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KPNO Alternate Observing Modes Update (1Sep95) (from KPNO, NOAO Newsletter No. 43, September 1995) In the June 1995 NOAO Newsletter we announced two new alternate observing modes that would be offered to Kitt Peak observers at the 4-m, 2.1-m, and 0.9-m telescopes beginning with the fall 1995 semester. These two modes are an automatic ftp queue for those observing programs that require quick transport of data back to the home institution, and a remote observing station that seeks to duplicate the KPNO observing environment as far as possible on a computer at your institution. We invite and encourage the community to participate in this experiment. While bandwidth is always a constraint on the Internet, you may find it to be less of a constraint in practice than one might think. Note, in addition, that the remote observing station is available as an option not just for your research colleagues, but for your students as well. Since the deadline for the previous article, we have performed additional extensive software tests, and our plans have evolved for offering digital audio and video through the Internet for the remote observing station. Audio and video connections will be provided through the Internet MBONE clients "nv" and "vat" in point-to-point mode. Other clients have been tested, and we judge these two to be the most robust and fully featured of those available. A minimal remote setup will include an audio connection via a microphone, the built-in speaker in your workstation, and the nv and vat software. An Internet connection is required. NOAO will provide a tar file containing the files needed to configure your observing account, but we cannot guarantee support for all computer platforms. If your observing proposal has been scheduled for the fall semester, you will have received the yellow Alternate Observing Mode form, which must be filled out in advance of your run. Please contact Rob Seaman at (520) 318-8248 or seaman@noao.edu with any questions or with suggestions for other new observing services. Rob Seaman, Bruce Bohannan
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