VERY LONG BASELINE ARRAY OBSERVING LOG -------------------------------------- Project: BG139A Observer: Gabuzda, D. Project type: VLBA Obs filename: bg139acrd.* Date/Day: 2004JAN16/016 Ants Scheduled: SC HN NL FD LA PT KP OV BR MK =UT-Time===Comment===============================================MF#===%AD==AMD= 0000 Begin file VCLOCK check ok. OV at -0.500 (ping 1.265 seconds) UT1-UTC check ok GPS delta < 10 us Operator: T. Perreault 0000 BR wea: low broken clouds, high thin overcast and 4" snow on ground. MK wea: winds of 40 mph with gusts approaching stow speed (55 mph). 0000-2356 *SC TSMPLOTs show significant amount of RFI on INT 25 359 channels 1 & 2 (1352.49 and 1487.49 MHz RCP/LCP) that lasted throughout the file. 0000-2356 *MK TSMPLOTs show significant amount of RFI on INT 38 545 channels 5 & 6 (1428.49 and 1663.49 MHz RCP/LCP) and channel 7 (1432.49 and 1667.49 MHz RCP) that lasted throughout the observing file. 0028-0029 *OV AZ#1 armature overcurrent error. ACU 100 1 Cleared by momentarily disabling the AZ axis. 0052-0105 *HN autostowed. Power glitch. Repointed. COM 100 13 0100 Readbacks this past hour ok at all sites 0109-0114 *HN autostowed. Power glitch. Repointed COM 100 5 0128-0135 *HN autostowed. Power glitch. Repointed. COM 100 7 0136-0225 *HN autostowed again. Leaving out for a bit COM 100 49 to see if power settles down. Winds are not very high. 0153 HN repointed and on source at 01:53:07 UT, then there was another power glitch at 01:53:59 UT which caused the antenna to autostow. 0200 Readbacks this past hour ok at all sites except: LA bad readback drive 1 track 31 @ 0138 UT 0213 LA wea: raining 0231-0302 *HN autostowed. Power glitch. COM 100 31 0245 SC site tech Greg Worrell called, will go out to the site to mount up new tape on recorder 2. 0300 Readbacks this past hour ok at all sites except: LA bad readback drive 1 track 31 at 0259 UT 0315-0348 *HN autowstowed. Power glitch. COM 100 33 0400 Readbacks this past hour ok at all sites 0436-0447 SC AZ tracking error of 1' on source 0823+033n 13226 (AZ 157 degrees, EL 74 degrees). Getting AZ#1 armature overcurrent error condition, AZ#1 motor amps are high (20+) and current sums are above 30 amps. Site tech Greg Worrell called about this problem, said that they have never been able to pin down the AZ and EL locations. Will continue to observe with antenna. 0447-0640 %SC Blown fuse #1 AZ motor. Tracking may have 13227 100 113 been off by a few seconds during this period. Data may have been affected. 0500 Readbacks past hour ok at all sites except: LA bad readback drive 1 track 31 at 0436 UT 0537 %FD WEA: Raining. 0600 Readbacks this past hour ok at all sites. 0632 %MK WEA: Wind gusts > 35 mph. 0635 New operator is Dave Pierce. 0640-0643 *SC Had antenna out of point mode while 13227 100 3 attempting to clear #1 AZ overcurrent error. Found blown fuse. Called Site Tech Greg at 0654 UT. 0643-0748 %SC Blown fuse #1 AZ motor. Tracking may have 13227 100 65 been off by a few seconds during this period. Data may have been affected. 0700 Readbacks past hour okay at all sites. 0702 %LA WEA: Precipitation starting. 0736 %FD WEA: Precipitation starting. 0748-0756 *SC Site Tech replacing #1 AZ motor fuse. 13227 100 8 0800 Readbacks past hour okay at all sites. 0829-0832 *HN Autostowed. Power bump. Repointed. WEA 100 3 0900 Readbacks past hour okay at all sites. 1000 Readbacks past hour okay at all sites. 1015-1031 *SC Taking RFI on channels 1 and 2. INT 25 4 1100 Readbacks during past hour are okay at all sites. 1109-1111 *HN Autostowed. Power bump. Repointed. WEA 100 2 1111-1114 *PT Cable unwinding, not on source. ACU 100 3 1130-1137 *SC Taking RFI on channels 1 and 2. INT 25 1 1200 Readbacks during past hour are okay at all sites. 1217-1219 *HN Autostowed. Power bump. Repointed. WEA 100 2 1223-1225 *BR Autostowed. Power bump. Repointed. COM 100 2 1300 Readbacks during past hour are okay at all sites. 1301 %MK WEA: Wind gusts > 35 mph. 1304-1458 *HN Autostowed. I believe the very cold weather, WEA 100 114 -25C, is affecting the antenna's slewing capabilities. Keeping antenna stowed until Site Tech can inspect and release. 1317 SC WEA: Light scattered low clouds. Dish is dry. 1400 Readbacks during past hour are okay at all sites. 1400 Webcam Weather Update: HN - Clear. NL - Overcast, high clouds. FD - Overcast and wet. LA - Foggy. Other western sites are still dark. 1425-1428 *MK Autostowed. High wind gust, repointed. WEA 100 3 1445 New operator Cyrus M Reed. 1458 HN techs on site - will watch for problems, antenna pointed. 1500 Readbacks past hour ok at all sites except: NL bad readbacks drive 1 tracks 19,21 at 1445 UT 1600 Readbacks past hour ok at all sites except: NL bad readbacks drive 1 tracks 30,32 at 1549 UT 1658-1659 *HN Autostowed - probably cold WEA. ACU 100 1 1700 Readbacks past hour ok at all sites except: NL bad readbacks drive 1 tracks 10,12 at 1607 UT; LA bad readback drive 2 track 22 at 1625 UT 1800 Readbacks past hour ok at all sites except: HN bad readbacks drive 2 tracks 27,29 at 1725; NL bad readback drive 1 track 10 at 1754 UT 1900 Readbacks past hour ok at all sites 2000 Readbacks past hour ok at all sites except: NL bad readbacks drive 1 tracks 26,28,30,32 2042-2043 *HN Autowstowed due to power bump. Repointed. ACU 100 1 2045 WEA: Cloud cover via webcam: WEA: SC,HN,OV Clear skies. WEA: NL,FD,LA,PT,BR Overcast. WEA: KP,MK Cloudy (10%,75%). WEA: Rain at FD. Other sites dry. 2100 Readbacks past hour ok at all sites except: HN bad readback drive 2 track 7 at 2034 UT 2200 Readbacks past hour ok at all sites 2230 New operator: T. Perreault 2247-2252 *HN autostowed. Power glitch that is weather related WEA 100 5 2300 Readbacks past hour ok at all sites except: PT bad readback drive 1 track 16 at 2239 UT 2356 Readbacks from 2300 UT ok at all site except: LA bad readback drive 1 track 26 at 2312 UT 2356 End. Downtime Summary: Total downtime : 1373 min Percentage downtime of observing: 9.6% Average downtime per hour : 5.7 min Total scheduled observing time (# Antennas): 14360 min (10) Notes: * = Entries where data was affected. % = Entries where data may have been affected. & = Entries where the site tech was called out. WEA = Weather entries. MF# = Maintenance form or major downtime category associated with a problem. %AD = The percentage of an antenna affected by a problem. AMD = Total antenna-minutes downtime for a problem. Tsys = System Temperature (TP/SP x Tcal/2) ACU = Antenna Control Unit FRM = Focus/Rotation Mount RFI = Radio Frequency Interference VME = Site control computer CB = Circuit Breaker vclock = Program that compares site clock time to a standard.