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2021-01-14 Meeting notes

2021-01-14 Meeting notes

Date

Jan 14, 2021

Participants

  • @Josh Walawender@Jeff Mader @Jim Lyke @Kyle Lanclos @John O'Meara @sherry yeh

  • @Greg Doppmann @Carlos Alvarez @Luca Rizzi @Randy Campbell @Percy Gomez @Carolyn Jordan @Gloria Martin (Unlicensed)

Goals

  • Move K1 dome flat to 67 deg El @sherry yeh

  • The risks of returning to office work, especially as related to the SA group

  • LRIS Refurbishment? @Jim Lyke

    • There are instrument refurbishment funds

    • Focus on mechanisms

  • Reorg: impacts on observing support, scientific software, sys-admin, etc. @Randy Campbell

Discussion topics

Time

Item

Presenter

Notes

Time

Item

Presenter

Notes

1:01 PM

Words from Randy

Randy

1:18 PM

HQ Presence

All

  • Randy: Summit presence will increase

  • Randy: go to 3 persons in an expedition vehicle

  • Josh: What benefit to operations outweigh the risk?

    • Randy: In person work is more efficient

    • John: switch topics due to Jeff’s time

1:24 PM

Scientific Software Group

Jeff

  • Jeff: More alignment between observing support group and SSG

  • SSG consists of: Jeff, Matt, JoshR, Max, Tyler, Liz, Kyle, Lucas

  • John: efficiency of operations is motivations, remove barriers to working together

  • Add “buffer” to SSG hours to handle things outside of projects

  • Increase collaboration between software and SAs

  • Want to develop punch list of things we want done (this idea will evolve over time)

  • Carlos: what is best way to communicate needs?

    • Randy: 4 levels of tasks. Major project (e.g. DSI), CI project (not externally funded, few hundred hours), punch list, small (10 minute) projects

  • Luca: the Scientific Software Coordination Group exists – cross disciplinary with both SAs and software, not a department

  • Josh: Are any hours assigned? Randy: Yes.

  • Kyle: Future instrumentation projects, what is division of low level software and high level software between SSG and Jason’s s/w group at Keck. Who works on low level s/w for new instruments?

    • Jeff: TBD. Some members of SSG may take that on for software knowledge reasons. The other wing is more telescope control.

  • Kyle: Where will AO s/w work be?

1:49 PM

Dome Flats at 67 deg on K1

all

  • Lots of split nights now. Taking dome flats at 67 would allow K1DM3 moves.

  • Time in late Feb with a run of HIRES nights to test

  • K1 lamps are mounted on as decks

  • Need to talk to Dwight (or instrument team)

  • Lamps are on top of AO and HIRES, so safety concerns

  • What about K2? Lamps could be brighter

  • To enable K1DM3, tel has to know it is at 67, so interactions with IOC, telescope in computer control. There are procedural elements here.

    • If IOC is reset, tel needs to be re-inited before K1DM3 can move

2:05 PM

LRIS Refurbishment

Jim

  • There are refurbishment funds. What about mechanical improvements?

  • Are there was replacements that would help?

  • Randy: Effort is probably project level

  • Instrument refurbishments funds have no labor attached

  • There was an idea to have a major project for this, but that was tabled

  • Luca: there are no “shovel ready” projects. Problems are big and would need effort and time off sky. Perhaps Dwight has something small in mind?

  • Percy: Project to refurb polarimeter was very limited in scope and needed an engineer's time, but could not get time.

  • Kyle: controller and electrical integration issues are “falling through a skills gap”. Similar to problem for new instruments.

  • Randy: will take to Jason and ELM

2:17 PM

Reorganization impact

Randy

  • NAs moving to OID

  • NAs trained by day crew, often move to day crew

  • Randy reaching out to Josie to start helping her transition to lead sysadmin, making her more aware of issues in our department. Sysadmin has 2 open positions.

  • Luca will now report directly to John to bring all of DSI under John.

2:21 PM

Return to Office (part 2)

 

  • Carlos: concerns about going back too early. Challenging even with a few people in the building given cleaning needs and social distancing rules.

  • Luca: What is being changed? Are people “encouraged” or “required” to go to HQ? When?

    • Randy: not required. For our group, probably fewer reasons to go back to office.

  • Sherry: testing of HQ workers would be good because of asymptomatic cases

  • John: this is planning, not an action yet

  • Jim: phone apps at summit? Tried a few things, bluetooth is allowed at summit.

  • Jim: what about vaccine refusal? Randy: not determined. John: active discussion “at Hilton level”

2:36 PM

Final Announcements

Randy

  • Josh now promoted to SA II ! (CONGRATULATIONS)

  • Luca now directly reporting to John O’Meara as part of the DSI organization

2:38 PM

Additional Items

Luca, Jim

  • Luca to host a KCWI troubleshooting session for all supporting SAs in addition to Rosalie’s training

  • Kudos to Sherry for a job well done in re-calibrating OSIRIS following the service

2:39 PM

Pau!

 

 

Action items

@Josh Walawender Send proposed tasks to Jim and Greg (and Dwight) for addition to summit schedule and MASG consideration.
@Jim Lyke ask about safety issues for access to flat lamps

 

Decisions