Wish List

This is a list of desired program changes, fixes or enhancements. Note that the list is not all that well maintained, so some items may have been addressed, but not taken out here.

• Add Calibrator selection. Before Mar 2014 RCW.

• Add a SUNAVOID parameter sort of like DODOWN that avoids pointing and antenna too close to the Sun. Request for the CMVA from Krischbaum Mar. 22, 2011. Note added Feb 6, 2014. The Sun distance is taken into account in the selection of sources for geodetic segments. See GEOCHK.

• Somehow provide for different VLA positions for single dish and phased array in the VEX file when mixing the two. Dec. 8, 2009 RCW.

• Deal with VEX source positions when using satellite position calls for every scan/station. RCW July 22, 2009

• Warn about PCCOR not able to run when only 1 tone per band. RCW Jan 13, 2009. Requested by Kogan.

• Have plot option to distinguish sources in XY plots by color. RCW Sept. 11, 2008.

• Add aperture array axis type and whatever is needed to support it to the station catalog. July 1, 2008 email request from James Anderson.

• Make sure leap seconds are updated. For SLALIB, update dat.f. (That takes care of planets too). For the satellite tracking, update the kerfile (naifnnnn.tls) in the ephemeris area ($PLANET_DATA). Keep this entry in the Wish List permanently. Apr 8, 2008 RCW

• Put information about frequency agility into SCHED. Dec 06 EVN TOG.

• Make EVLA apply to the FE settings. Or better yet, somehow describe the EVLA frequency setup. Sept. 27, 2007. RCW.

• Check for broken links in external references. There are some as of Sep. 19, 2007. RCW

• Warn if DOPPLER is not used when it looks like it should be. From Leonia (as contact) Aug 1, 2007. RCW.

• Try to name runlog after the observation. Maybe a rename. It is opened before the input is read so the code is not yet known. but could it be renamed later - or a new file opened and the contents copied over. From Amy. 25 Jan 2007. RCW.

• Improve optimization when switching bands. emails from Greg Taylor and Steven Tremblay, early October 2006.

• Write to screen the typing instructions in config mode. Now uses WRTMSG and only goes to runlog. Nov 29, 2006.

• Improve specification of multiple pass processing. And force specification when it is clear that multiple pass will be needed. Analysts May 4, 2006. See email from lfoley for details.

• Put the grab time stuff in for Walter. See $SCHED/vlbagrab.txt

• Need new OBSTYPE or get rid of OBSTYPE. Old note Jan 26, 2006. As of Oct 2008, I've forgotten the reason for this so I don't know what should be added.

• Source dependent elevation limits for configuration studies. Request by Pat Crane. Aug 2. 2004 RCW

• Put an Az/El raster option in Sched. From note Jul 2004 RCW

• Take into account GBT band change time. From note Jul 2004 RCW Discussed at Jodrell in Nov 2004. This will probably take a matrix input for each agile station.

• Get FIFMIN and MAX for user setups VLA and VLBA. From note, Jul 2004 RCW. This has to do with sensing when you get outside the IF.

• Do more for VLBA4 DAR; Add SiO to VLA freq.dat; Turn off pcal at VLA. From note, Jul 2004 RCW

• High resolution RD plots of Mars vs orbiters affected by diurnal parallax. Also planet not plotted if start point not on field. From note, Jul 2004 RCW.

• Calculate range of acceptable dates based on solar distance for dynamically scheduled projects. From Mat Lister 6/17/2004.

• If PCALs are turned off, then back on, warn that they do not return to the same phase. 24 Nov 2003 RCW.

• The VLA has a filter in front of P band that cuts it off at 305 and 335 MHz. SCHED is not aware of it. Fix that. 24 Sep 2003 RCW. (consult Ken Sowinski) Maybe don't use the "front end filter at all since this other filter is earlier and is only 30 MHz.

• Plotting: For beam, get beam size and some sidelobe statistics. 21 Feb 2002 RCW.

• Allow control of peakup channel when using autopeak. 21nov2001

• Deal with DSN patching scheme. Also Mark IV geodetic patching. 15 Oct 2001 RCW.

• The various DAR types need better documentation. 19sep2001 RCW. For example, VLBAG is not documented.

• Have some scheme to test for allowed band switching at antennas that have partial capabilities. This is coming on the EVN. Also deal with availability of more than one receiver at a band. 21 June 2001 RCW.

• When two aliases are used for the same source in a schedule, there are some oddities. A .vex file ends up with two source sections, of which one is empty. The plotting acts like there are two sources, but all the plotted info is under one of them. 4 Apr 2001. RCW.

• Model frequency change times now that more antennas are getting multiple band capability. For example, on GBT it is time to point to zenith, 1 minute to rotate, and point again - up to 9 minutes. Switching from Gregorian to prime focus is about 5 minutes. So far SCHED assumes either that it happens so fast that is doesn't really matter (VLBA) or so slow that it is not done during an observation (manual box change). 8Dec2000 RCW

• Check reasonableness of requested correlator average time for Socorro correlator. Tavg=speedup*.131072*n.

• Calculate data rates with mixed integration times. Will need stations specified. 13dec99 RCW.

• Make a USUBA input file if there is any subarraying. 16nov99 RCW.

• Add an optimizing mode for startup pointing that cycles through the frequencies as fast as possible. Perhaps takes highest elevation source for each setup as it cycles through setups. 8Jun98 RCW.

• Add LEVEL to scan parameters. 27may98 RCW and Bryan Butler. It is already a setup parameter.

• Warn of times of low fringe rate when the pulse cal tones might correlate. 15apr98 RCW.

• Warn about CALCODE=G meaning the pulsar gate will be used. From paper note 8apr98 RCW

• Add PCAL tone frequency check. Early97

• Networks: For stations that don't have pulse cal injectors (eg VLA), use pulse cal detectors to get state counts. 23jan98.

• Networks: Add checks related to special requirements at many stations. An example is the need for time for peaking scans at GB.

• MarkIV: Calcodes and Qualifiers need to get to correlator either directly or through all station logs. The field system stations don't do it now. They probably should. Nov97.

• VLA: Have a better model of slew times. Probably need to account for actions happening on 10s LST boundaries. Also know setup times. Might be needed for phase referencing. 8may98. RCW.

• VLA: Some sort of DWELL time scheduling for VLA phasing is needed. Basically, deal with slew times to calibrators. Early97.

• VLA: Support fast switching. Early97

• VLA: Need horzontal parallax for PM card. Can get from distance. Early97

• VLA: Add all other VLA cards for fully capable VLA scheduling.

• VLA: Cannot use frequency catalog for VLA only observations. Can this be changed? 3Jul97 RCW.