R.W. Greschke [1]
March 22, 1999
Keywords: operations, observing system, operating philosophy, monitoring and control system
The operation of a radio telescope is, unfortunately, not rocket science. Operating requires that the majority of the decisions made must be based on common sense, which, as Will Rogers pointed out, is not really very common. Most aspects of what is termed 'operations' cannot be defined by an equation, nor be chiseled in stone. Equipment operation requires a solid understanding of "How things should work" along with a successful merging of the "What the hell do I do now?" principles. Decisions must be made often times without much forethought, and trying to do the same thing the same way in two different, yet similar situations is not always successful nor appropriate. This emphasizes the fact that both the principles governing operator actions and the tools used by the operators to control the instrument must not be structured to the degree required by disciplines such as rocket science, or even radio astronomy. Having had the opportunity over the past thirteen years to be both an Array Operator of the Very Large Array and the Chief Operator of the Very Long Baseline Array, and because during that time I have become quite familiar with the inner workings of both instruments, I have decided to record a few notes concerning the general structure of the Millimeter Array command and control system that should be thought about during the construction phase. I will also outline several areas where current and past mistakes can be avoided in the evolution of the Millimeter Array monitoring and control system and the operation of the instrument.
[1] NRAO/NM
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Last modified: 09 December, 1999
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