NIRSPEC Tips and Tricks

Some tips and tricks for NIRSPEC

Telescope GUI

ssh -X k2obstcs@vm-k2obs

tcsgui -k2

SCAM and SPEC

Different commands are addressed with a sufix:

2 for scam and nothing for spec. Examples:

cdata for spec

cdata2 for scam

Exposure Time definitions

3 types of script for setting exp times: itime, tint, and atint

itime sets the keyword itime. The keyword has units of milliseconds, the script itime has units of seconds

tint sets the exp time in seconds

atint defines the exp time in an efficient way always using MCDS. It gets stuck in sampmode=3. For instance atint2 1.5 will set sampmode to 3 and increase the exp time to the minimum. To revert to simple CDS use sampmode2 2. Note that “simple CDS” is exactly the same as MCDS with numreads=1. There is no reason to use CDS.

_{Known modes are:}
_{1 (or "Single") single sampling}
_{2 (or "CDS") correlated double sampling}
_{3 (or "MCDS") multiple-read correlated double sampling}
_{4 (or "UTR") up the ramp samplingROTATOR}

ROTATOR

FACSUM will always DISPLAY SCAM PA in position angle mode.

Observers want slit PA so set it in the GUI but remember that FACSUM shows SCAM PA

GINGA

The scam GINGA will have issues:

displays shifted images
does not overlay TAGS on new images
Creates strange patterns on the zoom window

In any case, it is best to set many exposures going with goi2 200 for example so that next images will balance out the issues.

NIRSPAO CONFIGURATION

set targwave

Typical offset and configuration

NIRSPAO + FIU

ERRORS

This is not good:

Staff Astronomers