[[PageOutline]]

== Notes made for September 2008 session for P617 ==

=== Observing ===
 1. Start the correlator (DFB3):
    * login to pkccc3 as corr/*********
    * > sdfb3
 1. Start TCS
    * login to a Sun (sagitta) as observer/********
    * 
{{{
        > atcsver 
        > tcs 
}}}
    * to get latest version of TCS, and start it
    * select '''Digital Filter Bank (time-binning)'''
    * select '''Expert mode'''
    * configuration file is p617
    * cycletime = 4s
******** See whiteboard for passwords.

=== Looking at scans ===
To examine data:
 1. Copy from the correlator computer:
 {{{
> scp corr@pkccc3:/data2/SDFB3_2/2008-09-29_hhmm-P617.rpf .
}}}
 1. Load into the ''pol'' format:
{{{
> pload 2008-09-29_hhmm-P617.rpf
> gcopy 2008-09-29_hhmm-P617 2008-09-29_0753-P617
}}}
 1. Look at the data (uncalibrated).  This example shows scan number 3.
{{{
> showscan 2008-09-29_hhmm-P617 -s 3
}}}

''showscan'' asks for:
 *  a plot device: the first plot is not useful so give  carriage return
 * a channel number, then a plot device
    * {{{ Graphics device/type (? to see list, default /NULL): /xs}}}      (for a screen plot)
    * {{{ Graphics device/type (? to see list, default /NULL): filename.ps/ps}}}     (for hard copy)
    * {{{> lwp filename.ps}}} from the unix prompt.

=== Producing sdfits files ===
 1. Load data: pload <filename>
 1. Provide unit bandpass table [[BR]]
 Syntax : {{{bpass <filename> -u}}}
 1. Convert to Single Dish FITS .  Use calscans to do this. It will output the part of the spectrum specified in the file <filename>/freqtab.dat, which contains a list of frequency bands to be formed.  calscans assumes all bands have the same width and so expects a set of evenly spaced frequencies.  Frequency separations should be no less than the channel separation; if more, the output bands are the averages of several input channels. The {{{-s}}} switch gives the output as RR,LL,RL,LR (instead of IQUV).  The {{{-t}}} switch prevents any translation from telescope to sky corrdinates (parallactic angle tracking).[[BR]]
 Syntax : {{{calscans <input file> <output filename> -s RL -t}}}
{{{
> pload 2008-09-29_hhmm-P617.rpf
> bpass 2008-09-29_hhmm-P617 -u
> calscans 2008-09-29_hhmm-P617 output.sdf -s RL -t
}}}