SURSTH (SURVEY SOUTH) 1998 January 21 Notes prepared by Dave Shaffer, Radiometrics/GSFC Cynthia Thomas, NVI/GSFC Schedule name: SURSTH.SKD on CDDISA Nominal Start: 18:30 U.T. on January 21 (day 021) first observation at 18:30 U.T. on 1244-255 Duration: 24 hours Nominal Stop: 18:30 U.T. on January 22 (day 022) last observation at 18:27 U.T. on 1424-418 Correlator: Washington **Frequency Sequence**: CDPSX - Standard CDP SX sequence. (360 MHz wide at X, 85 MHz wide at S) 1 letter 2 letter Station Code Code # of tapes # of obs Occupation Code Kokee K KK 1 (TT) 238 72983001 DSS45 T 45 1 (TT) 238 16426001 Purpose ======= This experiment continues our search for good geodetic calibrator sources. We want to use the strongest but most compact sources for our baseline measurements. Since these sources evolve with time, we face a continuous need to identify the best sources. We also look for sources which might fill gaps in our coverage of the sky, in order to have good observing geometry. Finding good sources in the southern hemisphere continues to be a challenge. Because of some small antennas, the southern sources we use should be as strong as possible. This experiment concentrates on sources between -20 and -55 degrees declination. The sources observed include some which we have used extensively in the past (and continue to use) for geodetic experiments but whose structure models are not well-determined, some sources used in NEOS observations, and sources observed in previous survey and reference frame experiments and being checked again. Schedule ======== This is a new schedule hand generated by Dave Shaffer. Basically, we just cycle through all the sources as they are "UP" for Kokee and DSS45. Most scans are 260 seconds long, which provides a good fit to the tape length as well as providing fairly high sensitivity on the Kokee-DSS45 baseline. Procedures ========== These observations use our standard narrow-band frequency sequence. Only one tape is needed at each site. Please PREPASS this tape ahead of time, as no time has been allowed in the schedule for PREPASSing. No explicit time has been allowed for parity checks, but the slew times are often long enough (with occasional 4 or 5 minute slews) to allow for adequate parity checking. Please pay careful attention to the parity check results. Since there are only two stations in the experiment, each using a single tape, any tape head problems could seriously compromise the observations! Correlation ========== This experiment will be correlated at the Washington Correlator with all baselines being correlated. SKED Summary from file ./sursth.skd for experiment SURSTH (all scans with at least one subnet station) SOURCE |0 6 12 18 |#SCANS #OBS #Obs/bl 0008-264Ixx xxx xxx x x xI 11 11 20.4 0208-512I xx x xx xx I 7 7 10.3 0220-349I x xxx xx xxx xx I 11 11 19.2 0402-362I xx xx x xxxx x I 10 10 17.2 0403-132I x x x xxx xx x I 9 9 18.6 0437-454I x xx xxx xx I 8 8 12.6 0537-441I xx xxx xx x x I 9 9 14.4 0727-115I x x xx x x x I 7 7 14.7 0919-260I x x x x x x x I 7 7 13.1 0920-397I x x x x x x x I 7 7 11.6 1032-199I x x x x x x x I 7 7 13.7 1034-293I xx x x x x x I 7 7 12.7 1045-188I x x x x x x x I 7 7 13.8 1104-445I x x x x x x I 6 6 9.5 1144-379I x x x x x xx I 7 7 11.8 1244-255I x x x x x x xx I 8 8 14.9 1255-316I x x x x x x xx I 8 8 14.2 1349-439I x x x x xxx x I 8 8 12.7 1424-418I x x x x xxx xx I 9 9 14.6 1451-375I x x x x xx xxx I 9 9 15.2 1622-253I x xx xxx xxxx I 10 10 18.7 NRAO530 I x xx xxxx xxI 9 9 18.5 1954-388Ix xx x xxxxx xxI 11 11 18.4 2005-489Ixxx xxxx xx I 9 9 13.5 2052-474Ixxxx x xxxx I 9 9 13.8 2149-306Ixxx xxxx x xxx I 11 11 19.8 2255-282Ixxx xxx xx x x xI 11 11 20.2 2355-534I x xxxx x I 6 6 8.5 Total scans, obs: 238 238 Average number of obs. per baseline per source (normalized by up-time) = 14.9 Min = 8.5 Max = 20.4 (Baseline Kk-45 on 0008-264) RMS = 3.3 Total time: 1440 minutes ( 24.0 hours). Key: Kk=KOKEE 45=DSS45 Kk 45 Avg % obs. time: 70 70 70 % cal. time: 2 2 2 % slew time: 4 22 13 % idle time: 22 4 13 # of tapes : 1.0 1.0 total # scans: 238 238 238 # scans/hour : 9 9 9.9 Avg scan (sec): 254 254 254 # OF OBSERVATIONS BY BASELINE | Kk 45 StnTotal ---------------------- Kk|238 238 238 45| 238 238 Number of 2-station scans: 238 Total # of scans, observations: 238 238 Average baseline components for all observations Average XY = 4860. Average XZ = 6158. Average YZ = 7694. Average length = 7770.