1. Nov 6, 2005SSWG1 Robert Stobie Prime Focus Imaging Spectrograph Status Reassembly and retesting in Cape Town Estimated CTC $343,000 (7.3%) over PDR cap Delivered to Sutherland 30 Sept Installed on telescope 10 October Commissioning delayed by telescope readiness

2. Nov 6, 2005SSWG2 RSS/ PFIS Progress In Cape Town –Polarimetric optics received and tested –Flexure retest. Improved to ~50% above spec. Await telescope test to see if more improvement warranted –Fitted and aligned guider –Slitmask cutter brought up to spec; training performed –Etalons tested and calibrated –Detector baffling improved –Electronics box packaging/ glycol testing –Pre-Ship Acceptance Test Review

3. Nov 6, 2005SSWG3 Shipping Shipped to Sutherland Sept 29/30 In SALT spectrometer room –Short (control system) and long (optics integrity) form tests –Baffling closeouts –Cabling closeouts –Lift preparations

4. Nov 6, 2005SSWG4 Lift Lifted onto telescope 11 Oct

5. Nov 6, 2005SSWG5 Installation Alignment measured using SAC and RSS reference mirrors. Tip/ tilt in spec. Focus measured using guider and SALTICAM. Close. Nominal shims installed Cabling, detector cooling, glycol, air hookups Top Hex igloo (Elvis II) lifted and cabled for etalons First "old photons" 20 Oct. –20 Oct: Plate scale 224.1 micron/arcsec; FWHM ~3" –30 Oct: Plate scale 222.6 micron/arcsec; FWHM 2.2" (1.5" seeing) –Imaging limited by telescope (verified on SALTICAM) High-Level SALT-style control GUI installed First focus run with cal system 20051105; verify optics integrity

6. Nov 6, 2005SSWG6 Best Image so Far.. 47 Tuc 5 secs 630 nm IF

7. Nov 6, 2005SSWG7 Problems/ Open Items Control System –articulation runaway. Solved? Will install safety strap –grating magazine sensor replacement. Done –waveplate encoders not homing –noise preventing stable etalon controller lock –occasional detector noise Mechanical –beamsplitter holder still in manufacture Software –TCS communications –magazine mapping layer –FITS keywords –turned over to Anthony Koeslag Telescope –poor IQ, lack of cal system limiting RSS activities

8. Nov 6, 2005SSWG8 Budget

9. Nov 6, 2005SSWG9 Budget: Cost-to-Completion increase ~190K from last meeting remaining budget deltas: commissioning completion

10. Nov 6, 2005SSWG10 Budget: Deltas Deltas (since last meeting)TotOver Cap –salaries$7K –Capital + Subcontract overruns$52K –RU Travel & Shipping$6K –UW Schedule stretch July -Oct$115K –RU Commissioning increases$16K Total$190K$343K (7.3%) Expected –Schedule stretch Nov-Dec$30K –Resale of CaF 2 spares ($10K) Total$20K Total$363K (7.7%)

11. Nov 6, 2005SSWG11 Commissioning; Schedule

12. Nov 6, 2005SSWG12 Some Commissioning and Calibration Observations StatusWhatTypeModeD/NSource TriedFocal Plane TiltCalibrationImagingNightStarfield TriedCenter of rotationCalibrationImagingNightStarfield TriedSlitviewer focusCalibrationAnyDayDome? BiasesCalibrationAnyCldy NightNone Shutter latency CalibrationImagingDayQTH flatfield Crosstalk calibrationCalibrationSpecDayNeon Spectr station posn CalibrationSpecDayPenrays FlexureCharactAllDayPenrays StartedImaging Focus: > 430 nmCalibrationImagingDayQTH Imaging Efficiency/ linearityCharactImagingNightPhot Std Fld Spec FocusCalibrationSpecDayPenrays Spec EfficiencyCharactSpecNight2 flux standards Polarimetric Efficiency >500 nmCalibrationSpecpolDayQTH Polarimetric Efficiency <500 nmCalibrationSpecpolNightBlue star Polarimetric PA, efficiency CalibrationSpecpolNight3 pol standards Instrumental PolarizationCalibrationSpecpolNight2 unpol standards

13. Nov 6, 2005SSWG13 Schedule Summary Commissioning schedule issues –availability of calibration system, autoguider, moving baffle –training of PFIS SA –operational maturity. Efficiency now < 20% –integration of commissioning and remaining telescope and payload tasks Payload commissioning –cal system flatness, stray light issues throughput good so far –moving baffle, pupil SW to run cals –guider throughput issue solved? significant ops SW required –stray light baffling QTH flat 20051105

14. Nov 6, 2005SSWG14 Handover and Commissioning SALT currently understaffed by ~2x Need to define/ schedule PFIS handover –After 9 Nov, only KHN and EBB available –After 13 Dec, team gone Commissioning tasks not likely to complete –MOS spectroscopy –High speed spectroscopy –All Phase II (ie PIPT, OCS) tasks

15. Nov 6, 2005SSWG15 Commissioning Holdups Suggested solution –turn over remaining tasks to SA's after acceptance –possible 2006 consulting trips by ebb, dh, khn (SALT funded) ModeHoldupby Dec 12? Acceptance (flexure, efficiency) Cal SystemOK ImagingImage QualityOK Longslit SpecCal SystemOK (hand guide) MOS SpecCal, Guider, SWNot likely High SpeedDtr SWNot likely Fabry-PerotNoisePossible PolarimetryCal, WP, BeamsplitterPartial?