itelescope/plans
Laurence 61aae7dca2 T33 first-light prep: 47 Tuc test plan and session runbook
plans/ngc104-test.txt is the ACP observing plan for the free 30-minute proof
run on T33: NGC 104 / 47 Tucanae, L 4x120s + RGB 2x90s at Bin2 (~17 min
exposure, ~24 min with overhead), modelled on the account's previous
one-click plan format (decimal-hours RA, decimal-degrees dec, #shutdown at
end). Already uploaded to the scope's /plans/qisback/ folder and verified to
round-trip byte-identical.

plans/README.md is the runbook: the T33 ACP endpoint map (status JSON,
console read, scope connect, plan upload/run, logs), the verified upload
procedure, the not-yet-exercised acquire POST with its Windows-path plan
value, the 47 Tuc run window (second half of the SSO night, ~14:00-19:30
UTC), and the step-by-step session procedure including the open questions a
first live run must answer (scope-connect requirement, abort control).

state/TODO.md tracks the test as in progress.
2026-07-18 22:09:24 +01:00
..
ngc104-test.txt T33 first-light prep: 47 Tuc test plan and session runbook 2026-07-18 22:09:24 +01:00
README.md T33 first-light prep: 47 Tuc test plan and session runbook 2026-07-18 22:09:24 +01:00

Observing plans and the T33 session runbook

ACP observing plans for iTelescope scopes, plus the procedure to run one on T33 (the free Siding Spring scope). Credentials are NOT in this repo: they live in the local claudetemp itelescope folder (creds.txt, username=/password= lines).

Plan format (ACP)

See ngc104-test.txt. Directives, then a target line: Name<TAB>RA_decimal_hours<TAB>Dec_decimal_degrees. Counts, intervals, binning and filters are parallel comma-separated lists. #shutdown parks safely at the end (iTelescope's own one-click plans do the same).

T33 endpoints (base http://t33.itelescope.net:8033, HTTP auth = iTelescope creds)

Purpose Path
Status JSON (times, obsStat, obsOwner) /ac/SystemStatus/asystemstatus.asp
Console text /ac/SystemStatus/aconsread.asp
Scope connect control /ac/SystemStatus/ascopeconn.asp
Shutter/roof status /ac/SystemStatus/ashutterctl.asp
My plan folder (list/upload/delete) /plans/qisback/aindex.asp, aupload.asp, adelfile.asp
Run a plan ("Acquire Images") POST /ac/Plans/plan.asp
My logs /logs/qisback/aindex.asp
Finished data data.itelescope.net

Upload: multipart POST to /plans/qisback/aupload.asp, fields File1 (the file) and DestPath=/plans/qisback. Verified working 2026-07-18; content round-trips exactly.

Run: the web UI posts the plan select to /ac/Plans/plan.asp; the select's value is the WINDOWS path C:\ProgramData\ACP\ACP Web Data\Doc Root\plans\qisback\<file>. Field names seen: plan, optional VPhot, AutoLogoff. NOT yet exercised live (observatory was closed, daytime); the first live session must confirm whether a scope-connect POST (ascopeconn.asp) is required first, and capture the exact response shape.

The 47 Tuc free-session test (ngc104-test.txt)

  • Target: NGC 104 / 47 Tucanae, RA 0.4015 h, Dec -72.0814 deg (circumpolar at SSO).
  • L 4x120 s, RGB 2x90 s each, Bin2: about 17 min exposure, about 24 min with overhead, inside the daily free 30 minutes.
  • Uploaded to /plans/qisback/ on 2026-07-18 and verified.

When to run

47 Tuc clears T33's 20 degree minimum elevation in the second half of the SSO night. SSO local = UTC+10; the good window is roughly 14:00-19:30 UTC (UK afternoon/evening). Sunrise at SSO was 06:14 local (20:14 UTC) at recon time; stop well before dawn.

Procedure

  1. GET asystemstatus.asp: confirm observatory open (obsStat) and no other user (obsOwner n/a). If someone is on, wait and retry; T33 is first-come.
  2. Confirm the plan file is still in /plans/qisback/ (aindex.asp).
  3. POST plan.asp with the plan's Windows path to start acquisition.
  4. Poll aconsread.asp (console) every minute or two: slew, centering, filter changes, exposures. The run self-terminates via #shutdown.
  5. Images land in /images/qisback/ on the scope server and then on data.itelescope.net; logs in /logs/qisback/.
  6. Record the session outcome in state/NOTES.md.

Abort path if something looks wrong: the web UI exposes an abort on the console page; locate it live before starting exposures (not yet mapped).