Wish list for NIKA

Current list

Important

• IRAM-side

  1. FocusLiss: When observing Lissajous maps at different focus positions to deduce the focus offsets, it'll be nice to do these maps as subscans and not as scans. This would make automatic data reduction easier. Observation type could be changed to OBSTYPE='FOCUSLISS' in that case so that the data reduction becomes automatic.

  2. Modify telescope information stream (PaKo & or ELVIN) and/or Camadia on NIKA side so that:

     1. all the different types of Lissajous (focus, pointing, map) are identifiable with a specific name in the scan info data stream & in the automatic logsheets (currently they are all called Lissajous) (SL 20 Mar 2014) e.g. OBSTYPE= FOCUSLISS, POINTINGLISS, LISSAJOUS

     2. when a focus scan is run, the starting focus position is broadcast and usable by the NIKA IDL RTA software (quicklook) (SL 20 Mar 2014)

     3. when a focus scan is run, use by default (e.i. if the information is not specified in the PaKo command line) the current focus as the starting point (SL 20 Mar 2014); this has do be done for the future Focus-Lissajous scan which will include several subscans (item 1. above), but if this future scan is not ready for the next run, include this default focus in the current Lissajous focus scripts; for the moment there's a prompt in the script asking for the current focus in order to calculate the values of focus positions that will be applied to the multiple Lissajous scans run in the script, the request is that these several values of focus to be tested are calculated automatically when the script is called (see the current script to see the necessity of the prompt mentioned here)

     4. when a skydip is run, use by default (e.i. if the information is not specified in the PaKo command line) the current azimuth as the starting point (SL 20 Mar 2014); the current method to do skydips with NIKA is to use a script including the DYI-Tip source which coordinates has to be edited each time; the request is that the azimuth coordinate is by default the current coordinate of the telescope, not an azimuth prompted or edited manually in the script (remark: due to the fact that we use 2 subscans at several airmas values the standard TIP command of PaKo can't be used with NIKA).

  3. Use the run 7 or 1st Open Pool data to determine the Nasmyth offsets of each pixels, then implement a look up table in NCS, with a selection tool, so that rather entering Nasmyth offset in PaKo one can change the reference detector by selecting the number of the detector to use (e.g. enter in PaKo: ref det 494). This possibility existed with MAMBO.

  4. Tuning in first subscan with an option in all pako commands: /tune /tsubtune 15 to be able to tune for a dedicated first subscan of 15 seconds.
  5. Possibility to make subscans shorter than 10 seconds for the On-the-fly observing mode.
  6. Telescope warning is missing when a scan is stuck.
  7. Access to NIKA observations in TAPAS mySQL data base + dedicated search interface (21-Mar-2014).
  8. On-the-fly scans are not injected in TAPAS (IH 2014-May-21)

• Neel-side

  1. The data reduction software should correct for tracking deviations. This is particularly important for 1mm observations under high wind, doing Lissajous scans. See SL summary of coordinate parameters from antMD (antenna FITS and Elvin broadcast) and IMBFITS.

  2. Auto-recovering of resonances.
  3. Automatic trigger of data reduction when a scan is finished.

Nice-to-have

1. Remove this warning: W-LISSAJOUS, WARNING--CONDITION: Elevation must be less than 83.28 [deg]. It is annoying and confusing for the observers (added by IH on 01 Mar 2014).

2. Implement additional fields specific to NIKA in TAPAS.
3. Link to quicklook plots in TAPAS (and possibly pools logsheets).
4. Webcam pointing at the sky through the vertex of the primary (optimize observation quality in partially cloudy sky with slow evolution).
5. Video files of various types of scans (focus, otf_map, etc.).
6. Things would be nice to have: ....... humidifiers to sleep better, NIKA resident Moonboots to walk and breath, helmet, logos to identify NIKA space ...

Historical list (for the records)

Implemented or obsolete

Remarks:

• The items recorded here are only the ones listed since the test run 6, which included the 1^st wish list written on the wiki.

• Once an request from the list above has been fulfilled, please shift it in the list below rather than deleting it.

List:

1. Use TAPAS to record automatically scans information and comments for users rather than the manual day to day logbook. -request run 6, implementation (with problems) run 7, upgrade run 8-

2. Improve on plot quicklook. -request run 6, implementation (with problems) run 7, upgrade run 8-

Material to leave in the NIKA space of the spiral room

Remark: this is not a wish in the same sense at the items above, but a storage wish, valid for all runs since run 7.

• Portable VNA-Spectrum Analyser (including transformer) -- OK
• N.2 spare 2m fexible Minicircuits cables -- OK
• N.4 semirigid cables used in run6 -- OK

• Drawers containing a few tools, Norcan stuff, vacuum parts, arrays spares, small RF spares (SMA, attenuators, mixers, filters etc.) -- OK

• Power supply and cables for ampli2 (already mounted in cryostat) - Yebes YL011 -- OK
• Polarization stuff: modulator motor/mechanics, HWP, polarizer -- OK
• Polystyrene container with ECOSORB for tones calibration off-Sky -- OK
• Spare "automate" for NIKA cryostat pumping stage -- Martino's coming with it GOING BACK TO GRENOBLE