

  • WAPP data

    • Configure Wapp ALFA
    • Adjust Power - make sure it's right!

• Spectral Line Observing

When Observing

• Between scans:

  • Check power levels periodically
  • Start new fits file (WAPP data) if needed

• Data Monitoring:

  • On Dataview, click on the background and select from the menu:
    • Quicklook Data Display
    • Observers Monitor
    • Array Rotation
    • Frontend Monitor
    
    
  • You can open the same widgets by typing on an xterm:
    • /home/aoui/alfa/alfadatawin &
    • /home/aoui/alfa/alfaobswin &
    • /home/aoui/alfa/alfamotorwin &
    • /home/aoui/alfa/alfamonwin &

• Troubleshooting

  • If CIMA gets confused, go to User preferences and
    • type "socksend WAPPDATA FLUSH" in "Send to gui"
    • Hit "Send to gui"
    Pulsar Observing --> More --> Restart All WAPPS
    Exit CIMA and start again

  • If you need to restart the WAPPs:
    
    • Pulsar Observing --> More --> Restart All WAPPS
      

Finishing Up

• Exit data monitoring programs "nicely"

• Exit CIMA normally