Instructions for packing SONIC for shipping:

There are four things that need to be shipped.

1. Dewar (needs to be hand carried)

2. Electronics

3. Plastic box of lenses and other parts

4. Bag of cables

Instructions for each follow:

1.  To prepare camera for shipping the lens has to come off and the
shipping fitting go on.  Procedure is very much like changing the
magnification.

  1. Remove cooler hoses and put covers on all cooler fittings, both
     on dewar and on hoses.
  2. Have tools and vacuum pump ready.  Slowly let air into dewar.
  3. Remove round "trap door" on top of dewar.  Disconnect one end of
     thermal link by loosening two captive screws.
  4. Remove lens assembly and any extension tubes by loosening six
     captive screws next to dewar.  Lens assembly and thermal link
     can all be removed.
  5. Remove barrel baffle from dewar if one is in place (0.8 or 1.6
     arcsec scales) by loosening three small, captive screws.
  6. Install shipping cover (bare aluminum) over lens hole, and
     replace trap door on top of dewar.
  7. Pump vacuum.
  8. Disconnect thermal link from lens assembly.
  9. If an extension tube was in use (0.8 or 1.6 arcsec scale),
     disconnect it from lens assembly.  This requires loosening six
     captive screws at base of lens assembly.  NEVER LOOSEN the
     counterbored screws at front of lens assembly.
 10. Wrap parts in clean Kim-Wipes and pack in foam in plastic box.
     There should be slots for everything.  (Some of the small parts
     just tuck between pieces of foam.  If in doubt, be most careful
     with lens assembly since it is the most fragile.
 11. Dewar goes in large grey ("Jensen") plastic box.  Easiest way to
     pack is (with box open in front of you) lens "looking" up and
     cooler on the right.  Put padding on all sides so dewar will not
     get too banged around, but leave enough room to open box for
     airport inspection.
 12. Dewar should be hand inspected, not X-rayed.  The security
     people may balk at first, but usually they can be talked into
     letting you go.  If not, an airline agent can sign to let you
     on.  Leave enough time at the airport for negotiations.  Tell
     them a) camera is worth $50,000, and b) is fragile, so cannot be
     checked.

2. Electronics

  1. Disconnect from camera.  Save cables for packing later.
  2. Put two small pieces of styrofoam in back of box between edges
     of box and the hand holds that remove boards.  There were two
     pieces of styrofoam just right for this purpose stored in the
     grey dewar box.
  3. Put back on box with four screws.  Last time I saw it, the back
     was also in the dewar box.
  4. Pack so front panel switch and connectors are protected.

3. Plastic box
  Just pack with some padding.

4. Bag of cables
  Last time I saw it, it was in the cabinet in the computer room.
  Make sure to include:
   1. Two cables removed from dewar (to electronics).
   2. Four pin connector with two orange wires (used for heater power).
   3. Pair of round connectors with D-15 (used for thermometer).
   4. Bag of miscellaneous connectors including a short power supply
      cable, various D-15 to D-15 (loopback testers for FIFO), etc.

Other parts can stay in Arizona:
  1. Long power supply cable.
  2. Electronic diagrams.
  3. Mounting brackets, extension rings, flanges, mounting screws,
     etc.