Instructions for remote observing from Bonn

last update: 2004-07-16 h.v.

The remote PC is located at the MPIfR Bonn, room 2.41. phone number 0228 - 525 - 159.
The PC's IP number is pc052.mpifr-bonn.mpg.de = 134.104.16.52.
As a guest observer you will log in as user remote. The password you can get from Frank Bertoldi or Dirk Muders. You can observe with the internet. If that breaks down or is not available, ask the operator to enable ISDN, which will call the pc052 and establish an ISDN connection. This switch between internet and ISDN can be done 'on the fly' without interruption.
NOTE: currently the ISDN is not available because the routing is not set up properly at Pico Veleta. We hope that this will be fixed soon. Thus currently, if the internet drops, you are lost! In that case, let the AoD at the telescope observe for you.

open a terminal and:

mkdir (yourdir)
xhost +  (caution, this will open up your host to the world!)

open an xterm and in there:

cd (yourdir)

STEP 1:

monPlot 134.104.16.52:0.0  

 => this opens a little window called "getRedMessages" which shows the
 data transfer of the plot files from PV to local, and a second
 window, gv, which automatically shows the most recent plot.
 If you notice that there is no more transfer and display, then close
 both windows and start again. I have noticed once that the transfer
 was hanging somewhere, then there is nothing you can do but wait and
 ask the operator what he sees on the Red display up at the telescope,
 and hope the connection will resume.

STEP 2:

obsTerm 134.104.16.52:0.0  

=> opens a beige window to login to iramea. If you dont touch it, it
will vanish again after a minute. Before the window opens,
remote@mrt-lx1 will ask you for the password.
Login to iramea as v_w03bol e.g. if you observe the winter pool.
Start obs with the local IP number:
obs 134.104.16.52:0.0 
If you dont give the IP number the second window that obs opens will
appear at PV not in Bonn.
Ask the operator whether he can see your obs window - he should have a
copy of it on his screen.

STEP 3:  (only for heterodyne observations)

copyData                   => opens a small beige window (data transfer)

STEP 4:

monScan                    

(+password)
 => ASCII display of telescope parameters on the terminal. Watch that
 the time keeps running, else the internet connection hangs.

STEP 5:

Now in a second xterm login to Granada:

ssh remote@gra-lx14.iram.es
(+ password for user "remote" at Pico)
cd (yourdir)
../go pc052.mpifr-bonn.mpg.de:0.0
 2                         => starts MonRed (receiver info, weather, ...)

STEP 6:

In a third xterm:

talk mrt@mrt-lx6.iram.es

which opens a talk connection to the operator. If this does not work, then try log in to flexible@mrt-lx1.iram.es or remote@gra-lx14.iram.es and start talk from there.

STEP 7:

You can try run a wind monitor, for which you first need to login to some machine at iram and then telnet to IRAMEA, login there and run

run iramea$dua0:[penalver.weather]wind_jp

and answer e.g. 60 to the question on what time it shall average.

STEP 8: (MAMBO mostly)

If you observe bolometer, then you may open an html table log. Copy the file ~/bertoldi/log2004xxxx.html to your directory as log20040618.html if you happen to observe on June 18 and open it with "netscape log20040618.html", then "edit page". For an example how to fill in the log, look at a recent log in ~/bertoldi.

STEP 9: (MAMBO only)

To get a better pointing reduction you need to login to flexible@mrt-lx1.iram.es. Type vncserver. You'll get a message like New 'X' desktop is mrt-lx1:# where # is some numer you should remember. Open a shell on pc052 and type in vncviewer mrt-lx1.iram.es:# where # is the same number as above. Type in the password (which is currently the password for the flexible account). A window will open that shows a X desktop on mrt-lx1 with a xterm open. In this xterm type "gag SEP02", then "cd reduce", then "nic", "dev i w", wait for the display to appear and place it on the mrt-lx1 desktop, then type "@inipool" (set up to fetch data from the w03 pool:

set extension fits
sic log bolo_data: "/mrt_data/w03bol/fits/"

so if your data is somewhere else then change the path). After a pointing scan number 1254 is finished, you can reduce it incl. skynoise subtraction with "@pp 20040618_1254" - it will take a minute or two before you get a display. All this you know from pico observing, the difference here in bonn is just that the display is very slow. You can give only the scan number without date if there is no ambiguity, ie only one scan with this number.

At the end of the observing session type in on flexible@mrt-lx1vncserver -kill :#where # is again the number from the start of the vncserver.

Note 1:If the connection to the mountain crashes, after resuming it you'll get the desktop back, the processes started there still alive, by again typing vncviewer mrt-lx1.iram.es:# .

Note 2: If a direct connection to the mountain does not work (e.g. ssh mrt-lx1.iram.es does not work), log in as flexible on gra-lx3, cd vnc and start the vncserver there. Log in to mrt-lx1 then on the gra-lx3:#-desktop.

STEP 10: (MAMBO only)

To get the online data reduction monitor with mopsic, open another X destktop on mrt-lx1 as described in the last step, usingvncserver/vncviewer(which then will get another number). There in the xterm type cd monitor and mopsic @monitorvnc. Place the opening window on the mrt-lx1 desktop. You'll see the online data reduction there. After finishing the observing session, don't forget to enter vncserver -kill :# on mrt-lx1 for the second X desktop.

STEP 11:

Open xephem. "cd ~/XEphem" and then to the season, eg. PoolW0304. Start "xephem 30m.hzn", then start the loop, the sky display, load data etc. I have ftp the project edb files at times, but they are not up to date. you can either creat one yourself or copy yours from PV.

STEP 12:

We have installed an internet audio program that allows you to have a permanent audio connection with the control room. Here are the user instructions for that, but it does not work yet - stay tuned. It would be great to have a second web cam on Pico facing the control room!!

For Experts only:

In case you observe with MAMBO and the backend PC is not working properly, you may get a copy of its screen using vncviewer on mrt-lx2. Login to mrt-lx2.iram.es and start "vncviewer mrt-abba (password=i*******)". On the hardware settings the first phase must be "on". IMPORTANT: Before stopping ABBA, ask the operator to stop the backend process!!! Then you may stop abba, change settings, and start abba again. Then ask the operator to restart the BE process.

To monitor skynoise while observing with MAMBO, login on flexible@mrt-lx1 or lx2, the ncd mopsi, start "mopsi", "dev i w", "@mini".