Here are the minutes of our meeting yesterday -- please just reply with (or let me know) any corrections -- thanks!:
Phoning in: Max Fagin (Dartmouth/Harvard), Yorke Brown (Dartmouth/Harvard), Arnold Gaertner (NRC-INMS), Karun Thanjavur (CFHT/UVic), Keith Vanderlinde (Toronto)
Yorke and Max updated us on the status at Dartmouth -- they're working on updating the flight control board, and together with Nina are assembling the info and data from the mountaintop-to-mountaintop tests, which she will soon post to Hypernews. Conditions are not good for serendipitous flights, unfortunately -- it is snowing and, as usual for the winter, the winds are strong and blowing toward the Atlantic. We have the spring and the next version of the payload (with more powerful sources) to look forward to, though -- the plan certainly remains to go to Mt. Hopkins after we get good observations of the light source in flight.
I've been hassling World Star Tech to get us a quote for our new light sources: they have as yet been resistant to my pleas every few days, but they're "working on it" (all three other manufacturers that we've tried have formally declined to bid, unfortunately). As a stopgap measure (as suggested by Yorke) I am purchasing some high-power small diode lasers from Dragon Lasers and from Wicked Lasers -- they are uncooled, not fiber-coupled, and not the form factors that we want, but we can essentially certainly machine them into something that is quite useable for us, until such time as we can get a decent custom high-power thermoelectrically-cooled set of modules, presumably from World Star. So, the stopgap lasers that I have forwarded to Purchasing here are:
http://www.dragonlasers.com/Green-Laser-Pointer-Spartan-Series.html (the 400 mW green laser from this page), http://www.dragonlasers.com/Blue-Laser-Pointer-Spartan-1Watt.html, and http://www.wickedlasers.com.hk/arctic (the "1.25 W+" laser from this page).
They will likely arrive at UVic in early February and we can test them out, together with one of the new spheres which I'll pick up at SLAC at the end of this month.
Cordell is in India until early-to-mid-February for the BRITE launch campaign, but as before please post comments on his draft ICD, as well as his CAD drawings, as soon as possible. (I made a few comments on them to him via e-mail in December, others should please comment ASAP as well.)
On computing/website, the Instrumentation page (http://projectaltair.org/page/instrumentation) is now fairly beautiful thanks to students Spencer Bialek and James Hartwick, and some minor touchups are still being made. As usual, let us (Chris Tooley [ctooley@uvic.ca] and I) know if you see any issues that should be fixed anywhere, or also of course feel free to log in and change them yourself anytime.
On upcoming grant applications, Steve Smith at SwRI has been out with the flu and a lost voice, but we have re-set-up our telecon now for Tuesday of next week (Jan. 22) regarding future collaboration for purposes of upcoming DND-NSERC application.
In other business -- Keith Vanderlinde has arrived in Toronto and is getting set up there to start work on the microwave payload, starting with getting some financial details sorted out.
That's all I remember. Please send things I forgot. Next meeting on Thurs., Jan. 31, at the regular 11:00 Eastern time.
cheers, thanks all! justin
On Thu, 17 Jan 2013 01:08:29 GMT, Justin Albert wrote:
> Hi, > > Telecon tomorrow (Thursday Jan. 17) at our regular time of 11:00 am > Eastern time (8 am Pacific, 17.00 European). Discussion items include: > preparation for the next flight control board and other work in NH, the > next light sources, goniometric calibration, nanosat design, website, > and flight plans for this winter and spring. A reminder of the CSA > project timeline is attached. > > Here's the dial-in info: If you are calling in from Canada or U.S.: > 1. Dial Toll-Free Number: 866-740-1260 (U.S. & Canada) > 2. Enter 7-digit access code: 5082741 followed by the # > > If you are calling in from elsewhere: > 1. To locate International Toll-Free Numbers go to > http://www.readytalk.com/intl (enter 7-digit access code 5082741) > 2. Dial toll free number from web link > 3. Enter Passcode: Enter 7-digit ACCESS CODE: 5082741 followed by the # > > Here's the tentative agenda: > I) Ongoing work at Dartmouth -- preparation for next payload and flight > II) New light sources, new fiber splitters, and goniometric calibrations > III) Flight plans this winter and spring > IV) Nanosat design: please post or send comments on Cordell's ICD (and CAD drawings)! > V) Computing & website > VI) Upcoming grant applications > VII) AOB > > Talk to you all tomorrow! > justin > > Attachment: > http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2012/11/12/18.02-43361-Schedule-20120702_hqp.pdf >