Timeline
white items are complete, grey items are scheduled
2013+?: Developmemt and testing of integrated software.
2013 June: manuscript submitted to PASP; Rocco graduates!
2012 December: Initial commissioning complete, instrument handed over to the SAAO; Rocco submitted MSc thesis to UCT.
2011 December: week on 74" with Patrick Woudt; week on 40" for engineering.
2011 November: week on 40" with Patrick Woudt
2011 October: one week on 30", mounted second camera for the first time; weeks on 40" and 74" with Patrick Woudt
2011 September: one week on the 40", lost ~4.5 nights due to weather and non-instrument mechanical problems.
2011 August: Engineering time on 74". Between bad weather (including snow) and other engineering tasks, we got 2 nights of data.
2011 July: UCT NASSP student Rocco Coppejans takes on commissioniug the system as his MSc project. Welcome Rocco!
2011 June: proposed time for testing system on 1.9m.
2011 April 24-27: Mounted and tested full system on 1m. Got first light! Confirmed basic camera functions and GPS signal. Generated list of issues to address, including lab testing of all camera modes, hardware consolidation to ease mounting/dismounting, filter wheel control, and insertion of a shutter.
2011 March 31: Deadline for NEP proposal acceptance; spending deadilne for DST funding. All paperwork completed!
2011 March 19-22: Time allocation on 1.9m: mount/test system. Without camera, system not fully tested. Mounted computer+KVM+GPS on 1.9m; mounted GPS antennas and cables on 1.9 and 1 m; set up fiber tranceivers at 1.9 and 1 m; tested remote computer access at 1.9m.
2011 March 19: Design and machine mounting brackets, 1.9m
2011 February 22: Network fibers installed on 1.9-m
2011 February 04: Camera shipment -- DELAYED --shipment notification 24 March, arrived 06 April!
2011 February: Design and machine mounting plate
2011 February: Order KVMs
2011 February: Secure local GPS power supplies and cabling
2011 February: Order 3x GPS and all computer components
2011 January: Decide on computer: requires custom order and build
2010 December: Notification of successful NEP proposal; decision to build two systems
2010 November 15: Decision about camera, iXon 888; start paperwork for order
2010 November: Start of project: notification of funding from DST & SAAO
