Possible Improvements to All Telescopes

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This page gives details about possible improvements that might be made
to SMARTS and the suite of SMARTS telescopes.
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SMARTS GENERAL
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      inventory of spare parts for SMARTS telescopes

      schedule/record of routine maintenance, e.g. mirror cleaning

      cross-training on telescopes for SMARTS staff

      data taping/DVDing --- do it at all any more?

      new printer/copier (put in 0.9m)

      SMARTS logo
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ALL TELESCOPES
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      standardized documentation on web (0.9m and 1.0m first)

           a. open/close telescope
	   b. TCS operation
	   c. instrument operation
	   d. trouble-shooting common problems

      make all night reports uniform

      OpenOffice on all Linux machines

      electronic images of guider pointings

      humidifier filters (expensive)

      spare keyboards and mice

      spare ARCON computer (yikes)

      spare DVD writers for data

      more disk space on ARCON computers at 0.9m and 1.5m

      ARCON control system replacement on 0.9m and 1.5m

      add tip-tilt

      cut openings in dome for (like 4.0m) for ventilation

2008  fix tiles surrounding buildings

2008  paint domes and buildings

2007  new chairs

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0.9m TELESCOPE
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      new whiteboard in observing room

      fix dome light leaks

      change quartz lamps to LEDs (like 1.3m done by Darren Depoy)

      add clear glass to I filter to make VRI parfocal (a bit scary)

      open telescope tube (very scary)

      develop non-sidereal tracking capability?

      improve high speed photometry capability?

2007  new data-writing/web-cruising computer

2006  new floor

2003  new TCS

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1.0m TELESCOPE
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      auto slit narrowing/dome offset to reduce jitter (Juan's trick)

2007  new data-writing/web-cruising computer

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1.3m TELESCOPE
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      noisy fans in telescope drives

      pointing model --- need Dave Harvey help?

      spare parts for TCS

      spare parts for instrument computer (from OSU)

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1.5m TELESCOPE
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      DEC drive engine (and no spare as of AUG 2009)

      get readout for slit width to show correct values in obs room

      new floor

      flatscreen monitors

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JOHN JOBS
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      standardized documentation on web (0.9m and 1.0m first)

      web interface to submit service observing templates

      make all night reports uniform

      SMARTS logo

      fill in for vacation/sick time on occasion

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