[alma_na] ALMA NA DH Teleconference Minutes

[Carolyn White]

ALMA US Division Heads Teleconference Minutes - 2002-Jan-07

Attendees: Avery, Brown, Cunningham, Glendenning, Gray, Kingsley, Mangum,
Perfetto, Radford, Rafal, Simon, Sramek, Webber, White

Rafal, Simon, and Gray have moved to the Ivy Road location in
Charlottesville.  Therefore all DH meetings will be in the Ivy Road
offices; the Ivy Road teleconference hub is 434-984-0244.

Funding Update
--------------
We still do not have the $12.5 M from the NSF.  We do not know when we
will get the $1 M that was supposed to arrive in early January.  At this
moment we need to spend very carefully because we are, as expected,
nearly out of money.  Large procurements should be put on hold and any
critical purchases should be discussed with Rafal.  Rafal is working with
Vanden Bout on what we can do about this situation. There is no need to
worry about salary payments though.  The $12.5 M cannot be spent before
the NSB approves the Project at their March or May meeting.  There is no
doubt that we will get their approval.

Canada questioned when does the Construction Phase start for the U.S.  At
the moment this remains ambiguous.  The fiscal boundaries set on the
U.S. does not necessarily set fiscal boundaries for other partners.

Rafal will report back to the group after he has further discussions with
Vanden Bout and Desmond.

Action Items
------------
Rafal has started to revamp the Action Item List to review the progress of
the Project. The group went through the current on-line version and
updates were made.  White will put these on the web at URL:
http://www.alma.nrao.edu/administration/actionlist/.  The meetings list
was also updated; remember to send White your meeting dates, etc.

Questions arose on the Zero Baseline Interferometer and many questions
were left unanswered.  Rafal suggested a meeting be set up for the week of
January 21 among a smaller group to finalize these plans.  Sramek will
send out a notice including date and time of meeting.

Status Reports
--------------
Antenna - Kingsley is at the Vertex plant in Germany.  The panels are the
critical path for the project.  New results are going to be shown on
Wednesday.  The steel fabrication and mount are in the process and
beginning to recover some of the recent slippage.  The BUS sections should
ship this month.  Kingsley stated that he believes the April 23 date will
slip about two to three weeks.  Vertex is still expected to be at the VLA
site near the end of February.  The offer that was made to Jose is in
doubt; he now has cold feet concerning his understanding that he may have
to move to Chile in two or three years.  Jose will fill the VLA Antenna
on-site position.  Project Book updates have been completed.

Back End - The digital data link receiver board has been received.  We
plan to populate and evaluate the board in Tucson in the next two weeks.
The Project Book has had minor revisions, but we will not have a complete
re-write until the Back End PDR during ALMA Week in April.

Computing - The Project Book updates have been completed.  Vertex is
having some CAN compatibility issues; Brooks is working on this.

ATF - The AEG prototype antenna testing software has arrived; Mangum is
configuring this.  Mangum is completing the organization of the AEG
meeting that is at the end of January.  Otorola arrived last week; his
first assignment includes working on the weather stations.

Evaluation Receivers - Both the evaluation receivers and the holography
receiver are making progress.  Homsted will start in Tucson on Tuesday.

Front End - Cunningham is visiting ALMA sites to become familiar with the
organization of the sub-system.  Front End devices were ordered and are
expected to arrive at the end of January.

Site - Several soil borings were performed at the Chajnantor last week.

Gray - Gray is in Tucson this week; plans to work with Oliver on the
documentation activities for the Project.  This will help to streamline
the PDRs and CDRs and make them a more valuable tool for the Project.

Our next meeting will be January 21 at 1800 UT.  The new teleconference
hub number will be 434-984-0244.

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ALMA US Division Heads Teleconference Minutes - 2002-Jan-21

Attendees: Avery, Brown, Cunningham, Glendenning, Gray, Payne, Perfetto,
Porter, Radford, Simon, Sramek, Webber, White

Status Reports
--------------
Cunningham has been visiting the sites explaining who he is and what the
job is he is doing.  He is also listening to the concerns, comments, etc., of
others in the Project.

Gray is also visiting the sites.

Payne reported on the status of the Japanese visitors who are here testing
their photomixer.  This is used to pump an NRAO mixer to measure noise
spectrum.

Brown announced that NSF will give the NRAO (ALMA) the complete $12.5 M
within the next two weeks for the FY2002.  The purchase orders that we are
holding will not be a problem.

Sramek - The ATF communication and power conduit plans are in place.  The key
issue is to get the trailer in place; the trailer will be used as a
junction for the cables.  The fence will be completed by the end of the
month.  We have completed the tower contract.

Glendenning - The Vertex factory test is scheduled for later this week;
Vertex will count this as part of the Servo Acceptance Test.  The group is
reviewing the control software and will participate in a teleconference to
finalize ideas.  The holography software is on-track with Robert.

Perfetto - The holography transmitter receiver is progressing.  The
transmitter was recently received and we are currently reviewing the
measurement options.  There is a full time engineer working on this; bench
tests are expected at the end of February.

IPT Structure
-------------
Brown explained the purpose of the IPT management system and
"meta-schedule".  The AEC is interested in knowing where you see problems
- in the schedule? in the deliverables? who you are working with?  We are
trying to refine the IPT system to provide each person the best way to
work.  We will need to have this finalized by February 15.

Comments - Glendenning believes that the IPT leader should be able to make
the decision when the group disagrees.  Also, there is a difference
between the IPT structure figure and the text.

The metaschedule reflects progress on the prototype antenna and site
construction.  It does not include system integration on all prototypes
that we intend to put out for production at the end of 2003.  The question
arose as to whether the integration took place at the lab or at the
antenna then meet subsystems in Chile in 2001.  Brown understood that once
the antenna prototype selection had been made the production prototype
sub-systems would be put on the antenna.  Simon would like to see level 1
milestones frozen.  Sramek notices there are no subsystem milestones or
deliverables in the document.

Discussions continued on the possibility of having a production
coordinator.  How will executives get production done.  We intend to
contract out for all this work just as the Europeans are planning to do.

Miscellaneous
-------------
Sramek, Gray, Glendenning, and Payne plan to go the SPIE Meeting.
Kingsley and Radford are discussing going too.

The ALMA Bi-Lateral Meeting will be January 28 at 1500 UT.

Next ALMA NA DH Meeting will be February 4 at 1800 UT.

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