Current Manuals - McDonald Observatory

This is a summary of current manuals relevant to IGRINS observing at McDonald Observatory HJST & IGRINS Maintenance.

Table of Contents:

Observer Cookbook at McDonald

If you've never observed with IGRINS before start here!

This guide outlines:

IGRINS & Atlas Computer Set Up
How to take Flats
The Dome Opening Procedure
What to do at the start of the night
How to set up guiding (on- and off- slit)
Using the IGRINS Data Taking Package (DTP) (needs to be updated 20241206)
How to identify A0V Stars to observe (needs directions on how to upload to TCS 20241206)
Rotating IGRINS on the telescope
Closing Procedure

User and Proposer Information

IGRINS Instrument Information
Slit Viewer Field-of-View
SNR Estimates and Guidelines at McDonald
Using the Pipeline Package
What to bring on your observing run? (Needs to be updated–20241206)
IGRINS Observing Planner

Useful webpages

IGRINS HKP : https://igrins-hk.firebaseapp.com/
Real-Time finder chart : https://igrins-jj.firebaseapp.com/status
ObsSummary app (change date at the end of link): https://igrins-status.firebaseapp.com/night/20241124
Logs in the google spreadsheet (be sure to select the sheet with your observation date): IGRINS log folder for HJST
QuickLook client app (change date at the end of link) : http://192.168.2.2/?obsdate=20241124

Observer Procedures

Starting up IGRINS computers & data taking software
Taking Calibrations
Dome Opening Procedure
Position Angle Changes (needs to be updated--20241206)
Worklists
Rotation PA -> Encoder Table for IGRINS
Telescope Pointing Procedure (still true, add to Observer Cookbook--20241206)
How to zero the telescope pointing in TCS
Dither Directions in the Slitview Image
On-Slit Guiding
Off-Slit Guiding (for experienced users only)
Using the IGRINS Data Taking Package (needs to be updated for new GUI--20241206)
Data Requests and Transfers (update once IGRINS Box is up and running–20241206)
A0V Star TCS Worklists
The Slit Camera Viewer (SCV) GUI
The Data Taking Package (DTP) GUI
Using the Data Taking Package (DTP)

2014 Troubleshooting

These are old troubleshooting guides that may or may not be relevant to any issues that will occur in the present for IGRINS–we are keeping them here for reference in case any of these issues occur. If one of these issues occurs, before trying any fixes reach out to Greg Mace (gmace@astro.as.utexas.edu) to report the problem and discuss potential solutions.

Troubleshooting Guide
!! NOT FOR INEXPERIENCED OBSERVERS !! Contact observing support before attempting! ~~How to reboot Colossus if TCS fails~~
Solution to Slow Detector Display on ICC
Detectors not taking exposures
Files not saving at end of exposure
K band Connection is Dead

Instrument Team Procedures

Full Startup Procedures (mostly correct but needs some updates--20241206)
Full Shutdown Procedures
Storage Procedure (mostly correct but needs some updates--20241206)
Running the House Keeping Package alone (we think this is correct–verify script names haven't changed--20241206)
Transportation Procedures
Coldhead Cleaning
In the Lab Opening and Closing Procedures
Coldhead Replacement Procedure
Data Backup Procedure
IGRINS Cooling System Information
Network Switch Outputs (may have changed?–20241206)
ICC install and network setup procedures

Instrument Manuals

Most of these manuals are out of date for the current software we run for IGRINS. Keeping here for reference but I would not use for help with any of these programs now–most all have been significantly updated to be mostly unrecognizable from the outlines here.