TELESCOPE OPERATIONS

Current as of: 06/12/2006

If the 43m antenna needs to be moved for the MIT group, a MIT group designate should call the GBT duty operator and ask for assistance. (See contact numbers below.) During normal working hours, Pete Chestnut or Bob Anderson may assign an office operator to be available to move the antenna if/when necessary. After hours, the GBT duty operator will be responsible for moving the antenna and such activity will need to be coordinated with their GBT duties.

Movement of the front end service tower will be performed by the antenna mechanics and such movement shall take place during normal working hours, currently 07:00 - 16:30 edt.

If the MIT group needs to perform work at the front end (service tower), anywhere on the structure, or anywhere outside the building beneath the structure, antenna movement shall be locked out. The MIT group designate shall first call the GBT duty operator and ask permission to lock out antenna movement. Permission shall be granted unless there is pending inclement weather that would require the antenna to moved to a safer position, or there is some other antenna safety related issue. Locks and tags are located in a lockout box in the 43m control room on a small rolling cabinet near the Lockout/Tagout station. Extra locks & tags are also in the top drawer of that cabinet. The group designate shall place a lock and tag with his/her name on the “POL/DEC” lockout and keep the key with them. The designate should give the GBT duty operator a contact phone number or location where they can be reached.

In the event that the antenna would be locked out overnight, the designate shall provide a room & phone number to the GBT duty operator. The work group should store equipment and secure loose items on the antenna and/or service tower each evening so that it can be released quickly in case storms develop.

The work group designate is responsible for verifying that all antenna hardware that they worked on is secured, and that all of his/her work group is safely off the moving structure before removing locks.

Phone ext: 2341/2346 GBT (GBT control room)2187, 456-3120 (GBT warehouse) (~7:30 – 16:30 Mon – Thu during the summer maintenance period)

Pete Chestnut GB Chief Operator 304-456-2296

-- DavidRose - 12 Feb 2008