Changes
/* TCS Recipe for Acquiring a Target */
==TCS Recipe for Acquiring a Target==
1. Check that “COORDINATE EQUINOX” '''COORDINATE EQUINOX''' is set to that of your target coordinates (otherwise, type it under "SET EQUINOX" and press ENTER on the keyboard).
2. Click '''TARGET and input the RA & DEC ''' (hh mm ss dd mm ss). Select "Auto" for automatic slewing. The TCS will perform several tests before accepting your target request and slewing the telescope:
* Dome must be in '''Auto''' mode.
* Telescope must be under '''TCS''' control.
You can cancel the '''Auto Request" at any time by pressing the '''Manual''' button or even the '''STOP Tel.+Dome''' button.
3. In “Exposures '''Exposures & Guiding”Guiding''':* Move '''GUIDE MIRROR IN BEAM ''' by clicking on that box. * Click "'''Expose" ''' and select exposure time from drop-down menu to start images.
* Hint for good scaling in the display: keep the bottom slider all the way to the left and move the top slider towards the left until the stars appear. Then adjust the vertical slider. Dragging downwards generally reduces background and increases contrast.
4. '''Identify the target star ''' in the image display by comparing to a finder chart and making fine adjustments in RA & Dec using the handset or the TCS GUI handset.
* Ensure that XY slides have been initialized. (Click "Initialize" under XY slides control). This should have been done before acquiring target.
Note the next steps are generalizations. Details may vary depending on the instrument being used. 6. Move '''GUIDE MIRROR OUT OF BEAM ''' to direct the beam to the science detector.
7. Check the position of the target in the instrument and adjust RA & Dec as necessary using the handset.
* Once focus is achieved for the instrument, the guider camera may need to be refocussed. Under the "Camera Focus" box at lower right, click on the up/down arrows to start focus changing. Press stop to stop the change.
9. Once the star is well positioned on the science detector, '''select a guide star'''.* Enter coordinates of the target field in the guide star software and click "'''GET IMAGE"'''. A window should appear with a 10x10 arcmin DSS map. In order to save time, this step could have been done earlier whilst telescope was slewing.* Click on a brightish star '''outside''' of the green circle in the DSS image.
**NOTE: this chart is centered on the coordinates. If you have substantially adjusted the position of the target to be away from the center of the acquisition frame, there will be the same offset in whatever guide star is selected.
* Under "''XY Slides Control''," click "'''GoTo GS"'''. The star should appear in the acquisition image. If not, try a different star.* Under “Pointer" ''Pointer'' click "'''Guide Star"''', then click on the chosen guide star in the acquisition camera FOV. This will put a dark blue box (guide point) centered of the star.* Press '''GUIDE''' on the '''Exposures & Guiding''' box to start guiding.** NOTE: if the star is near a hot pixel, that could cause trouble with guiding. Click "'''Move XY" ''' and click on the star: this will center it (just moving the XY stages, and not effecting the science target).
* To stop or restart guiding (e.g. after brief intervals of cloud), press GUIDE.
* To change exposure times, select exposure time from the drop down menu under Expose. Exposure times between ~1-6 seconds is good for guiding.
