20160301AVN NewtonTrainingHartRAO Issue1LoResavntraining.hartrao.ac.za/images/Schools/2017March/AVN2017.pdf · RFI measur nt and ly si t Ar iv on ma A l l a n a l y e s a n d e n

So&let’s&switch&gears&to&focus&on&conversion&projects&

18

Discussion$1$•  Imagine$that$you$are$a$project$manager.$A$senior$official$approaches$you$and$instructs$you$to$convert$a$redundant$telecommunica@ons$system$into$a$radio$telescope.$Where$do$you$start?$$

•  What$are$the$things$you$need$to$consider?$$

19

Exercise$•  Split$up$in$two$groups$–$Kenya$and$Zambia$(Mafu$please$join$your$neighbour$Zambia)$

•  Kenya$–$you$are$instructed$by$your$government$to$convert$a$32m$telecomms$dish$in$Algeria$into$a$telescope.$What&nonPtechnical&invesQgaQons&/&quesQons&/&tasks&will&you&start&with?&

•  Zambia$–$you$are$instructed$by$your$government$to$convert$a$32m$telecomms$dish$in$Mauritania$into$a$telescope.$What&are&the&most&immediate&technical&issues&you&will&tackle&and&how&will&you&tackle&them?&&

10&minutes&–&assign&someone&to&present&your&main&points&(2&minutes&feedback&per&team)&

20

Discussion$1$

• Poli@cs$• Governance$• Engineering$• People$See&handout&of&example&–&high&level&possible&process&

overview&

21

Possible 32m Antenna Conversion at Arivonimamo (Madagascar) for radio astronomy (VLBI) – Project Process Overview for discussion

12-18 months

Proceed with technical work, technology & skills transfer

AVN Implementation Options

OverviewArivonimamo, Madagascar

Nov 2015 N.T.S.

A

DATE ORIGINAL

Revision

SCALE

Approved

REVISIONS

A 16/12 For discussion

NO. DATE DESCRIPTION

A. LootsDRAWNCHECKED

Drawing No.&TITLE:

Note:

1. This diagram depicts high level processes for discussion purposes only and is as anticipated given current Experiences in the AVN team 2. Drawing is not to scale and does not represent a project schedule or system engineering management plan.3. Botswana trainees for the observatory essential training (ASTT training) to be based at HartRAO and / or Cape Town in South Africa.

Bilateral (Government -to -

Government) Agreement signed

by Ministers to include clauses on Radio Astronomy /

AVN and SKA

(DST in South Africa working with relevant department in partner country to assist with costing and planning for infrastructure and the telescope system, institutional set-up etc. if needed)

Interim team / committee in Madagascar mandated to proceed with governance /

institutional issues – SA to support if needed

Madagascar to gather and supply

requested technical info on current status and site development

plans to SA team

Madagascar in-house Human Capital Development Programmes to establish required competence (science and engineering)

Governance go/no-go. Conformation of Madagascar funding for their

responsibilities ito scope of work

Self-sufficient Single Dish Radio Astronomy Observatory primarily for training - operations and maintenance in and by partner country

SKA specific training and skills transfer for future hosting SKA remote station

System installation, integration and

commissioning at Arivonimamo – joint implementation of all

technical work

Madagascar to finalise and secure

operations and related funding and recruit

observatory teams as needed etc

Scie

nce

obse

rvat

ion

dem

onst

ratio

n / f

inal

pro

ject

del

iver

able

, “ha

nd-o

ver”

en

gine

erin

g to

sci

ence

Identification and recruitment of Malagasy team to be trained during the

project conversion phase

Madagascar to plan for and implement governance issues to ensure sustainability: establishment of “Home” for Radio Astronomy in

Madagascar (ownership of telescope facility after commissioning) – including arrangements for staff / employment, operations and maintenance funding,

training programmes, etc.

Joint SA / Malagasy effort to agree schedule, engineering details and

responsibilities, science training, etc.

Prepare Malagasy team for 6-months training in South Africa (visas etc.)

Malagasy team executes initial site work at Arivonimamo to limit deterioration of

all aspects of the site as per agreed scope of work and engineering

schedule

Madagascar technical feasibility site visit to discuss options and interest

Rece

ive

info

from

Mad

agas

car,

Initi

al v

iew

s on

feas

ibili

ty th

roug

h e-

mai

l bas

ed c

onsu

ltatio

n an

d ex

chan

ges

of in

fo

Nov 2015 / early 2016

Negotiate MOU for technical collaboration on conversion project – between “home of RA in Madagascar” and SKA SA / NRF (clearly outlines responsibilities of both teams, scope of work and deliverables to completion of

the project)

Technical go/no-goSeptember 2016

6-7 months

Full

conv

ersi

on p

roje

ct s

tarts

on

site

– re

leva

nt M

alag

asy

team

mem

bers

in S

A as

ne

eded

to b

uild

equ

ipm

ent,

othe

rs in

Mad

agas

car t

o m

ake

prog

ress

on

spec

ific

task

s as

per

wor

k br

eakd

own

stru

ctur

e

Note: This diagram does not show any activities that might be needed to prepare the proposed Madagascar SKA remote sites for SKA Phase 2 deployment

Technical site visit(s) by SA to Madagascar as

needed following evaluation of

submitted documentation &

other info

?

RFI measurement and analysis at Arivonimamo

All a

naly

ses

and

engi

neer

ing

repo

rts c

ompl

eted

, act

ion

plan

ag

reed

for R

FI m

itiga

tion.

Suita

bilit

y fo

r con

vers

ion

conf

irmed

, sci

ence

cas

e ou

tline

d

Malagasy team prepares on-site facilities to enable technical team to be acommodated on site at Arivonimamo

during technical / engineering visits

December 2016? July 2017?

Sign

MO

U an

d m

anda

te e

ngin

eerin

g pr

ogra

mm

es to

pro

ceed

Fringes demonstration as final project deliverable

December 2018?

12-18 months depending on processes in partner country, readiness of partner country to fund selected activities, etc.

22

Pillars$of$a$project$

Schedule$

Cost$Quality$System&engineering$

Project&management$

Project&management$Tension&

Risk&management$

23

User$requirements$defini@on$

User$spec$

System$design$&$modeling$ System$spec$

SubPsystem$design$$&$prototyping$

SubPsystem$spec$

Component$specifica@on$

Opera@onal$tes@ng$

System$integra@on$&$tes@ng$

SubPsystem$integra@on$&$tes@ng$

$Manufacture$

Component$integra@on$&$

tes@ng$

ProducQon&go/noPgo$

VerificaQonPdriven&boYomPup&integraQon$

RiskPdriven&concurrent&design$

Verifica2on$

Verifica2on$

Verifica2on$

Valida2on$

Time$

Typical$systems$engineering$approach$for$new$systems$

24

Discussion$2$•  How$is$the$process$different$for$a$conversion$project?$

25

Discussion$2$

• Reali@es$to$accept$–$RFI,$system$age$and$duty$cycles$in$past,$data$packs;$

• Design$life$of$the$converted$system;$• Engineering:$

–  Structural$and$mechanical;$$–  Control$and$monitoring$engineering;$–  Radio$Frequency$engineering;$– Digital$electronics;$–  So^ware$–$including$data$processing.$

26

User$requirements$defini@on$

User$spec$

System$design$&$modeling$ System$spec$

SubPsystem$design$$&$prototyping$

SubPsystem$spec$

Component$specifica@on$

Opera@onal$tes@ng$

System$integra@on$&$tes@ng$

SubPsystem$integra@on$&$tes@ng$

$Manufacture$

Component$integra@on$&$

tes@ng$

ProducQon&go/noPgo$

VerificaQonPdriven&boYomPup&integraQon$

RiskPdriven&concurrent&design$

Verifica2on$

Verifica2on$

Verifica2on$

Valida2on$

Time$

Systems$engineering$approach$for$conversions?$

Radio$Frequency$measurement$campaigns$to$assess$feasibility$

of$doing$science$

Technical$feasibility$inves@ga@ons$to$assess$system$condi@on,$documenta@on,$maintenance$logs$etc.$

“Back$engineering”,$analyses$etc$for$new$duty$cycles$etc.$

27

KUNTUNSE VLBI STATION CONVERSION PROJECT: URS

Document number ............................................................... A0200-0001-000

Revision ......................................................................................... Revision 1

Classification ......................................................... Commercial in Confidence

Author ............................................................................... Sunelle Schietekat

Date ................................................................................... 6 November 2014

Client : NRF (National Research Foundation) Project : AVN Ghana Type : User Requirements Specification (URS)

Client : NRF (National Research Foundation) Project : AVN Ghana Type : User Requirements Specification (URS)

GHANAIAN AVN

SMWG

!!!!!

FEA!MODEL!OF!THE!GHANA!32M!ANTENNA!STRUCTURE!

ALIDADE!STRUCTURE!AND!ELEVATION!ASSEMBLY!!

GHANAIAN&AVN&SMWG&

28-May-14&!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

&RECORD&OF&REVISION&

!

Issue! Date! Author! ECP&no!

Changes! Signature!Draft!1! 28!May!2014! Severin!Azankpo! N/A! NC! !

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!

!

The!purpose!of!this!document!is!to!investigate!the!flexural!deformation!of!the!Ghana!Kuntunse!32m!antenna!structures!due!to!its!own!weight!and!also!obtain!the!translational!displacements!of!a!set!of!data!points!located!on!the!main!reflector!panel!surface!as!an!output!file!for!further!analysis.!

28

Verifica@on$and$Integra@on$

•  Integra@on$–$assembly$of$products$into$a$higher$order$product$/$system;$

• Verifica@on$–$check$whether$the$product$meets$specifica@ons;$

• Valida@on$–$check$whether$the$product$meets$the$opera@onal$needs,$expecta@ons$and$requirements$of$the$user.$See&handout&of&example&–&Ghana&I&V&diagram&

March&–&August&2016&

29

Drawing number:A0200-0001-007

Revision:Draft 7D

Authors:Kobus Cloete

Date:08/02/2016

Sheets:

1 of 1

Ghana Station System Integration & Verification Plan

SignatureDateDesignationName

T.L. Venkatasubramani AVN Project Manager

Submitted by:

Approved by:

Approved by:

Document approval:

Kobus Cloete

Anita Loots

Project Engineer

Associate Director, Special Projects SKA-SA

VE 111

VE 112

VE 2.3

VE 137

VE 125

VE 4.500

VE 121

136

VE 120

VE 300

VE 1.300

VE 70

VE 162

VE 130

VE 80.2

VE 165

VE 160

VE 132

VE 161

VE 131

VE 133 VE 135VE 134

VE 1.80

VE 3.80

ASCS wiring safe for

integration AT complete

VE 80ASCS

integrated with antenna

Electrical re-wiring of antenna

VE 80.3

Protection of telescope

VE 200.1Manual steered

Calibration source drift scan

VE 200

Receiver Tsys

Antenna impedance

Antenna Safe for limited azimuth

movement

Weather station Standalone AT

ASCS (Cabinet 1) Phase 1 AT completed

ASCS (Cabinet 2) Wiring AT completed

Ship

ASCS integrated in Lab

(Cabinet 2 Phase 1 AT completed)

Quad legs and sub-reflector

replacedAT completed

Receiver site integration AT

RF controller Standalone AT

Receiver to HartRAO

Receiver to site

RF controller,Infrastructure

control PC, Analysis PC, Partial TFR,

DBBC, and Mk 5 ship to site

RF controller site integration AT

Receiver/ RF controller/ science processors/TFR lab

integration AT

FULL Receiver integrated in lab standalone AT

Receiver characterised (at HartRAO)

Infrastructure Control PC site installation

(Release 2)

Infrastructure Control PC Standalone AT

(Release 1)

Infrastructure Controller Lab Standalone AT

Field System Standalone Lab AT

(Release 1)

ASCS (Cabinet 1) Wiring AT completed

ASCS Software Standalone AT

(Release 1)

Field System (Release 2)

ASCS Software (Release 2)

Station Control PC Standalone Lab AT

(Release 1)

Ship Cabinet 1 to site

Station Control PC site installation

Infrastructure control Lab AT

Ship

VE 100

Mk5 lab ATP

VE 150

Partial TFR Standalone test

VE 101

DBBC lab ATP

VE 126

Infrastructure controller and

weather station site installation

VE 103

Analysis PC lab ATP

VE 102

DBE Standalone Test (Release 1)

VE 104

Test jig lab ATP

VE 105

DBBC and Mk5 site integration AT

VE 106

DBE and Analysis PC site integration AT

VE 151

Partial TFR site integration AT

Laboratory integrationSite integrationCompleted verification events

VE 450Demonstration of

data transport from Ghana to

HartRAO

April 2016 May 2016 June 2016March 2016

VE 170

Firewall PC lab standalone AT VE 171

Firewall PC site installation

Ship

· VE – Verification event· Verification – formal testing of

assembly against specifications· Integration – assembly of products

into a higher level assembly

Engineering Stabilisation· Azimuth range increase to +-270

degrees· Integration and long term

performance evaluation of maser· Azimuth bearing (if needed - after

critical study of the adequacy of pintle bearing solution)

· Sub-reflector position optimisation· Photogrammetry· Receiver stability checks and

actions thereof· Receiver phase stability· Integration and verification of

Pulsar Timer· Antenna characterisation

Science Stabilisation· Pointing model (radio and optical)· Raster scan beam shape

verification· System Equivalent Flux Density

(SEFD) verification· Tipping curve and Tsys

measurements· Gain and phase stability

charaterisation· Observing schedule development

and organisation· Methanol maser spectroscopy and

monitoring· Data handling and storing· Sun and Moon observations

Training and documentation· Operator training· Maintainer training· Verification of support package· Verification of system

configuration

VE 80.1

Antenna characterisation

VE 2.500

Basic Optical Pointing &

tracking

VE 2.500

Full Optical tracking for 1

hour

VE 400.1Software

steered drift scan

VE 300.1Software steered

calibration source drift scan

VE 1.500

Basic RF Pointing

VE 500.1

Methanol Maser

observation (6.7 GHz)

VE 500

Basic (RF) Tracking

VE 500.2

Continuum Observations (5 & 6.7 GHz)

VE 2.7Receiver

integrated with VLBI

VE 500.5

Fringes with HartRAO detected

VE 500.6

VLBI observations

VE 500.7

FRINGE DEMO(Detect Fringes)

POST FRINGE DEMO ACTIVITIES

July 2016 ……

The risk management process (1)

Step&1:&Risk&percepQon&/&idenQficaQon$

Note:$$•  Through$various$mechanisms,$

mainly$ongoing$discussion$and$an$holis@c$view$of$the$full$system.$$$

•  Review$points$essen@al;$$•  Regular$interna@onal$input$helps.$$

Risk$management$

Step&2:&Risk&assessment$

Note:$$•  Always$in$close$collabora@on$with$

all$stakeholders$including$funders$(cost$risk$for$conversions$are$extremely$high$at$the$start$of$the$project),$the$project$directors,$manager(s)$and$subPsystem$teams.$

Calculate:&Risk&Exposure&(RE)&=&Probability&Score&x&&(Cost&Impact&Score&+&Schedule&Impact&Score)&

The risk management process (2) Risk$management$

Step&3:&Risk&management$

Possible$risk$management$ac@ons:$•  Avoidance$P$Eliminate$the$source$of$high$risk,$and$replace$it$

with$an$alterna@ve$that$has$a$more$acceptable$risk.$$This$usually$involves$a$change$in$concept,$requirements,$and$specifica@ons$or$project$plan.$

•  Transference$–$Hand$over$risk$and$accompanying$responsibili@es$to$another$party.$

•  MiQgaQon$–$Develop$alterna@ve$designs$or$plans,$prototypes,$models$and$simula@ons,$to$reduce$the$risk.$Efforts$can$target$reducing$probability$or$the$consequences.$

•  Acceptance$–$If$there$is$no$alterna@ve$or$it$is$simply$decided$to$accept$the$consequences,$addi@onal$resources$need$to$be$allocated.$$

The risk management process (3) Risk$management$

Step&3:&Risk&management$

Step&2:&Risk&assessment$

Step&1:&Risk&percepQon&/&idenQficaQon$

The risk management process Risk$management$

•  Kenya$•  Longonot$

•  Zambia$•  Mwembeshi$

•  Ghana$•  Kutunse$

•  Madagascar$•  Tsirinana$

Conversion$sta@ons$

The&example&of&the&Ghana&conversion&project&

A0400-0000-005

Commercial In Confidence Revision: C

24 June 2015 Commercial In Confidence Page 14 of 56

Max Hold ON Sweep Time Auto

Amplitude Units dBm Reference Amplitude 0dBm

Range/Scale 100dB Trigger Mode Free Running

4.3.3 Orientate Antenna Point the Antenna in the direction/source of interest (from Figure 1), and physically adjust the orientation for the desired polarization (horizontal or vertical) as in Figure 4 below.

Figure 4. Antenna Orientation for Horizontal and Vertical Polarisation (respectively)

4.3.4 Record Data Clear the current trace on the Spectrum Analyser and start the Max Hold function to begin a measurement over a predefined duration. The duration should be as long as practically possible, but preferably greater than 2 minutes to obtain a representative sample if observing a communications tower/mast.

Save the measurement in a format that will allow exporting and post processing of the Power vs Frequency data from the Spectrum Analyser.

Include the unique alphabetical identifier for the measurement direction in the filename.

A0400-0000-005



4.3 MEASUREMENT PROCEDURE The procedure consists of:

x Ensuring all wireless devices on-site are switched off x Setting up the Test Equipment x Performing measurements and recording data for all directions (as per the measurement plan in

Figure 1) in both Horizontal and Vertical polarisations

4.3.1 Ensure all Wireless Devices On-Site are Switched Off Ensure that ALL wireless devices on-site are switched off for the duration of the measurement. At least a day’s notice to all personnel is recommended.

The following devices should be considered: (This list is not exhaustive, and as such all attempts should be made to indentify all wireless devices)

x Cellular Phones, Laptops, Tablets x Wi-Fi Devices – Modems, Cameras, Remote Controls, Televisions, etc.. x Bluetooth Devices – Mice, Watches, Remote Controls, Music Centre’s, Vehicles with Hands

Free Kits, etc..

4.3.2 Setup Test Equipment The first order of measurements will be performed with only an Antenna and a Spectrum Analyser to identify strong sources of interference. These are typically from ubiquitous communication towers/masts.

Complete the setup as in Figure 3 below. (Mains power connection is not shown)

LPDA

TripodStand

(shown not fully

extended)

FSQ40 Spectrum Analyser

Figure 3. Setup to Identify Strong Sources of Interference

Set up the Spectrum Analyser as follows:

Parameter Type Value Start Frequency 1MHz Stop Frequency 10GHz

Resolution Bandwidth 0.1MHz, 3MHz, 20MHz, 50MHz

Video Bandwidth 3MHz Sweep Points 30,001

Measurement Mode Spectrum Analyser

Preamplifier None Attenuation 5dB

Trace Detector Type Max Peak

A0400-0000-005



4.3.5 Identify and Investigate Possible Sources of Interference Signals that are within the pass or transition bands of the Receiver sub-system are of special interest. Upon identifying possible sources of concern, investigate further by doing the following:

x Reduce the Resolution Bandwidth as far as possible without reducing the level of the observed signal.

x Reduce the Frequency Span so that it does not exceed the product of the Resolution Bandwidth and the number of Sweep Points.

x Adjust the orientation of the Antenna between the horizontal and vertical limits to find the angle that effects the maximum received power or Electric Field Strength. Record the approximate angle once it is determined.

x Record all data as per Section 4.3.4 above.

4.3.6 Achieving Better Sensitivity Weak signals might not be observable on a Spectrum Analyser, and this could be exacerbated by the presence of strong signals. Because of the (sometimes automatic) front-end attenuation employed, sensitivity can be lost, and signals will be below the displayed noise floor of the Spectrum Analyser.

In this instance the dynamic range requirement on the Spectrum Analyser can be alleviated by employing a filter to filter out the strong signals, which are typically cellular phone related. Also the input signal can be amplified in the area of interest.

Since the Ghana Receiver would operate in the frequency bands of 4.95GHz to 5.012GHz and 6.618GHz to 6.718GHz, we would be most interested in interfering sources from approximately 4.5GHz to 7GHz, and a High Pass Filter with a cut-off frequency of approximately 4.5GHz would be adequate to reduce the dynamic range requirement on the Spectrum Analyser.

For better sensitivity in the 4.5GHz to 7GHz frequency range, complete the measurements with a setup as shown in Figure 5 below, and record all data as per Section 4.3.4. Note a 3.7GHz High-Pass Filter was used.

3.7GHz High-Pass Filter

LPDA

TripodStand

30-40 dB LNA

1m SMA-SMA Cable

1m SMA-SMA Cable

FSQ40 Spectrum Analyser

Figure 5. Measurement Setup with a High-Pass Filter and LNA

A0400-0000-005



Table 5. Excerpt from Zambia’s ZICTA Frequency Allocation Table for 3.1GHz to 4.8GHz

Table 6. Excerpt from Zambia’s ZICTA Frequency Allocation Table for 4.8GHz to 5.091GHz

A0400-0000-005



4.2 MEASUREMENT PLAN A survey strategy was documented prior to performing measurements. This strategy will be used as a reference for future measurements as an RFI survey needs to be conducted on a regular basis.

The measurement plan for the Mwembeshi Station is as depicted in Figure 1 below.

A

B

C

DE

F

G

HNORTH

Towr

Figure 1. Measurement Plan for the Mwembeshi Station

Each direction of measurement is assigned a unique alphabetical identifier to be used as a reference for cataloguing all data. The positions from where the measurements are to be performed are also indicated in Figure 1 above so that measurements can be repeated at the same physical locations.

37

“VLBI%=%Science%+%Poli0cs”&

People&

Holis@c$approach$P$people$

39$

ArQsans&P&trades&(formal$training$towards$a$

qualifica@on$as$an$ar@sans$and$other$tradesmen$etc.)$

Short&courses&not&leading&to&degree&/&diploma&&

(eg$Newton$Fund,$short$courses$(soldering,$CAD,$FEKO$etc.))$

Observatory&EssenQal&Skills&&(handsPon$6$month$training$of$6$member$team$from$partner$country$in$SA$and$thereaêr$$

during$conversion)$

TerQary&qualificaQon&(aimed$at$ensuring$a$robust$user$/$research$community,$incl.$scien@sts,$engineers,$

technicians,$etc.)$

Training&for&the&AVN&and&towards&selfPsufficiency&in&maintenance&and&operaQons&of&AVN&staQons&and&parQcipaQon&in&SKA2$

40

PhD&PhD&

MEng&

MSc&

Ghana$core$essen@al$observatory$team$trained$in$SA$during$2013$/$2014$ PhD&

One&per&discipline:&Structural$&$Mechanical$Engineering,$Control$and$Monitoring$Engineering,$Analog$&$Digital$Electronics$(Signal$Chain$/$RF$Engineering,$So^ware$($data$

processing,$control$so^ware,$user$interfaces$etc.),$project$management.$

41

Ghana$–$tangible$benefits$$A$10Pyear$journey$towards$a$robust$research$community$

•  In$2012,$no$university$in$Ghana$offered$Astrophysics.$In$2015,$all$par@cipate$in$the$Royal$Society$Astrophysics$training$because$of$AVN.$$

•  PhD$bursaries$awarded$to$Ghanaians$since$the$start$of$AVN$in$Ghana:$–  1$PhD$to$complete$in$2016,$now$Chief$Scien@st$of$Kutunse$Observatory;$–  3$PhD$bursaries$to$members$of$AVN$Core$Essen@al$Observatory$Staff$trained$in$SA;$

•  MEng$bursary$to$Severin$Azankpo$(mechanical$engineering)$and$one$other$member$of$AVN$Core$Essen@al$Observatory$Staff$trained$in$SA;$$

•  Royal$Society$programme$–$12$trainees$completed$one$year$training,$second$group$of$14$selected$by$Prof$Melvin$Hoare$(UK)$in$October$2015;$

•  Unprecedented$interest$from$Ghanaians$in$postPgraduate$SKA$SA$bursaries$for$studies$from$2016$onwards$in$fields$previously$unknown$or$inaccessible$to$them:$–  7$Ghanaian$applicants$for$MPlevel$SKA$SA$bursaries,$AVN$to$award$bursaries$to$3;$–  5$Ghanaian$applicants$for$PhDPlevel$SKA$SA$bursaries,$none$successful$but$1$selected$

for$Young$Professionals$Development$(YPD)$programme$and$to$be$based$in$AVN$team$for$2016.$$

42

Ghana$“Return$on$Investment”$Skills$transfer$to$GAEC,$GSSTI$and$industry$

•  Ghana$Radio$Astronomy$Club$launched$with$funding$provided$by$AVN$–$now$has$over$100$members$and$meets$weekly,$chaired$by$Head$of$School$of$Science$(SNAS);$–  3$outreach$events$per$term,$the$1st$$is$a$presenta@on$on$astronomy$(students$

introduced$to$the$science$of$astronomy)$&$observa@ons$they$can$do$on$their$phone,$2nd$involves$a$Kutunse$visit,$3rd$involves$building$of$simple$op@cal$telescopes.$

•  Team$of$10$riggers$/painters$complete$antenna$refurbishment$&$paint$contract$at$a$frac@on$of$the$cost$of$any$compe@ng$bid;$

•  GAEC$workshop$contracted$for$manufacture$and$supply$of$major$structural$repair$(quadropod$replacement)$in$2016;$

•  Several$other$contracts$awarded$to$suppliers$in$Ghana.$

43

Ghanaian$riggers$and$painters$during$their$contract$(top)&and$the$refurbished$antenna$structure$

(right)&

•  8$weeks$training$per$year$for$the$selected$trainees;$–  Unit$1:$Astrophysics,$Radio$Astronomy$Theory$and$Mul@PWavelength$

Astronomy;$–  Unit$2:$Observa@onal$Training;$–  Unit$3:$Technical$(Instrumenta@on$and$Engineering)$Training;$–  Unit$4:$Radio$Astronomy$Data$Reduc@on$and$Analysis.$

•  Annual$Network$Training$Mee@ng$(~$1$week)$$

Royal$Society$project$–$annually$

45

Ghana$–$first$Royal$Society$(forerunner$to$Newton$Fund)$trainees$

Ghana$–$second$Royal$Society$(forerunner$to$Newton$Fund)$trainees$

46

“Baby$telescope”$key$training$tool$as$part$of$knowledge$transfer$and$handsPon$immersive$learning$

Laboratory,$handskills$and$IPC$soldering$course$and$cer@ficate$

47

Ghana$team$growing…$

Telescope&engineering&

Reflector$Surface$Accuracy$and$availability$

49

Ghana$Finite$Element$$Model$

Ghana$Wind$Sta@s@cs$(Accra$Airport)$

Availability$Requirement$ Surface$error$map$

50

51

52

53

54$

A0210-0000- Rev A 8 Mar 2015 Page 21 of 38

VISIT REPORT

SMWG Site Visit 3_4

A0210-0000- Rev A 8 Mar 2015 Page 31 of 38

VISIT REPORT

SMWG Site Visit 3_4

Figure 22: Stow pin motor installed – modified stow pin engaged

Ghana$(March$2015)$replacing$shock$absorbers,$stow$pin$brackets,$stow$pins,$limit$switches$

3D-models from on-site measurements

55$

56$

A0210-0000- Rev A 8 Mar 2015 Page 27 of 38

VISIT REPORT

SMWG Site Visit 3_4

Figure 17: Removal of azimuth motor (wheel 1)

Figure 18: Removal of azimuth motor (wheel 2)

A0210-0000- Rev A 8 Mar 2015 Page 28 of 38

VISIT REPORT

SMWG Site Visit 3_4

Figure 19: Removal of first Az motor

Removal of both elevation and azimuth motors and recording of interface dimensions

for MOOG plate design, removal of clutch plates from all 4 motors, temporary protection

of interface for gearbox (longer term protection will be required, “grease cakes” in azimuth axle bearing housings (found in all

bearings – probably poor maintenance during operational life)).

57

Ghana$(March$2015)$prepara@on$for$new$cabling$(currently$under$way)$

A0210-0000- Rev A 8 Mar 2015 Page 34 of 38

VISIT REPORT

SMWG Site Visit 3_4

Figure 25: Paint sorted and re-located to foyer

58

Ghana$(March$2015)$prepara@on$–$checking$mirror$alignment,$replace$feed$cover$and$clips,$center$limit$switches,$refurbish$brakes$

59$

3D-models from on-site measurements

60

Ghana$(April$2015)$rePwiring$of$the$en@re$system,$emergency$stops,$lights,$limit$switches$connected$and$tested,$etc.$

61

Ghana$(May$2015)$first$stage$of$signal$chain$for$tes@ng$

62

Error: Reference source not found

Commercial In Confidence Revision: A

May 16 2015 12 07 350.4 76.5

Moon Az El

May 15 2015 09 22 84.5 87.1

May 15 2015 09 27 80.3 88.3

May 15 2015 09 32 57.5 89.4

May 15 2015 09 34 06 356.2 89.7

May 15 2015 09 37 293.2 89.2

May 15 2015 09 42 279.7 88.0

It was too cloudy in the evening for optical pointing with the ASTT.

Friday 15/5/2015

Moon drift scan

From the calculations made the day before the moon looked like a reasonable target for a drift scan. Set up the FSH8 to record a spectrum every 15seconds. Then averaged the data across the 6GHz band. If I did this again I would

1. Increase the recording rate to at least 1 scan every 5 seconds.

2. Increase the range available for the measurement.

3. Use a power meter to aid in data extraction.

4. Have a better script set up to record data (this was limited by the FSH8 communication interfaces which are not easy to use).

The following should be noted regarding this plot:

1. The scan does not tell use anything useful about the antenna that we don't know from the hot/cold load tests. We have only a rough idea where the antenna is pointed (nominally at zenith or elevation =90 degrees). The moon went to a maximum elevation of 89.7 degrees at 09h34m06s. This is ~0.3 degrees from zenith. The moon has an angular radius of ~0.25 degrees. The antenna half-power beam-width at 6.7GHz ~0.1degrees. So we probably only got the edge of the moon for a small period of time.

2. This measurement is not repeatable until we can move the antenna and monitor angle positions. This is very much a target of opportunity observation, and in no way means that the antenna is ready for astronomy. The moon does not usually pass so close to zenith.

3. The measurement is very preliminary. I can think of a number of issues with it, so it should not be circulated yet.

The hot/cold load tests on Thursday give a Tsys of ~110K. This is reflected in plot below.

Moon has a temperature of ~220K. If the moon went directly through the beam, we would expect the peak to be at Tsys+Tmoon = 110K+220K = 330K. The difference could be due to the moon not passing directly through the centre of the main beam.

A measurement point at t=150s is omitted from the plot, as we reset the instrument settings midway through the measurement due to concerns about measurement dynamic range.,

Error: Reference source not found Commercial In Confidence Page 16 of 18

Antenna$not$steerable$at$present$(safety,$etc.).$So$

not$first$light$but$nevertheless$liêd$the$

morale.$

63

“Baby$telescope”$in$use$for$outreach,$so^ware$

development,$development$of$the$poin@ng$model$for$the$big$

telescope$etc.$

64$

Methanol Maser G 9.62HartRAO ATNF correlator, 2 minute integration

65$

Ghana&(March2015)&replacing&shock&absorbers,&stow&pin&brackets&and&stow&pins&

15$April$2015$P$Early$results$from$Hartrao$digital$backend$deployment$successfully$resolved$a$methanol$maser$using$ROACHPbased$spectrometer,$and$confirmed$it$with$measurements$from$HartRAO$instruments.$

Methanol Maser G 9.62AVN High-resolution spectrometer, 130 ms integration

66

Ghana$–$new$quad$leg$structure$to$be$assembled$on$prePconstructed$plinths$and$jig,$liêd$into$

place$(planned$for$April$2016)$

Old$Quad$legs$to$be$braced,$removed$

67

GAEC$workshop$manager$Severin$Azankpo$(studying$towards$MEng$in$SA),$with$welders$in$training$in$Ghana$(Alex$Narh$(GAEC)$and$Sampson$Saah$(GAEC))$$

&

68

Manufacturing$of$quad$legs$for$replacement$in$Ghana&

69

Welder$training$in$Ghana&

70

Reshad&Ebrahim&(CAM$P1$student),&Mondi&Manzini&(YPD),&Mathews&Chorindo&(Senior$

Electronics$/$CAM$engineer)$Wiring$of$ASC$cabinet$&

Ruzwe&Majinjiva&(AVN$electrician)$Wiring$of$ASC$cabinet$&

Norah&Mogakwe&(AVN$CAM$Technician)$and$Asavela&Sigonya&(CAM$P1$student)$

Assembly$of$Ghana$control$units&

71

William&Walbrugh&(AVN$Mechanical$Engineer)$

Ghana$motors$and$drives$test$rig$$

A0200-0001-035

Commercial In Confidence Revision: 1

27 July 2015 Commercial In Confidence Page 9 of 29

4.2 MEASUREMENT PLAN A survey strategy was documented prior to performing measurements. This strategy will be used as a reference for future measurements as an RFI survey needs to be conducted on a regular basis.

The measurement plan for the Ghana Station is as depicted in Figure 1 below from locations on top of the building.

Entrance

A

B

C

D

E

FGH

I

J

K

L M

NORTH

HI

FG

Figure 1. Measurement Plan for the Ghana Station

Each direction of measurement was assigned a unique alphabetical identifier to be used as a reference for cataloguing all data. The positions from where the measurements were performed are also indicated in Figure 1 above so that measurements can be repeated at the same physical locations.

A0200-0001-035



5 DISCUSSION OF TEST RESULTS The graphs of the test results can be found in Section 7.

With the High-Pass Filter before the external LNA and Spectrum Analyser, the input power was sufficiently low to prevent the detection of intermodulation products.

The graphs in Section 7 indicate the presence of the following potentially interfering signals. Table 5 below lists the potentially interfering signals.

Table 5. Cardinal Direction of Potentially Interfering Sources

Frequency (GHz) Source's Cardinal Direction

4.92 ≈ S (See Figure 17, V-Pol) 5.02 ≈ S (See Figure 17, V-Pol) 6.59 ≈ NNE (See Figure 18, H-Pol) 6.62 ≈ NNE (See Figure 18, H-Pol)

See Table 6 to Table 9 for allocations as per Ghana’s NCA Frequency Allocation Table, taken from [4]. The signals below 3.7GHz are not of concern as they will be sufficiently attenuated in the Receiver.

The 4.92GHz and 5.02GHz signals come from visible communication towers/masts in a Southerly direction. These are likely from fixed data links. Table 6 supports the assertion for the 4.92GHz signal. Table 6 and Table 7 however do not indicate that the 5.02GHz frequency has been allocated for fixed data links. The 4.92GHz and 5.02GHz signals are relatively weak and were just detectable.

It is possible that there are adjacent signals between 4.92GHz and 5.2GHz that are slightly weaker and were not detected.

The 6.59GHz and 6.62GHz signals come from visible communication towers/masts in a North to North-North-Easterly direction. These are likely from fixed data links. Table 9 supports this.

A0200-0001-035



The relationship to the Cardinal Directions is listed in Table 3 below.

Table 3. Alphabetical Identifiers vs Cardinal Directions

Direction Designation

≈ Cardinal Direction

A N B E C ESE D ENE E ESE F SSE

FG S G SSW H SW HI SW-WSW I WSW J WNW K W L NW M NNE

Figure 2. Cardinal Points

76

Pending$demoli@on$of$encroaching$structures$on$State$land$around$the$Kutunse$observatory$

Director:&AVN&Radio&Astronomy&Observatory&&

Science$Coordinator$

Sta@on$Engineer$(Electronics,$Mechanical$/$Structural)$

Financial$Officer$/$

Technical$buyer$Senior$Opera@ons$Astronomer$/$Operator$

Administra@ve$Officer$/$HR$Officer$

Science&Advisory&CommiQee&(interna2onal)&

Observatory&Admin&

Astronomers&/&Researchers&based&at&

Universi2es&(eg&Masers&research&group&based&a&University,&

pulsars&research&group&at&another)&

Technical%Opera0ons%based%at%the%telescope%

Science%Opera0ons%based%at%the%telescope%Science&User&Groups&

Research&Assistants&/&

Science&Awareness&Coordinator&

Junior&Opera2ons&Astronomers&

Students,&&Bursars,&Post6docs&

Microwave&engineer&(feed&&&signal&chain)&

Microwave&&&signal&chain&technician&

SoYware&engineer&for&observing&control,&

data&capture,&science&processing&soYware&

General&handyman&/&groundsman&to&maintain&general&infrastructure&

Electronics&technician&/&Sta2on&electrician&

Mechanical&&&Structural&technician&

IT&support&

Preparing$for$independent$opera@ons$

Chief$Scien@st$

Typical$post$handPover$ac@vi@es$towards$stable$observatory$opera@ons$(1)$

•  Time$Alloca@on$Commièe$and$its$ac@vi@es;$•  Expand$on$handPover$documenta@on$to$make$it$more$friendly$to$

Ghanaian$users$and$as$experience$is$gained$in$using$the$system;$•  Set$up$/$refine$processes$and$procedures$towards$rou@ne$

maintenance,$logs,$etc.;$•  Verify$longPterm$performance$of$the$maser$clock$(not$very$

accurate$but$very$stable)$with$GPS$clock$(very$accurate$but$not$stable)$–$monitor$difference$between$the$two,$average$GPS$clock$over$day$(eg)$and$tweak$maser$etc.$–$there$is$so^ware$for$logging$but$someone$needs$to$monitor$all$the$@me;$


•  Establish$VLBI$Reference$Point$–$virtual$point$at$intersec@on$of$two$axes$of$antenna$(use$theodolite$/$total$sta@on$(eleva@on)$and$portable$GPS$(azimuth)$–“many$ways$to$do$this$wrong”);$

•  Establish$longPterm$repeatability$of$performance$–$do$monitoring$observa@ons$using$calibrator$sources$TauA,$CygnusA,$CasA$eg$–$poin@ng,$SEFD$staying$in$spec?,$typically$daily$in$beginning,$then$weekly$schedules$once$all$are$stable;$

•  Monitor$radio$frequency$stability$of$the$system$–$monitoring$the$two$stages$of$downPconversion,$are$your$methanol$maser$frequencies$comparable?$(all$locked$to$hydrogen$maser$frequency);$


•  Derive$poin@ng$model$aêr$establishing$atmospheric$correc@on$factors$–$using$op@cal$camera$at$night,$keep$an$eye$on$bright$radio$sources$(list$to$be$provided$(point$sources$(very$small)$but$very$bright),$typically$use$bright$con@nuum$sources,$@ed$up$with$SEFD$measurments;$

•  Establish$stability$of$beam$paèrn$and$System$Equivalent$Flux$Density$(SEFD)$by$raster$scan$(take$source$and$do$“weaving$paèrn”$around$the$source$–$get$brightness$and$SEFD$(SEFD$tells$how$sensi@ve$your$system$is);$

•  Monitor$up@me$of$various$products$of$the$sta@on$and$improve$as$needed$to$meet$the$User$Requirements$Specifica@on$(URS)$goal$(URS$goal$is$95%$up@me$(tbd?)$eg$generator,$UPS,$internet,$maser$@ming,$en@re$system.$


•  Monitor$key$mechanical$parameters$related$to$longPterm$behaviour$on$wheel$alignment,$levelling,$pintle$bearing$etc.$will$be$sensors$built$into$the$antenna$(eg$levelling)$integrated$with$antenna$control$system,$need$to$inform$maintenance$regime;$

•  Cri@cal$and$urgent$upgrades$to$the$sta@on$to$improve$reliability$and$up@me;$

•  Con@nue$to$monitor$and$analyse$Radio$Frequency$Interference$(RFI)$regularly$and$take$appropriate$necessary$ac@on$through$the$Ghanaian$Na@onal$Spectrum$Authority$or$service$providers$as$needed$–$record$date$and$reduce$and$store$it$somewhere$(equipment$required:$spectrum$analyser$(Rhode$&$Schwartz$FSHP8model,$low$frequency$(10MHz$–$8GHz$log$periodic$(LPDA)$antenna$with$low$noise$amplifier$on$front,$tripod,$baèry$packs$for$field$use.)$


•  2016$need$10$Mbps$during$tes@ng$–$we$will$be$uploading$data$not$downloading$–$asymmetric$$(usually$service$providers$have$preference$for$downloading).$If$it$is$a$standard$10Mbps$we$need$to$know$the$upload$capacity)$

•  Need$dedicated$IP$address$or$gateway$into$Kutunse$to$support$on$opera@ons,$fault$finding,$etc$from$SA.$

•  Longer$term$P$Wideband&internet&connecQon&for:$sending$science$data$by$ePshipment$aêr$the$VLBI$to$the$correlator$–$128$Mbps$minimum$bandwidth,$realP@me$ePVLBI$transmission$of$narrowband$spectroscopy$data$to$the$correlator$–$128$Mbps$min$bandwidth,$realP@me$ePVLBI$transmission$of$wideband$con@nuum$and$pulsar$data$to$the$correlator$–$1$Gbps$–$1024$Mbps$min$bandwidth;$

Kenya&

84

85

Zambia&

Thank you

87

88

Zambia feasibility issues

89

Illustration 1: Communication links located on the Mwembeshi Mast, Zambia [2]

90

Commercial In Confidence Issue 1

6. ENGINEERING STUDY

The engineering study to investigate the effects of the mast’s physical structure was contracted to

EMSS antennas (see [1]), and considered two simulation cases

1. Approximating the mast as a solid, perfectly conductive plate (worst-case), and

2. Approximating the mast as a triangular grid consisting of flat perfectly conducting plate

(probably overly-optimistic).

All EM analyses of the dish and mast were done using Physical Optics (PO) and Physical theory of

diffraction (PTD) in GRASP [4].

The engineering conclusions from this study are given below:

1. The 100 m-high mast located 48 m from the Cassegrain reflector system will have a substantial

impact on many properties of the antenna if the antenna is pointing in the general direction of

the mast.

2. The size of the blockage window can be up to 65° in elevation and 36° in azimuth for an

allowance of 5% drop in efficiency.

3. In the region around the tower, the efficiency varies rapidly with azimuth and elevation which

may impact the calibration of the system.

4. Moving the mast to a distance of at least 1km from the antenna reduces the negative effects to

negligible levels.

Given these findings, the scientific impact of the physical structure of the mast is considered using a Az

= 36°, El = 65° zone of avoidance centred at Az = 135°. These are given for the two cases considered

(i.e. Case 1: Approximating the mast as a solid, perfectly conductive plate (worst-case), and Case 2:

Approximating the mast as a triangular grid consisting of flat perfectly conducting plate).

__________________________________________________________________________________

Page 9 of 17

Illustration 2: The EM model approximations for (a) Case 1 and (b) Case 2. [1]

91

Avoidance Zone for Mwembeshi Tower Composite plot of Azimuth-elevation & Hour angle- Declination

Impact of Mwembeshi tower on sky coverage of 30m Radio Telescope

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1

-90 -60 -30 0 30

Frac

tion

of t

ime

loss

t per

day

Declination on sky (deg)

Time lost per day avoiding Mwembesi tower

Commercial In Confidence Issue 1

We can visualise the area of sky affected using a Mollweide Projection. A Mollweide projection of the

earth is included for clarity in Illustration 7. The area affected by the mast is shown in Illustration 8.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Page 13 of 17

Illustration 7: Mollweide projection of the Earth

Illustration 8: Map of the sky in Mollweide projection [5]. The area of the sky affected by the mast isindicated with the blue shading. The Galaxy appears as the strong signal shown in red, with the Galacticcentre indicated Note that only a portion of the area is affected at any given time. The area affected willchange both by time of day, and by time of year. The consequence of this is that the conversion activitiescan proceed with the mast in place, however regular scheduling of observations during the operationalphase will require the mast to be removed.

92

Newton Fund Project gets under way in Zambia (4 June 2015)

Also kicked off in Namibia (June 2015)

Madagascar&

94

Madagascar$–$mee@ng$with$Minister$and$officials$

Madagascar$–$lecture$at$University$ Madagascar$–$mee@ng$with$Ministry$of$Telecomms$(DG$and$officials)$

95

Madagascar$antenna$now$available$for$conversion$$Ini@al$site$inves@ga@on$and$mee@ng$with$government,$universi@es,$regulator$and$telecomms$service$

providers$(November$2015)$

Telecomms&tower&

Different&opQcs&

96

Madagascar$–$Site$visit$November$2015$

Madagascar$–$telecomms$tower$adjacent$to$30m$antenna$on$site$

Madagascar$–30m$antenna$different$configura@on,$no$quad$legs$structure$

97

•  $Two$element$radio$astronomy$interferometer$(21$cm$wavelength)$$

•  $Dish$diameter$2.3$m;$opera@ng$frequency$up$to$12$GHz$

•  Exis@ng$network$of$similar$equipment$("EUPHOU$P$Connec@ng$classrooms$to$the$Milky$Way”)$

•  Data$processing$so^ware$online;$•  $Online$system,$involve$universi@es$and$high$schools$

by$crea@ng$an$online$community$of$users.$•  $The$UCT$team$leaders$(Yannick$Libert)$will$assist$in$

rolling$out$Botswana$interferometer).$

Summary$P$Ghana$•  Engineering$ac@vi@es$in$Ghana$remain$at$high$pace:$

–  Some$medium$risk$items$/$unknowns$remain$but$are$managed$pragma@cally;$

–  Unpredictable$power$outages$s@ll$a$challenge;$–  Welder$training$to$conduct$major$structural$repair$work$successful,$produc@on$started;$

–  Launch$event$–$Ghana$request$for$formal$communica@on$from$DST;$$

•  Second$group$of$Royal$Society$/$Newton$Fund$trainees$selected.$

98

Summary$–$Zambia,$Kenya,$Madagascar$•  Zambia$–$Feasibility$visit,$RFI$report$with$recommended$next$steps:$$

–  Zambian$officials$studying$the$implica@ons$–$expect$to$meet$soon$to$discuss$next$steps.$

–  Newton$Fund$2Pweek$Unit$1$training$completed$in$Zambia$by$Prof$Mark$Thompson$(Manchester)$$

•  Kenya:$$–  No$progress$in$Kenya$on$the$conversion$project$for$Longonot;$–  JEDI$in$2013;$–  Newton$Fund$2Pweek$Unit$1$training$completed$in$Kenya$by$Prof$Peter$$

Wilkinson$(Manchester)$$•  Madagascar$$

•  Successful$(busy)$visit$which$included$mee@ngs$with$various$Ministries,$Universi@es,$Spectrum$Manager,$Telma;$

•  Detailed$report$on$feasibility$visit$issued;$$•  Agree$on$ac@on$items$for$2016$P$slow$response$to$agreed$ac@on$items,$

awai@ng$formal$feedback$from$Madagascar.$99

100

Summary •  AVN$is$an$exci@ng$project$of$global$scien@fic$interest;$•  Small$team,$nature$of$conversions$requires$projects$to$be$executed$in$

series,$newPbuilds$could$fastPtrack$deployment;$•  Holis@c$approach$towards$ins@tu@onal$development,$capacity$building$

and$collabora@on$cri@cal$success$factors;$•  Africa$will$have$very$strong$collabora@ons$and$will$be$ready$to$host$SKA2;$

–  Most$challenges$resul@ng$in$long$and$unpredictable$delays$will$be$understood,$risks$mostly$driven$down.$

$Missing&and&recognizing&the&contribu2ons&by&Dr&Mike&Gaylard,&true&champion&of&AVN.&

101$

Dankie&Enkosi&

Ha&khensa&Re&a&leboga&Ro&livhuwa&&&Siyabonga&&Siyathokoza&Thank&&you&

Documents

20160301AVN NewtonTrainingHartRAO Issue1LoResavntraining.hartrao.ac.za/images/Schools/2017March/AVN2017.pdf · RFI measur nt and ly si t Ar iv on ma A l l a n a l y e s a n d e n