[asac] Telecon

[Richard Hills]

Dear All,

The ASAC chairman and I have been struggling with the problem of how to 
schedule the telecon that is due next week.  When we talked last, I 
promised that we would try changing to the other time-slot that makes it 
more reasonable for people in Hawaii and East Asia to participate. 
Alas, this proved impractical on this occasion.  Pepe and I will both be 
in transit at the relevant times and I know that there are problems for 
other people who will be at conferences, etc.

The best we can come up with is 15:00 UT on TUESDAY, which is I am 
afraid 5am in Hawaii and the middle of the night in East Asia.  I am 
sorry about that.  I suggest that at the f2f we set up a firm schedule 
for the telecons for the rest of the year that shares out the pain.

In addition to the charges from the Board, one of the topics that we 
should discuss at the face to face meeting in February is the 
implications of recent Change Requests.  There is a regular flow within 
the Project of these items, which are the formal means of changing the 
specifications of components.  These range between quite major items and 
detailed technicalities and it is important that we keep an eye on them 
all to ensure that they do not adversely effect that scientific 
performance.  The most important ones presently in the system are 
concerned with the polarization purity of the receivers.  It is proving 
difficult to meet the requirements and the people making the receivers 
are asking for relief.  On the other hand, having taken a look at the 
topic, I am worried that the original specifications were not tight enough.

I plan to get more information on this and other Change Requests to you 
in time for discussion at the f2f, but in the meantime I have done a 
summary on polarization.  That will be available shortly (but not yet) 
as a link from the agenda for Tuesday's telecon, which will be at
https://wikio.nrao.edu/bin/view/ALMA/ASAC9Jan08Agenda

Best Richard

-- 
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Richard Hills                Phone: +56 2 467 6175
ALMA Project Scientist       Fax:   +56 2 467 6101
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