! ********************************************************************** ! ! SCHED command file for project BJ045 --- 3mm VLBA Vir A with ! dynamic scheduling, 512 Mbit/s, Winter 2003/4. ! ! Based on "bj038.key" and "bj041.key" which were based loosely on RCW ! Sched example "eg3mma.key". ! ! Created: BJ 26NOV03 ! Revision: 1.0 BJ 26NOV03 @ 1313 ! 1.1 BJ 24DEC03 @ 1231 ! ! From BJ041 experience: ! ! Modified so that we use only 2 tapes total per station NOT two tapes ! per transport (of which there are 2 at each station). The Summary ! file reports the number of tapes per transport which is why I was ! fooled. ! ! ********************************************************************** ! ********************************************************************** ! Start with a big cover letter. coverlet / BJ045 SUMMARY: This project needs about 40 hours times 28 baselines to meet the sensitivity requirements. This time can be accumulated in many separated sessions but MK should appear in all sessions. Each session should be a full track with all antennas to set the calibration and ensure full uv coverage. Tropospheric weather is the problem for these 3mm observations. 3C274 is mostly a night-time object now. 2 tapes per station. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Here is the official dynamic scheduling sheet: ================================================================ Preferred Dynamic Contraints. Alter [defaults] as desired. ================================================================ Equipment constraints: Stations. Below each station code, the "o" indicates an [optional] station that is to be used if it is available. Change "o" to "r" if the station is required or change "o" to "n" if the station is not to be used. SC HN NL FD LA PT KP OV BR MK n o o o o o o o n r Minimum number of stations [7]: May we swap PT for a single VLA antenna? [no] Consult http://www.aoc.nrao.edu/~gtaylor/y1gotcha.html to decide. If you adopt the default, then both PT and VLA1 must be in the stations list in the keyin file. Bands and polarizations. Below each band code, insert "R" if the righthand polarization is to be used, "L" if the lefthand polarization is to be used, "d" if dual polarizations are to be used, or "o" if the band is in your setups but scheduling should not be constrained by its availability. 90cm 50cm 20cm 13cm 6cm 4cm 2cm 1cm 7mm 3mm d Weather constraints: [appropriate for bands marked "L", "R", or "d" above and for at least the minimum number of stations] Best tropospheric conditions for 3mm. Date constraints: Preferred date(s), usually a series start [none]: Excluded dates plus reason [none]: Preferred interval between segments in days [none]: Special conditions (e.g., a series with different spacings in time) [See the comments at the top.]: Must include MK endcover / ! ================================================================ ! ========================================================== ! ================= Cover Information ==================== ! ========================================================== ! version = 1 expt = '3mm observing with autopeak' expcode = BJ045J piname = 'Bill Junor' address1 = 'ISR-2' address2 = 'MS D436, Bikini Atoll Road' address3 = 'Los Alamos, New Mexico, 87545' address4 = 'U.S.A. ' phone = '505 667 0788' obsphone = '505 699 7692' email = bjunor@lanl.gov fax = '505 665 7395' obsmode = '3mm 512-8-2' obstype = VLBA note1 = 'Will use reference pointing.' ! ========================================================== ! ============== Correlator Information ================== ! ========================================================== correl = Socorro coravg = 1.0 corchan = 64 cornant = 8 corpol = off corwtfn = uniform corsrcs = standard cortape = DAT corship1 = 'Bill Junor' corship2 = 'ISR-1, Space & Atmospheric Sciences' corship3 = 'MS D466, LANL, P.O. Box 1663' corship4 = 'Los Alamos, New Mexico, 87545' ! ========================================================== ! ================== Program control ===================== ! ========================================================== ! Normally SCHED will not overwrite pre-existing files. overwrit ! Use automatic tape allocation. Mandatory for most VLBA ! projects. autotape = 2 ! ========================================================== ! ========= Automatic Reference Pointing Control =========== ! ========================================================== ! Use reference pointing with setups, stations, and sources ! defined here. See peak.cmd in the catalogs directory for ! more comments on parameters in the peakinit section. ! autopeak ! Use reference pointing. ! pkwatch ! Print details of the search for pointing sources. ! peakfile = none ! Don't read the default $SCHED/catalogs/peak.cmd ! peakfile = $SCHED/catalogs/peak.cmd ! peakinit / ! ! srcfile = $SCHED/catalogs/sources.pointing ! Reference pointing sources ! minfreq = 40000.0 ! Don't bother for lower frequencies (MHz) ! dwell = 1:00 ! Duration of peak scan. ! minel = 10.00 ! Minimum elevation for pointing. ! setup = $SCHED/setups/pt7mm.set ! Setup to use for peakup ! linename = 'SiO431' ! Line to use for peaking ! sources = '3c273', '3c279' ! Pointing sources to try. ! ! Group 1 // All stations and let "minel" handle their participation. ! stations = vlba_br, vlba_nl, vlba_fd, vlba_la, ! vlba_pt, vlba_kp, vlba_ov, vlba_mk / ! ! endpeak / ! ========================================================== ! ================== Source Catalog ===================== ! ========================================================== ! The following file is used for the target and fringe finders. srcfile = $SCHED/catalogs/sources.vlba ! Likely that we will use 4C39.25, 3C274, 3C273, 3C279 in this ! schedule. ! ========================================================== ! ======================= Setup file ===================== ! ========================================================== ! For pointing, will use standard 7mm file that has the same ! number of channels, bits, and bandwidth (v7mm-512-8-2.set) ! This avoids formatter reconfigurations. setini = v3mm-512-8-2.set / nchan = 8 bits = 2 bbfilter = 16.0 freqref = 86244.99 ! This was setup for 256 Mbit/s recording. ! freqoff = -11.50,-11.50,-3.50,-3.50,4.50,4.50,12.50,12.50 ! Will this work for 512 Mbit/s? freqoff = -32.50, -32.50, -16.50, -16.50, -0.50, -0.50, 15.50, 15.50 netside = U, U, U, U, U, U, U, U pol = dual / ! Note: Total bit rate = 2*bbfilt*nchan*bits endset / ! ========================================================== ! ===================== Optimization ===================== ! ========================================================== optmode = 'scans' opminant = 5 opminel = 12 ! ========================================================== ! ================= Initial Scan Information ============= ! ========================================================== ! Dynamic scheduling. lst = vlba_pt start = 08:30:00 !day = vla_day_# (i.e. MJD) day = 60837 ! 25DEC03 ! Only 8 3mm-equipped antennas. No SC (of course), and BR not ! equipped. HN may be outfitted in January. stations = vlba_br, vlba_nl, vlba_fd, vlba_pt, vlba_la, vlba_kp, vlba_ov, vlba_mk pcal=OFF ! No useful PCAL is available at 3 mm. ! ========================================================== ! =============== A Note on Reference Pointing =========== ! ========================================================== ! ! Note that peaking scans (with PEAK) only make sense with VLBA ! antennas. The VLA can also peak, but other variables are used and ! probably other sources will be used. VLBA only needs peaking at 3mm ! and the VLA at 7mm. Since the VLA can't do 3mm, and since the VLBA ! doesn't need peaking at 7mm, it should not be necessary to do both in ! the same experiment, although it is possible. ! RCW best guesses: ! Reference pointing after each 0.5 -- 1 hour and after ! long slews. ! Do reference pointing at lower frequency first, then higher. ! Target pointing may be necessary for some errors but impractical ! for 3C274 (S = 7 Jy) and we need S \approx 10 Jy for pointing ! solutions. ! ! Basics: ! Reference pointing raster takes about 1 min + slew times. ! Let autopeak do the work. ! ! ! ====================================================================== ! ! Also note that we need 4 minute gaps for this 2 tape mode for ! readback tests. ! ! ====================================================================== ! ! ========================================================== ! ======================== The Scans ===================== ! ========================================================== ! ! **** BASIC SCHEDULE **** ! ! Very basic. Use 3C273 as a fringe-finder, calibrator etc. most of the ! time. Target is 3C274. Remember to allow for some readback test time. ! All observations made at 3mm except for the 7mm pointing scans. group = 5 rep = 7 setup='v3mm-512-8-2.set' source='3C273' dur = 5:00 gap = 0:30 point / source='3C273' dur = 6:00 gap = 0:30 / setup='v3mm-512-8-2.set' source='3C274' dur = 11:00 gap = 2:00 / source='3C274' dur = 11:00 gap = 0:30 / source='3C274' dur = 11:00 gap = 2:00 / ! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- setup='v3mm-512-8-2.set' source='3C273' dur = 5:00 gap = 0:30 point / source='3C273' dur = 6:00 gap = 0:30 / setup='v3mm-512-8-2.set' source='3C274' dur = 11:00 gap = 2:00 / source='3C274' dur = 11:00 gap = 0:30 / ! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ! ========================================================== ! ===================== End of schedule =================== ! ==========================================================