DAZLE development progress

 
Back to AAO DAZLE homepage
  • September 2003
    Final drawings completed - end of AAO major involvement

  • August 2003
    Filter negotiations continue with IoA and Barr. IoA elect to provisionally accept first filter, and assume negotiating role with Barr.
    Drawing delivery continues
    Andrew is now quite sure nobody reads this. Send him an email if he's wrong.

  • June 2003
    In negotiation with Barr on acceptance of filters. First filter narrowly missed our specification.
    Drawing delivery continues

  • April 2003
    Filters running late from Barr, not yet an issue
    IoA begin construction of early components
    Main rotator bearings shipped from AAO to IoA
    Andrew begins to wonder if anybody reads this. Send him an email to reassure him.

  • February 2003
    Drawing delivery continues - filter exchange mechanism
    IoA select UK contractor for major DAZLE support structure

  • January 2003
    Barr advise delivery of filters scheduled for mid-March

  • December 2002
    AAO investigating local production of major DAZLE support structure, IoA investigating UK manufacture

  • October 2002
    Order placed with Barr for the pair of narrowband filters
    First drawings delivered to IoA - major DAZLE support structure
    Successful run of CIRPASS on the AAT

  • September 2002
    Several IoA team members visit the AAO to set up CIRPASS spectrograph on the AAT
    Minor specification changes and further discussions with Barr halve the cost of the narrowband filters.

  • August 2002 - Preliminary Design Review
    Several IoA team members visit the AAO in Sydney for the review (13th & 14th)
    At the same time, CIRPASS is on Gemini South. First results are visible at IoA's webpage

  • June 2002 - Visit to ESO
    The optical bench forming the instrument support in the concept design is replaced with a fabricated structure. DAZLE becomes a giant three-legged coffee pot.
    A combined team from AAO and IoA visited ESO in Garching, Germany to discuss VLT interface issues (10th and 11th)
    Andrew McGrath (AAO) visited IoA to discuss interface issues (12th - 14th)

  • May 2002 - Narrowband filter specs agreed
    AAO and IoA finalise specifications for the narrowband filters

  • March 2002 - Concept Design Review
    Several IoA team members visit the AAO in Sydney for the review

  • Feb 2002 - Tests at AAO show bearing selected for Camera Rotator can meet specification at room temperature

    Proposed camera rotator bearing under test

    This photo shows the selected bearing (1.2 metre diameter precision crossed-roller bearing) under test at the AAO. The bearing's rotational axis is not allowed to wobble more than about 3.7 arcsec as it rotates during an exposure, or the resultant image will be blurred.

  • August 2001 - Contract signed

Back to AAO DAZLE homepage

Originally created by Andrew McGrath on May 23, 2002