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KPNO Improvement Projects (1Mar95)
(from KPNO, NOAO Newsletter No. 41, 1 March 1995)

In line with the overarching emphasis on efficiently maintaining core
observing capabilities while preparing for new observing opportunities, we
have adopted new procedures for KPNO Improvement Projects that will fold
our long term goals into the planning process directly, and should allow us to
focus much (but not all) of our KPNO technical resources onto those major
projects most critical to our future.  Mike Merrill has agreed to serve as
Project Manager for KPNO Improvement Projects.  In addition to
maintaining a tighter focus on large projects, we hope to provide a simple,
direct path for small projects, with frequent opportunities for KPNO staff to
suggest and complete small projects which enhance the scientific capabilities
KPNO provides to the user community.

Two major projects for 1995 are: 1) 4-m image quality improvements
(cooling the primary mirror, ventilating the dome); 2) conversion of the
2.1-m to observer operation (with technical assistance at the start and end of
the night).  Given the magnitude of these efforts, careful systems engineering
will be done prior to any hardware implementation.  Along these lines, Dave
de Young is modeling dome flushing for a number of dome ventilation
options.  New concepts for cooling the 4-m primary mirror are currently
under investigation, drawing on the experience of CTIO, WIYN, and the
CFHT.

Highlights of activity during the past quarter include:

At the 4-m, the major effort to update/replace the telescope servo control and
position encoder systems is virtually complete.  Guided by operational
experience, refinements have been made to the telescope bearing oil cooling
system as part of the seeing improvement project.

At the WIYN, KPNO personnel are being trained to support routine WIYN
operations, and have provided assistance in modifying and installing the
azimuth encoder.

At the 1.3-m, the original re-furbished fixed-axis secondary, suitably
equipped with a low emissivity cone and alignment lights, was mounted and
successfully used for routine day-time and night-time IR observations during
the past few months.  Image quality is superb, verifying that a "real" optical
mirror support for IR secondaries can match the optical performance of
modern IR instrumentation using large format arrays.

At the 0.9-m, the new f/8 secondary mirror cell and support system was
installed and aligned. Reports indicate that the resultant images are "the best
ever produced at this telescope."

At the Coude‚ Feed, power and control cabling was provided along with
mechanical modifications to the dewar mounting plate to support installation
of the near-IR NICMASS camera system (discussed elsewhere in this issue)
at the CF spectrograph.  An adaptor plate to mount a large format CCD was
copied from an existing design to permit simultaneous operation of large
arrays at both the CF and the Echelle long focal camera.

At the Burrell Schmidt telescope, hardware is on order for upgrading the
CCD dewar mount focus mechanism.

At the McMath-Pierce and Vacuum telescopes, assorted servo control
systems have been updated and/or designed to improve operations.

In addition, it is noteworthy that KPNO engineering has provided mechanical
designer support for the development of technical specifications for the
CHARA interferometric array project.

Michael Merrill

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