New project ideas

This is a running list of potential project ideas; discuss with Steven J before investing significant time into these, just in case they are already underway or have changed since this list was compiled.

Note: these are NOT in order of priority!

• learn TCS simulation environment, test all new codes on that before actually deploying/installing them on the telescope
• replace side-screen on TO desk arm, maybe swap with another one
• consider adding a 24" screen in vertical orientation on RA desk (VIRUS data display?)
• after HX is finished, make LST-based over-subscription tool for TACs/users
  • assume all targets are at center of track, for planning purposes.
  • estimate pressure and available times of a list of targets / exposures
  • Integrate with TSL/Hydra
• WFS PID loops - nothing very sophisticated right now, sometimes focus "runs away" and can't keep up
• check if guider residuals correlated with probe positions around the ring?
• include HPF software to run on workstations whenever possible
• make regular WFS flats with same method as GC, monitor for degradation
• get remote control of dome lights, make cal scripts turn on dome lights at end?
• vjpg: add color-coded outlines for VHC messages?
• unify all of our sound effects - create TCS event that has a sound file and then make the TCS GUI listen to those events and play those sounds
• add HPF pedestal level check to daily OPS tasks (SR can add a button)
• show/monitor guider PSFs throughout the night
• make model of physical degradation of M1 based on integrated weather conditions
  • how much does humidity+dust actually reduce reflectivity?
  • model or measure it with real data
  • simulate a whole year with a given closure condition, what is the expected loss of throughput? compare with time spent closed...
• think about nossy backups/installations; how much could be run on our workstations? stored in repos?
• event-driven setup analysis
  • breakdown time it takes for each step of each setupmethod
  • where do we spent the most time?
• subframe readout on ACQ camera
• subframe readout on HPFACAM camera
• combine TSL parser with visibility calculator tool; add links in hydra, TSL upload to visibility tool
• get data on dome conditioning. what is effect of poor conditioning on night hours and re-stacks? some weather scatter. drop extreme conditions
• add TSL keyword for requesting parallel observations
• add GPS antenna to DIMM2 celestron while on upper hex anyway? ask celestron?
• someday, consider TOs providing activity reports at the end of their OPS shifts or during poor weather, for update on projects
• Edit from Hydra Object Editor, this comment under Priority: "submit new TSL (or Old Format) Phase II as upload for priority change"
• discuss alternative metrics for setup times in evals
  • right now, are "overhead" and include RA and TO contribs.
  • if could be just the setup part, would be purely TO (if Niv's stuff works)
• match sky brightness on LRS2 exp calc to real guider measurements
• work with GZ on (LRS2) telluric standards
• fix/check feasibility calculator on web
  • Dec=12:52:32 produces a 32min track! 12:51:31 and :33 are much longer
• what does the pupil see at the edge of a track? anything reflective in the area beyond the mirrors?? PV camera could tell, I think.
• readthedocs on ocd, learn about ocd.cfg file
• ask Greg Z for "throughput" measurements over time?
• improve mPri, then have threshold for when a P1 interrupts HETDEX??
• verify trajectory offsets are in correct coordinates?
• add units to TCS/SAMS GUIs for GROC/piston, etc!
• add Goldilocks details to PhaseIII on hydra?
• ask for units to be added in all GUIs next to any numbers
• work-downwind, quantify effects on IQ, verify safety with mech team? then develop formula for wind speed and Az range, auto-calculate
• ask JRF about things to change/improve in daily site status emails
• fix VHC so that it does not rely on outside internet?
• someday, ask about 10s "cycle time" requirement when guiding on HPFACQ, waiting to be sure the move goes through? unfortunately slow!!
• re-do dark-dome/light-leak test with longer LRS2 exposures, and bay lights; did 5min before, but try maybe 20min?
• PAS guider photometry issues.
  • would be nice to have ability to draw a sky box
  • ALSO to get sky independent of the stellar profile fit.
• include countdown/progress bars on all PAS cameras for exposure times?
• include radial profile graphs for all metrology loops (GC/ACQ/HPFACQ?)
• look at stored HPFACQ images, estimate focus? accuracy?
• understand how long to be idle before hetdex starts? if we are deciding.
• get DIMM upgrade plans (by coyne/etc, a while ago)
• do careful analysis of sky mod predictions and results (use GCs? ACQ?)
• add ACQ camera overscan correction to PAS? or flat field?
• make VIRUS exposures dynamically adjust exptime for changing pupil
• correlate seeing data w/ gross weather patterns. PCA?
• make un-binned flats, avoid PAS crashing w/ unbinned guiders
• check 20191215UT around 08-10UT, sky brightness changes in smooth ways? maybe moon/scattered light issues??
• add pointing corrs into JF site status report? write simple python script?
• share data with Stephen Hummel from guider sky brightnesses. will be a deluge! maybe grab GC images w/ moon down, good transp, and plot as fn of Az??
• optimize deep VIRUS exposures to balance pupil illum, asymmetric!