Noto Report fot TOG , Jan 2011

1) Antenna Status: antenna grout remaking, new wheels and a new track have
been planned and already financed (about 800 KEuro) by INAF (Italian
Astrophisics National Institute). Currently has been completed and in a few
days will be published all over the Europe the call for supply of new track
system and its commissioning.  We are confident to complete the selection of
companies in a couple of months. The whole work (grout and track removal, new
track installation and its anchorage with innovative techniques and telescope
alignment) should be completed by the end of 2011.

2) Activities of antenna maintenance:

2.a) The maintenance of the receivers (C,Q,K) and new design of primary focus
SXL receiver, are actually underway.
 
2.b) We are building new virtual instrument for check up and remote commanding
of the antenna facilities (primary focus,receivers parameter, subreflector,
active surface, etc..)
   
2.c) It is actually planned the 86 GHz receiver setup, for all the operations
possible on the unmonuted receiver. For the whole setup we must expect the end
of the antenna repair.

2.d) It is underway the replacement of old control cables from cabinet to
antenna, and other ground cables.  

2.e) Antenna Unit, analog bbc and general VLBA terminal manteinance and check
up, are scheduled.  

2.f) Design and installation of new tracking program, integration with Field
System and other system facilities are actually planned, and should be
available when the antenna will be repaired.

3) A fiber optics link for E-VLBI activities has been financed by GARR
(Italian Academic and Research Network) and it is in phase of
commissioning. It should be ready to start by June 2011.