Starting the camera system

The camera computer is known as "stelircam." The main 48-inch computer is "flwo48."

• Log in to flwo48 with username irobs.
• Log in to stelircam with username irobs. If the X-window system doesn't start automatically, type startx to start it.
• Decide where you want the user windows. Note the large, dark window on the left side of the stelircam screen.
1. If you want all of the windows on stelircam, simply type go in the dark window. The ir system should now start up. Arrange the windows to your liking.
2. If you want vf on stelircam and the other windows on flwo48 (a good arrangement for one-person observing), type in any window on flwo48: xhost stelircam. Then in the dark window, type setenv DISPLAY flwo48:0.0. Then type go.
3. If you also want vf on flwo48, do 2) but also type in the dark window (before go) setenv VFDISPLAY flwo48:0.0. The rule is that DISPLAY controls where xui and mac show up, while VFDISPLAY controls the location of vf; they are completely independent of each other.
• Select a sensible color map for vf; usually gray.cm. Select with right mouse button on the tab labelled ColorMap.
• Check the xui window to make sure both filters and the lens have initialized properly. There should be a green OK after each. If not, try reinitializing by typing in the Command area: leninit for the lens, filterinit 0 for the red filter, or filterinit 1 for the blue filter. If any still doesn't initialize, try turning the knob half a turn or so by hand.
• On the user interface (xui) window, select the Parameters button. A new window should appear. Put it someplace convenient.
• In the Parameter window, select Setup. Type your name into the Observer area and hit return. Xui will not accept any commands that do not end with return! It's easy to forget this.
• Now select OBS. Use the right mouse button to select blank from the RedFilter and BluFilter lists, and select whatever magnification you want from the Len list.
• Select the Go button in the xui window. You should see a 1 s dark exposure in two of the VF frames. Compare with what you expect, and troubleshoot if there's a problem. It is useful to use the vf histoGram display to examine the dark images. Check temperatures in the dark window on stelircam or in the Temp Info window of xui. Nominal temperatures are given here.
• Set filters to K or Ks in the red side and J or H in the blue side. Select Go again, and make sure you get a sensible image of the sky or the dome. Make sure the guide mirror is not in the beam and the dark slide is open. To move the guide mirror, select the On/Off Axis of xui.
• It's a good idea to do a series of dark frames. Use the Dark button on the macro window. The standard series of darks at 0.1, 1.0, and 10 s frame times should take about 5 minutes. You may also wish to do dome flats. The ccd incand lamps are of no use. There is not yet a standard procedure. Dark frames should be repeated every couple of hours during the night. Do some at 30 s (manually) if you plan to use 30 s frames.

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