# First check the observing floor for ladders or obstructions. If you're observing remotely you can use the webcam, or if you're in the dome just pop upstairs.
- # On the TCS, click the grey "FLOOR" button near the top to change the telescope control to "TCS". - # Click the red "Telescope Power is OFF" button on the top left. Telescope power will switch on, the button will turn green, and the various subsystem statuses will be populated. - # Click the red "Man" button on the top right to switch the dome to auto. - # Click "CLEAR", then "DOME" and select "Mirror open" from the drop down menu. - # Click "CLEAR" then "TARGET" and a range of buttons will appear. Click on the "Dome Flat" button toward the right. This will slew the telescope to point to a panel on the ceiling, painted white. Once the telescope has stopped moving, the dome will switch to manual. - # Above the date and time info, click the yellow "Flat Lamp OFF" button. It will turn red and the lamps on the top end of the telescope should now be on. - # On the SpUpNIC Control GUI, make sure there are no mirrors in the light path (no blue border around the spectrograph schematic) and take some trial FLAT exposures to determine the exposure time required to reach ~40k counts. The lamps are quite red, so blue settings (e.g. G4) will need long exposures. It's fine to crank the slit wide open to let more light in (you do not care about resolution here). - # Take e.g. 15 flats by populating the "# Exposures" box accordingly. - # Once you're done, go back to the TCS and:
* turn off the flatfield lights ("Flat Lamp ON" button - turns yellow/OFF)
* switch the dome to auto (press "Man")