Summary of the GMVA Session, Oct. 6-10, 2022 Vers.1 TPK; 10-10-2022 ********************************************* Stations participating: Eb, On, Mh, Ys, Pv, Nn VLBA(8) @3mm, VLBA(10 @7mm) GBT: c222c only 3xKVN Haystack scheduled for fringe test (not sure if they observed) ====================================================================================== European Fringetest: -------------------- f222a - Fringes found to Eb, On, Mh, Ys, PV (pol swapped), Nn =============================================================================================== Notes from Stations: Effelsberg: ----------- The weather was very good throughout most of the session, clear sky most of the time. On October 8 (Saturday), during daytime cloudy, later clear again. During day time when sun is directly shining on the telescope some problems with pointing and focus. c222a - no issues, good c222b - first 3 scans (No001, No002, No003) missed; 3C371 is too faint cannot point on it, transfer pointing from BLLAC (40-60 deg away!!) or from P10mm (27 GHz) 3C120 partially not seen (low elevation scans between 6-8 UT on Oct. 8) 3C345 affected by clouds between 13-15h UTC on Oct. 8 c222c - target source 2015+370 is faint, cannot point on it. Transfer pointing from K3-50A, which is bright and only ~10-15 deg away. c222d - target source 0109+224 is bright enough for pointing, source possibly lost due to uncertain pointing at low elevation (<22 deg), Scans No0055 to No0058 on Oct. 10. Onsala: -------- from Jun Yang: During the first NME experiment F222A, we got a minor problem with moving reflectors at 13:15 UT. Somehow, the problem was fixed by manually commanding it to another direction. Fringes should be lost because the antenna beamed toward hot load during the time (about 10 min). Onsala successfully ran all the user experiments of the GMVA session 2/2022. No known problems in the log files. The weather was cloudy for most time of the session. Certainly, it had some negative impact on our observations. In our log files, the optical depths during measuring Tsys* was also reported. Metsahovi: ----------- from Juha Kallunki: Oct.7 10h UT: Mh started c222b on time. No issues with c222a experiment. Ok weather. Oct.8 17h UT: Mh started c222c on time. At the moment, rather OK weather. Oct.9 17h UT: Mh also started c222d on time. Clear sky. Pico Veleta: ------------ from Salvador Sanchez/Pablo Torne: Oct.7 10 UT: PV observed well all night. A few short intervals of clouds but in general good sky. We observed Mars and K3-50A for calibration purposes. Oct.7 17 UT: PV continues observing all OK. Some clouds but in general good sky. Oct.8 09 UT: PV continues observing without problems. Sky partially cloudy and Tsys about 150-200K. Oct.8 16 UT: PV started c222c on time. Still partially cloudy. Tsys~150-180 K. Oct.9 06 UT: c222c ended without problems, only 3 scans lost by the wind. The weather was a mix of clear skies and foggy/cloudy/rainy intervals. Although we had sometimes periods of several hours when we could not adjust the pointing (could not see the source in the cross-scans), once the sky cleared the pointing showed that the telescope was well on-source i.e., the pointing model worked well. For the individual schedules: f222a - Done 35% under poor weather (rain, fog/clouds) c222a - Done 94% under mixed weather (clear sky, fog/clouds) c222b - Done 96% under mixed weather (clear sky, fog/clouds) c222c - Done 88%, under mixed weather (clear sky, fog/clouds) c222d - not scheduled obsering another local project NOEMA: ------ from Michael Bremer: Oct. 7, 10 UT NOEMA observed all night, phases were sometimes unstable. The early morning hours were fine, conditions start to get turbulent again. System is working well. Did two pointings on Mars, and observed LKHA101. K3-50A was a bit resolved for us; quite strong in the continuum, and seems to have an SiO maser. Oct. 8, 10 UT NOEMA is under rain and stopped since 11:45 UT. We lost scans this morning from 07:45 to 09:22 due to a reconfiguration of the time server system Oct. 8, 17 UT NOEMA is still under fog and rain Oct. 9, 15 UT NOEMA did the last 5 scans of c222c when the rain let up but the fog was still there. Phases were ok but Tsys quite high. Right now it is raining, weather is forecast to clear up at the beginning of the night Oct. 9, 18 UT NOEMA: we have prepared the system as far as possible without going on the sky. Still raining. Oct. 9, 20 UT NOEMA has joined c222d with the 18:45 UT scan. Weather is foggy, Tsys 250K, phases stable. GBT: ---- from Pedro Salas Here is a summary of session C222C at the GBT: * High winds (4 m/s) and clouds at the start of the observation. * Had to switch to X-band RX multiple times to derive pointing solutions. * Performed surface calibration using AutoOOF at: 16:40, 21:00 and 02:19 UT. More details can be found here: https://safe.nrao.edu/wiki/bin/view/GB/Observing/WbandVLBACal/C222C VLBA: ------ general: KP was affected by previous bushfire (no internet, no power) PT was affect by previous lightening strike - MCC broken C222A: VERY LONG BASELINE ARRAY OBSERVING LOG -------------------------------------- Project: C222A Observer: Krichbaum, T. Project type: VLBI Obs filename: c222a.vex Date/Day: 2022OCT06/279 Ants Scheduled: SC HN NL FD LA PT KP OV BR MK =UT-Time===Comment===============================================MF#===%AD==AMD= Operator: Carolyn Morris 1653 Begin except SC,HN 1653-1012 *PT out, MCC broken WO-15041 HWC 100 -401 1653-1012 *KP out, no power/internet COM 100 -401 1653-1755 *LA mark6 hung WO-15135 SW 100 62 1653-1012 *BR DBE2/T450 having problems. LCP data are LOIF 45 -180 usually bad. WO-14939 1702 Begin at SC,HN 1702-1012 *SC out, FRM broken WO-15131 FRM 100 -410 2100 %01819 %NL raining 2150 New operator: Jessica King 0000 Date is 2022OCT07/280. 0104 %FD precipitation. 0153 %MK precipitation. 0559 New operator is Betty Ragan 1012 End. Downtime Summary: Total downtime : -1330 min Percentage downtime of observing: -12.8% Average downtime per hour : -7.7 min Total scheduled observing time (# Antennas): 10390 min (10) C222B: VERY LONG BASELINE ARRAY OBSERVING LOG -------------------------------------- Project: C222B Observer: Krichbaum, T. Project type: VLBI Obs filename: c222b.vex Date/Day: 2022OCT07/280 Ants Scheduled: SC HN NL FD LA PT KP OV BR MK =UT-Time===Comment===============================================MF#===%AD==AMD= Operator is Betty Ragan 1020 Begin at NL,FD,LA,PT,KP 1020-1555 *PT out due to MCC problems. (WO-15041) MCB 100 335 1020-1505 *KP out. No power or internet. COM 100 1725 1021 Begin at OV,BR 1021-1505 *BR DBE2/T450 having problems. LCP data are LOIF 45 775 usually bad. (WO-14939) 1026 Begin at HN 1028 Begin at SC 1028-1324 *SC out due to FRM problems. (WO-15131) FRM 100 1616 1353 New operator is Carolyn Morris 1555-1609 %PT timings may be off 1609-1810 *PT out to work on vacuum pumps CRYO 100 121 1756 Begin at MK 1807-1946 *HN,MK out for USNO SCH 200 198 1810-1505 %PT timing may be off 2132 New Operator: Paul Padilla 0000 Date is 2022OCT08/281. 0224 %PT raining 0548 New operator is Betty Ragan 0723-0831 *MK out for USNO observation. SCH 100 68 1026 End at HN 1400 New operator: Jessica King 1324 SC end. 1339 HN end. 1452 NL end. 1505 End. Downtime Summary: Total downtime : 4838 min Percentage downtime of observing: 28.0% Average downtime per hour : 16.8 min Total scheduled observing time (# Antennas): 17250 min (10) C222C: VERY LONG BASELINE ARRAY OBSERVING LOG -------------------------------------- Project: C222C Observer: Krichbaum, T. Project type: VLBI Obs filename: c222c.vex Date/Day: 2022OCT08/281 Ants Scheduled: SC HN NL FD LA PT KP OV BR MK GB =UT-Time===Comment===============================================MF#===%AD==AMD= Operator: Jessica King 1514 Begin, all but SC,HN,GB. 1514-1054 *KP out, no comms or power after wildfires. COM 100 1180 1514-1054 *BR DBE2 loses frequently loses signal. LCP data will LOIF 38 448 be bad during these times. WO-14939 1514 %PT timing may be off. 1514 %LA,PT precipitation. 1521 SC,HN begin. 1521-1054 *SC out, FRM failure. WO-15131 FRM 100 1173 1732 GB begin. 0000 Date is 2022OCT09/282. 0145 New operator: Alan Kerr 0649 End at GB 0722-0837 *MK out for USNO observation. SCH 100 75 1054 End. Downtime Summary: Total downtime : 2876 min Percentage downtime of observing: 24.4% Average downtime per hour : 14.6 min Total scheduled observing time (# Antennas): 11800 min (10) C222D: VERY LONG BASELINE ARRAY OBSERVING LOG -------------------------------------- Project: C222D Observer: Krichbaum, T. Project type: VLBI Obs filename: c222d.vex Date/Day: 2022OCT10/283 Ants Scheduled: NL FD LA PT KP OV BR MK =UT-Time===Comment===============================================MF#===%AD==AMD= Operator: Jessica King 0053 Begin at NL,FD,LA,PT. 0053 %PT timing may be off. 0053 %FD,PT precipitation. 0123 KP,BR begin. 0123-0900 *KP out, no comms or power after wildfires. COM 100 457 0123-0900 *BR DBE2 loses signal. LCP data will be bad for these LOIF 34 155 periods. 0143 OV begin. 0145 New operator: Alan Kerr 0423 Begin at MK. 0510-0655 %FD precipitation. 0900 End. Downtime Summary: Total downtime : 612 min Percentage downtime of observing: 15.7% Average downtime per hour : 9.4 min Total scheduled observing time (# Antennas): 3896 min (8) 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.