[evlatests] Retaining a piece of history?

[Jon Romney]

But remember to save room in the museum for the VLBA correlator!
Jon

Craig Walker wrote:
> Note that a while ago we went through similar thinking about the old 
> Mark II VLBI correlator.  We eventually got agreement in principle to 
> send it to Green Bank where much NRAO historical stuff is located.  Of 
> course that correlator did most of its work in Charlottesville using the 
> Green Bank 140' telescope, along with others, so sending it back East is 
> appropriate.  I don't think we have actually gotten our act together to 
> ship the units yet - everyone's been too busy.
> 
> You might also want to save some sample bits of the VLA correlator.
> 
> Unfortunately, I would guess that the current VLA visitor center doesn't 
> have room for much in the way of historical displays.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Craig
> 
> 
> Bob Hayward wrote:
>> This might not be the best form to bring this topic up, but it goes to 
>> all the right people to start the conversation. We can then take it 
>> somewhere else if it's worth further discussion.
>>
>> We only have a few antennas left to be upgraded. Once the last one is 
>> done, we can say goodbye to the old VLA electronics forever and the dawn 
>> of a new age begins.
>>
>> I'd like to suggest that we preserve at least set of the antenna 
>> electronics. By this I mean the A, B and F Racks. A great deal of time 
>> and effort has been given by numerous people - many no longer with us - 
>> designing, building, testing and improving these units. And let's not 
>> forget the amount of tender loving care that has been devoted to keeping 
>> them working over the last 30 years. It would be a shame to just toss 
>> all of the racks on to the garbage heap of history.
>>
>> If there was room in the Visitor's Center, that might be a good place to 
>> put them - sort of a VLA Memorial. If not, somewhere out of the way in 
>> the basement in the Control Building might be fine too. I always found 
>> it fun to show visitors at the Site a VLA antenna first, then take them 
>> over to see an EVLA antenna and then point out all the differences that 
>> several decades worth of new electronics allowed the EVLA to achieve. 
>> With no more VLA antennas, that option will no longer be viable.
>>
>> If there is any interest in preserving the VLA's heritage, then we 
>> should start thinking about it soon. Maybe someone has already 
>> squirreled away some of these racks. If not, the time is now.
>>
>> If there is agreement, how many should we save? Where will we put them? 
>> Does anyone know if Green Bank would be interested in a rack or two 
>> (much of this stuff was developed and prototyped back east)?
>>
>> -Bob
>>
>>
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>