MMA Memo #147

How Quickly Can the MMA Reconfigure?

M.A. Holdaway [1], F.N. Owen [2]

February 20, 1996

Keywords: antennas, reconfiguration, antenna transporter, antenna pad, configurations

It should be possible to move an MMA antenna from one pad to another in 45 to 85 minutes. This assumes no time is lost to detailed alignment of the antenna with its new pad. Using three transporters and two antenna crews working 6 hours each, it will take under a day to reconfigure between hybrid arrays and under two days to reconfigure all 40 MMA antennas. If hybrid configurations are used (as at the VLA) and only ~20 antennas need to be moved, a reconfiguration might proceed smoothly with only two transporters. Observations to determine the pointing parameters and the baselines should take on the order of an hour each. High winds will hinder reconfiguration. During the winter, daytime winds exceed 30 mph about 25% of the time, and exceed 40 mph about 8% of the time, so we must either design the transporter/antenna system to be able to withstand fairly high winds, or we must be prepared for many reconfiguration delays.

[1] NRAO/TUC
[2] NRAO/NM

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Last modified: 09 December, 1999