The Continuous mode offers a powerful tool for measuring various characteristics of the antenna. Most track data has been taken with the antenna at elevations very near to the zenith in order to keep the TMU inclinometers on scale, and yet most observing is done at other elevations. A Continuous measure of the track was therefore taken at an elevation of 45degree (EL45CW1) and compared with one taken at the zenith :
Ch 1 2 4 5 7 8
difference - - 0.02 -0.06 0.02 0.05 "
s.d. - - 0.30 0.85 0.18 0.92 "
The data have been synchronized and a spike at azimuth 80degree removed. The comparison shows that to within errors of better than 1" the measures made at the zenith are applicable at 45 degrees. A set of data taken in continuous mode while the antenna was slewed from zenith to horizon and back show that the zenith data is applicable at all elevations with similar confidence. This file (ELSLEW23.dat) shows some rather odd systematic behaviour in channels 4 and 7, which, recall, are not used in the production of a track model. However channels 5 and 8 behave impeccably. The data for Ch 5 is shown as Fig.6., and shows how, despite apparent oscillations as the antenna slews, the mean reading from the inclinometer remains constant to better than 1". After removal of spikes caused by the acceleration and deceleration of the antenna at the beginning and end, the s.d.'s for Chs 5 & 8 are about 0.25".