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A Basic VLBA Schedule.

The following example gives a fairly typical schedule that relies on SCHED's defaulting schemes and standard catalogs to get most of the required information. The cover and correlator information cannot be reduced nor can the individual scan information. All of those inputs are unique to the observation. This example is probably the most useful one for users to use as a template for making their own VLBA schedules, including for observations that include an antenna of the VLA. It used to produce the same schedule as manual_1.key but that example actually shows how many items, that are defaulted or taken from standard catalogs here, can be specified in the schedule file. More recently (late 2012), manual_1.key was converted to use the wideband RDBE system. Note that manual_2.key has not yet been updated from MARK5A to MARK5C.


!  BE002 example of 3C84 observations at 6 and 4 cm.
!
!    This example used to produce the same schedule as manual_1.key
!    but uses many SCHED defaults and is missing most comments.
!    It shows approximately the sort of file a users would 
!    normally make.  Note that all catalogs are defaulted.
!
!    On Nov. 1, 2012, this example was modified to use the GBT
!    rather than the VLA which can no longer do legacy style
!    observations.  Eventually it, like manual_2.key, will be
!    moved to the new wide band systems.
!
overwrit
! ==========================================================
! =================  Cover Information  ====================
! ==========================================================

version  = 1 
expt     = 'Example: 3C84 6, and 4 cm'
expcode  = BE002
obstype  = VLBA

piname   = 'Craig Walker'    
address1 = 'National Radio Astronomy Observatory'  
address2 = 'P. O. Box O'                           
address3 = 'Socorro, New Mexico, 87801'
address4 = ' U.S.A. '
phone    = '505 835 7247 '    
obsphone = '505 835 7247 '     
email    = 'cwalker@nrao.edu'  
fax      = '505 835 7027 '   
obsmode  = 'Continuum'
correl   = 'Socorro'           
note1    = ' ' 

! ==========================================================
! ==============  Correlator Information  ==================
! ==========================================================

correl   = 'Socorro'
coravg   = 4
corchan  = 16
cornant  = 10
corpol   = 'on'
corwtfn  = 'uniform'
corsrcs  = 'SCHED'
cortape  = FTP
corship1 = 'Craig Walker'
corship2 = 'P. O. Box O'
corship3 = 'Socorro NM 87801'
cornote1 = ' '
!

! ==========================================================
! ======= Standard Source and Station Catalogs  ============
! ==========================================================

stafile  = $SCHED/catalogs/stations.dat
srcfile  = $SCHED/catalogs/sources.vlba
freqfile = $SCHED/catalogs/freq.dat


! ==========================================================
! ==================== Setup Information ===================
! ==========================================================
!  The first setup file shows the bare minimum that needs to
!  be specified.  Essentially all of this information would
!  be needed to choose one of the standard setup files.  This
!  one would correspond to v6cm-64-4-1.set, with a possible
!  slight frequency offset between what is in the specific
!  "standard setups" and what is generated using BAND=6cm.

setinit = v6cm.set /
   nchan    = 4   
   band     = '6cm'
   bbfilter = 8.0
   bits     = 1  
   pol      = dual          
   /
endset /

!  For the second example setup, the user forces the 
!  frequencies, BBC's, sidebands, and format.  It still
!  relies on the frequency catalog for the IF assignments
!  and for many VLA parameters.  There are a lot more 
!  parameters that could be forced in extreme cases.

setinit = v4cm.set /
   nchan    = 4   
   freqref  = 8416.99       
   freqoff  = -3.5, -3.5, 4.5, 4.5
   bbfilter = 8.0 
   bits     = 1  
   bbc      = 1,    2,    3,   4
   netside  = U,    U,    U,   U
   pol      = RCP,  LCP,  RCP, LCP
   format   = VLBA1:4
   /
endset /

! ==========================================================
! ========================  The Scans  =====================
! ==========================================================
year  = 1995 
month = 10 
day   = 22 
start = 01:30:00

!  Note use of station codes.  Names could also be used.
stations = SC, HN, NL, FD, LA, PT, KP, OV, BR, MK, GBT_VLBA

Source = 3C454.3   Dur   = 5:30   Setup = v6cm.set    /
Source = 3C454.3   Dwell = 5:30   Setup = v4cm.set /

stations = SC, HN, NL, FD, LA, PT, KP, OV, BR, GBT_VLBA

group 4 rep 14  ! About 3 hours in 12 repeats of the next 4 scans.
Source = 3C84      Dur   = 3:00  gap = 2:00  Setup = v6cm.set /
Source = 3C84      Dwell = 3:00  gap = 0     Setup = v4cm.set /
Source = 0309+411  Dwell = 2:00  /
Source = 3C84      Dwell = 3:00  /

!  Add MK
stations = SC, HN, NL, FD, LA, PT, KP, OV, BR, MK, GBT_VLBA

group 4 rep 14  !   About 3 hours.
Source = 3C84      Dur   = 3:00  gap = 2:00  Setup = v6cm.set /
Source = 3C84      Dwell = 3:00  gap = 0     Setup = v4cm.set /
Source = 0309+411  Dwell = 2:00  /
Source = 3C84      Dwell = 3:00  /

group 8 rep 15  !  6.5 hours
Source = 3C84      Dur   = 3:00  gap = 2:00  Setup = v6cm.set /
Source = 0552+398  Dwell = 3:00  gap = 0     /
Source = 0552+398  Dwell = 2:00  gap = 0     Setup = v4cm.set /
Source = 3C84      Dwell = 3:00  gap = 0     /
         
Source = 3C84      Dur   = 3:00  gap = 2:00  Setup = v6cm.set /  
Source = 3C84      Dwell = 3:00  gap = 0     Setup = v4cm.set /
Source = 0309+411  Dwell = 2:00  /
Source = 3C84      Dwell = 3:00  /
       
Source = 3C273     Dur   = 5:30  gap = 3:00  Setup = v6cm.set / 
Source = 3C273     Dwell = 5:30  gap = 0:00  Setup = v4cm.set /

! ==========================================================
! ========================  End of example  ================
! ==========================================================



Craig Walker 2014-06-17