CONT02 Session Notes October, 2002 First session start: October 16, 2002 18:00 UT End of last session: October 31, 2002 17:45 UT Number of 24-hr sessions: 15 Participating stations: Algonquin, Gilcreek, Kokee, HartRAO, Ny Alesund, Onsala, Westford, Wettzell Average number of observations per day: 3600 Total number of campaign observations: 54,000 ===================================================================== Special Instructions Refer to the schedule summary at the end of the file for the overall schedule of sessions. CABLE CAL CHECK: A cable check should be performed before the start of the first session and after the end of the last session. Stations should NOT do any cable cal checks (or anything else that might interrupt the 5 MHz to the antenna unit) between sessions. POINTING: Time is allowed for pointing every three days. Stations should do whatever pointing checks can be managed during the time allowed. A minimum of 15 minutes is allowed, often more depending on the ending time for each station. FS TIME: Please check your FS/formatter clock offset during each break between schedules, with: sy=run setcl & If the offset has exceeded +/- 25 centiseconds, please reset the FS clock model with: sy=run setcl offset & Please be sure to verify the formatter time against GPS so that you are not just reseting the FS to an incorrect formatter time. TAPE SHIPPING: Tapes for the 4 rapid sessions, shown as *R* in the summary, must be shipped to the correlator by express. These sessions will be processed within the nominal 15 day time delay for the rapid sessions. Tapes for 11 non-rapid sessions should be shipped to the correlator every day after the session is done, using your normal method of shipping. Please do not wait to consolidate shipping several days of tapes, unless there is no possibility to ship tapes over the weekends. LOG FILES: Log files should be ftp'd to the IVS Data Center every day, following the end of each session. This will ensure the logs are available for the correlators to set up for pre-passing and for processing the rapid sessions. It will also let the status of each station be checked. Automatic scripts process the logs each night, the summary files and plots are posted on the session web page, and the session performance matrix is updated. ===================================================================== CONT02 Observing Plan Summary Int Day Code Start End Correlator Rapid Return tapes --- --- ----- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----- ---------------- pointing check cable check Int Wed C0201 289-180000 290-174500 Washington Thu C0202 290-180000 291-174500 Washington *R* 13 tapes to VLBA Int Fri C0203 291-180000 292-173000 Haystack pointing check Sat C0204 292-180000 293-174500 Haystack Sun C0205 293-180000 294-174500 Haystack Int Mon C0206 294-180000 295-173000 Bonn *R* 13 tapes to VLBA pointing check Int Tue C0207 295-180000 296-174500 Haystack Int Wed C0208 296-180000 297-174500 Washington Thu C0209 297-180000 298-173000 Washington *R* 13 tapes to VLBA pointing check Int Fri C0210 298-180000 299-174500 Washington Sat C0211 299-180000 300-174500 Washington Sun C0212 300-180000 301-173000 Washington pointing check Int Mon C0213 301-180000 302-174500 Haystack *R* 1 tape to VLBA Int Tue C0214 302-180000 303-174500 Bonn Int Wed C0215 303-180000 304-174500 Bonn cable check Notes for stations: - Each schedule will end, including tape rewind, no later than the "End" time. - Stations must send tapes for the "Rapid" sessions express to the correlator. - Intensives will be recorded on Mk5 disks. The CONT02 schedule has no observations scheduled for Wz-Kk during the Intensive time so that re-positioning the tape will not be necessary when these stations re-join the CONT02 schedule. - Do NOT do any cable checks other than the two checks shown. Notes for correlators: - Correlators must return a total of 40 tapes to the VLBA as soon as possible. Tapes from "Rapid" sessions C0202, C0206, and C0209 are designated to go back to the VLBA. - All data for Westford will be on Mk5 disks, there is no piggyback. - All data for INTs will be on Mk5 disks. One disk for each day will be shipped to Washington. ===================================================================== Recording mode Name Code GEOSX4F 4F Recording mode setup for: ALGOPARK Mode Tot.Rate Tot.BandW #chan #bits Barrel Mk341:2 256.000 Mbits 128.000 MHz 14 1 NONE Chan.BW #Subpasses Tracks(*fan) Tot.tracks Speed 8.00 MHz 1 16(*2) 32 160.00 X-band spanned bw= 720.0 MHz rms spanned bw= 280.4 MHz S-band spanned bw= 120.0 MHz rms spanned bw= 48.8 MHz Effective number of channels recorded per sub-pass X S Total 10.000 6.000 16.000 Recording mode setup for: GILCREEK Mode Tot.Rate Tot.BandW #chan #bits Barrel VLBA1:2 256.000 Mbits 128.000 MHz 14 1 8:1 Chan.BW #Subpasses Tracks(*fan) Tot.tracks Speed 8.00 MHz 1 16(*2) 32 160.00 X-band spanned bw= 720.0 MHz rms spanned bw= 280.4 MHz S-band spanned bw= 120.0 MHz rms spanned bw= 48.8 MHz Effective number of channels recorded per sub-pass X S Total 10.000 6.000 16.000 Recording mode setup for: HARTRAO NYALES20 ONSALA60 WESTFORD WETTZELL Mode Tot.Rate Tot.BandW #chan #bits Barrel Mk341:2 256.000 Mbits 128.000 MHz 14 1 16 Chan.BW #Subpasses Tracks(*fan) Tot.tracks Speed 8.00 MHz 1 16(*2) 32 160.00 X-band spanned bw= 720.0 MHz rms spanned bw= 280.4 MHz S-band spanned bw= 120.0 MHz rms spanned bw= 48.8 MHz Effective number of channels recorded per sub-pass X S Total 10.000 6.000 16.000 Recording mode setup for: KOKEE Mode Tot.Rate Tot.BandW #chan #bits Barrel VLBA1:2 256.000 Mbits 128.000 MHz 14 1 16:1 Chan.BW #Subpasses Tracks(*fan) Tot.tracks Speed 8.00 MHz 1 16(*2) 32 160.00 X-band spanned bw= 720.0 MHz rms spanned bw= 280.4 MHz S-band spanned bw= 120.0 MHz rms spanned bw= 48.8 MHz Effective number of channels recorded per sub-pass X S Total 10.000 6.000 16.000 =========================================================== Tape types ID Station Tape length Density Passes Ap ALGOPARK 17400feet (Thin ) 56250. (High) 14 Gc GILCREEK 17400feet (Thin ) 56700. (High) 14 Hh HARTRAO 17400feet (Thin ) 56250. (High) 14 Kk KOKEE 17400feet (Thin ) 56700. (High) 14 Ny NYALES20 17400feet (Thin ) 56250. (High) 14 On ONSALA60 17400feet (Thin ) 56250. (High) 14 Wf WESTFORD Mk5 120-GB disks 10 disks/session Wz WETTZELL 17400feet (Thin ) 56250. (High) 14 =========================================================== SNR Targets Minimum SNR by baseline for multi-baseline scans X-band (margin 5) S-band (margin 5) Ap Gc Hh Kk Ny On Wf Ap Gc Hh Kk Ny On Wf Gc 25 Gc 20 Hh 25 25 Hh 20 20 Kk 25 25 25 Kk 20 20 20 Ny 25 25 25 25 Ny 20 20 20 20 On 25 25 20 25 25 On 20 20 15 20 20 Wf 25 25 20 25 25 20 Wf 20 20 15 20 20 15 Wz 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 Wz 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 =====================================================================