This paper outlines the transformation of a decommissioned 32-meter communication antenna in Tulancingo, Hidalgo, Mexico, into the K-Band capable Tulancingo-I radio telescope. We summarize the evaluation of the antenna, originally designed for C-band frequencies, for its potential use in the K-band after a decade of disuse. Our assessment includes the refurbishment steps required to operationalize the antenna, such as lubrication system renewal, pump overhauls, and the installation of modern motion encoders and controllers. We detail the precision measurements conducted by the Large Millimeter Telescope's metrology group, utilizing laser tracking and photogrammetry to ascertain the antenna's suitability for K-band applications. Additionally, we discuss the implementation of a new control system using state-of-the-art PLC and encoder technology, enabling fully remote operations through a web-based user interface developed in Angular and a Python backend for telescope control. This project showcases the feasibility of repurposing legacy communication infrastructure for cutting-edge astronomical research.
This paper showcases the successful development of an altazimuthal control system for a radio telescope using industrial PLC platforms. The high-level programming language, structured text, is employed to perform the essential calculations for converting equatorial to altazimuthal coordinates and orchestrating the independent axis movements for time-based tracking. The tracking strategy is based on correcting the movement speed (variable rate) of each independent axis considering an acceleration ramp S to reduce the jerk, thereby achieving a smooth and uniform movement.
Vintage 30-m class telecommunications antennas built in the 1960s and 1970s have been converted into radio telescopes in recent years, with especially notable conversions in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, Ghana, and most recently in Mexico. These antennas were designed and built for operation at C-Band, but in some cases the surface conditions are sufficiently good that observations at Ku-Band and possibly at K-Band may prove feasible. As described in [1] an antenna conversion project is underway for the Tulancingo-I telecommunications antenna, located in Tulancingo de Bravo in the Mexican state of Hidalgo. Although the antenna was in active use for several decades, it has been replaced by other communications technologies and has not been used since early in the new millennium. The antenna uses near-field, shaped Cassegrain optics, consisting of a shaped parabolic primary reflector and a shaped hyperbolic sub-reflector. The primary reflector is 32 meters in diameter with a nominal focal length of 9.6 meters. A tertiary reflector redirects the beam along the elevation axis, following the Nasmyth configuration. This paper describes our work to determine the feasibility of using the antenna reflector optics in the 18 – 24 GHz range of the K-Band. Both photogrammetry and laser tracker measurements were used to determine the geometrical relationship between the primary, sub-reflector, and tertiary surfaces. We use these results, reported in [4], along with computer simulations, to explore the potential of the Tulancingo-I antenna for KBand observing.
Sierra Negra (SN) is the site of the 50-m diameter Large Millimeter Telescope (LMT) at an elevation of 4600 m.a.s.l. located in the state of Puebla in central México. The LMT hosts several heterodyne and continuum instruments in the bands from 3 mm to 1 mm wavelength, thus making it necessary to have continuous opacity measurements at the millimeter wavelengths. The site has been monitored in the past using a commercial 225 GHz opacity radiometer. The 210 GHz Survey radiometer is an instrument previously used to search for the best Mexican site for the LMT. The Survey radiometer is a compact and portable instrument that has proven its reliability in remote sites. Due to its low cost and compact architecture the Survey radiometer has the potential to be reproduced and taken to other candidate radio astronomical sites in particular, locations for ngVLA antennas in northern México. In this paper we present the results of the measurements taken with the 225 GHz radiometer. The statistical data are consistent and within the dispersion measurements taken in the past. We also present a review of the Survey radiometer and recent data taken at the LMT site with this instrument. Furthermore, we compare current Survey data with data set taken by the 225 GHz radiometer at SN.
Water vapour radiometers (WVRs) are critical to both site surveying and site management in microwave and mm-wave very long baseline interferometry (VLBI). We report on the first two years of progress made towards improving the state of water vapour radiometry at HartRAO, South Africa, and the LMT in Mexico, under a SAMexico bilateral programme. We report on progress in the development of low-cost site surveying instruments, multi-purpose cooled receivers, as well as refurbishment and upgrades to existing 22/31 GHz and 215 GHz tipping radiometers.
KEYWORDS: Radiometry, Embedded systems, Telecommunications, Radio astronomy, Observatories, Opacity, Radio telescopes, Computer programming, Microcontrollers, Control systems
We present the refurbishment of a 23.8/31.5 GHz tipping radiometer (WVR-III) to characterize atmospheric opacity for astronomical sites. The mid-life upgrade will bring new life to the 20-year-old WVR-III with most control functions now embedded on a Raspberry PI 3B+ (RPi-3B+). The radiometer will be installed alongside the 225 GHz radiometer at the Large Millimeter Telescope site in Mexico and in 2021 it will be taken to the Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory in South Africa. Later, it will be deployed to Mt Gamsberg, Namibia to perform PWV site surveying for potential future radio astronomy telescopes. This paper describes the new control and data acquisition sub-systems that are controlled by the RPi-3B+.
The 50-meter Large Millimeter Telescope (LMT) operating on the Sierra Negra in Mexico is the largest single- dish millimeter-wave telescope in the world. Although designed to work in the 3 mm and 1 mm bands, there is significant potential for LMT observations at centimeter wavelengths. Here, we summarize the scientific case and operational arguments for a K-band receiver system on the LMT, describe several of the unique technical challenges that the proposed installation would entail, and mention some possible solutions to these challenges.
The Observatorio Astron´omico Nacional on the Sierra San Pedro M´artir (OAN-SPM) in Baja California, Mexico is currently undergoing a substantial expansion in its observational infrastructure. The OAN-SPM’s three principal telescopes were installed in the 1970s. In 2015, the BOOTES-5 telescope was installed and is now operational (partners: Mexico, Spain, South Korea). In 2011 the construction of the TAOS-II project begun and its three telescopes are now in commissioning (partners: Taiwan, Mexico, USA, Canada). Also undergoing commissioning are the COATLI and DDOTI projects (both: Mexico, USA). Two projects, COLIBR´I and SAINT-EX are about to begin construction (COLIBR´I: Mexico, France; SAINT-EX: Switzerland, Mexico, UK). Finally, the Telescopio San Pedro M´artir project is advancing through its design phase (partners: Mexico, USA). All save the TSPM are fully funded, so the OAN-SPM will host 11-12 telescopes by the 2020’s, ranging in size from 28cm to 6.5m.
The Transneptunian Automated Occultation Survey (TAOS II) will aim to detect occultations of stars by small (~1 km diameter) objects in the Kuiper Belt and beyond. Such events are very rare (< 10-3 events per star per year) and short in duration (~200 ms), so many stars must be monitored at a high readout cadence. TAOS II will operate three 1.3 meter telescopes at the Observatorio Astronómico Nacional at San Pedro Mártir in Baja California, México. With a 2.3 square degree field of view and a high speed camera comprising CMOS imagers, the survey will monitor 10,000 stars simultaneously with all three telescopes at a readout cadence of 20 Hz. Construction of the site began in the fall of 2013.
The Transneptunian Automated Occultation Survey (TAOS II) will aim to detect occultations of stars by small ( 1 km diameter) objects in the Solar System and beyond. Such events are very rare (< 10−3 events per star per year) and short in duration ( 200 ms), so many stars must be monitored at a high readout cadence. TAOS II will operate three 1.3 meter telescopes at the Observatorio Astron´omico Nacional at San Pedro Martir in Baja California, Mexico. With a 2.3 square degree field of view and a high speed camera comprising CMOS imagers, the survey will monitor 10,000 stars simultaneously with all three telescopes at a readout cadence of 20 Hz.
The Observatorio Astronomico Nacional at San Pedro Martir is situated on the summit of the San Pedro Martir Sierra in the Baja California peninsula of Mexico, at 2800m above sea level. For as long as three decades, a number of groups and individuals have gathered extremely valuable data leading to the site characterization for astronomical observations. Here we present a summary of the most important results obtained so far. The aspects covered are: weather, cloud coverage, local meteorology, atmospheric optical extinction, millimetric opacity, geotechnical studies, seeing, optical turbulence profiles, wind profiles and 3D simulations of atmospheric turbulence. The results place San Pedro Martir among the most favorable sites in the world for astronomical observations. It seems to be particularly well-suited for extremely large telescopes because of the excellent turbulence and local wind conditions, to mention but two characteristics. Long-term monitoring of some parameters still have to be undertaken. The National University of Mexico (UNAM) and other international institutions are putting a considerable effort in that sense.
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