Visiting Astronomer Information for Planning an Observing Run at JCMT or UKIRT

Introduction

The following information is to be read by all observers intending to visit the JAC and observe with either JCMT or with UKIRT.

1. Travel Plans to Hilo

As principal contact, you must let the appropriate Secretary, Linda Gregoire (for JCMT) or Anna Lucas (for UKIRT), know by email your accommodation requirements at least THREE WEEKS in advance. The Observer Accommodation Request Form can be found at http://www.jach.hawaii.edu/visitor/accommodation_form.html or within each telescope's web pages. If you encounter problems accessing the form, please notify the appropriate Secretary and a form will be forwarded to you. Please be sure the form is sent back electronically to JAC. It is also your responsibility to advise your collaborators to each complete a form within the specified time. The completed accommodation request form will provide us with essential information such as:

• A contact telephone number where the observer/visitor can be reached if staying with local family before/after the run.
• Next of kin name and phone number for use in case of a medical emergency. (This information will be kept confidential and will be held only for the duration of your visit.)
  
• Who from your group will be coming to observe, and their dates and times of arrival. Please note that you, as the principal contact, are responsible for informing your co-investigators of this time assignment.
  
• On what date your group wishes to travel to mid-level. The JAC will provide a vehicle for visitors arriving at the standard times in accordance with Section 2 below. Note that the JAC does not have a shuttle and that observers may be expected to drive between Hilo and mid-level.
  
• Whether or not you and/or any member of your observing team are non-drivers or are unable to drive manual gear transmission vehicles.  First time users or non-drivers should endeavor not to arrive on weekends, holidays or out of normal office hours.
• What accommodation you wish to have booked for your group, both at Hale Pohaku, (HP rate) and at sea level.
• Billing information for your reservations at Hale Pohaku.
  

• The JAC can only make Hale Pohaku bookings for runs scheduled on the JCMT and UKIRT.  Please note that HP does not allow additional guests.  Bookings for contiguous runs on other telescopes must be made through their offices.
• We cannot guarantee meeting requests for bookings at specific hotels and it would ease our task if you either:  (a) leave the choice to us, or  (b) select hotels from the hotel list (for which we have corporate accounts). If you plan to stay at other hotels, please see a travel agent for reservations. Please be advised that we do not make holiday bookings before/after your observing run.

2. Transport From the JAC to Hale Pohaku and Back

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL JAC VEHICLES ARE NON-SMOKING.
PLEASE ALSO NOTE THAT ALL JAC VEHICLES HAVE MANUAL GEAR TRANSMISSIONS.

The JAC undertakes to provide, where reasonably possible, a vehicle for observers to drive between the Hilo office and Hale Pohaku at the standard times listed below.  Please note that you will be asked to present your driving license upon arrival at JAC. Non-drivers, drivers inexperienced with manual gear transmissions and those unwilling to drive may be offered transportation to and from mid-level with a member of staff at the standard times or a taxi will be arranged at the JAC's expense. Observers arriving at the Hilo office or leaving Hale Pohaku outside the standard times will have to arrange a taxi at their expense.

If you find that you need a departure time different from the above schedule, it is your responsibility to arrange transport usually via taxi.  Please contact the vehicle scheduler (Sharlene Hamamoto at  (808) 961-3756 or e-mail "vehicle@jach.hawaii.edu") if you need information regarding local taxi companies. Currently, only one taxi company (Gene's Taxi:   Joe at  +1 808 896-9667, or Roy at +1 808 557-7059) offers transportation to and from Hale Pohaku so reservations must be made in advance. The cost is approximately $80 to $100.

It is vitally important that observers are aware of these schedules and the overall limitations in our degree of flexibility. Plan your Hilo arrival and departure with them in mind as without exception you will not be allowed to drive our vehicles at other times. In order to meet our vehicle schedule, your flight leaving Hilo should be no earlier than 5pm on the day you leave HP. Please be sure to work closely with your support astronomer prior to arrival to ensure the transport schedules are not compromised and that you are not subject to an unexpected delay in getting to or from HP. Telescope time has been lost through inattention to the vehicle schedule. When at the JAC, the observer should type vehicle at the Unix prompt to get the current day's vehicle schedule, or vehicle monday for the desired schedule for Monday, etc.

All JAC vehicles must depart from and be returned to the rear area of the JAC parking lot. JAC vehicles may be used only for transportation between the Hilo office and Hale Pohaku, and between Hale Pohaku and the summit. No vehicles other than those scheduled for you may be used for transport off Mauna Kea without permission of the vehicle scheduler. Please also note that your assigned vehicle is not for your sole use during your observing run. It will be used as transportation for other observers and staff during your run.

On the rare occasions that an observing run finishes early (e.g., due to poor weather) and the last night/s are abandoned before driving to the summit, the observer may be able to drive down to the JAC at an earlier than scheduled time, but this can only occur if 1) the observer is well rested and 2) permission has been granted by the support astronomer, who in turn must get permission from the vehicle scheduler. If the vehicle schedule permits, the observer could return early by taxi and at his/her own expense, but again permission from the support astronomer must be obtained. On occasions when the final night of a run is abandoned early with the observer at the summit, then it may be possible to drive down to Hilo the next morning after breakfast, again only after permission has been given by the support scientist.

Upon returning vehicle to the JAC hilo office please park vehicle in the JAC rear parking area and lock all doors to vehicle. If you return a vehicle on a weekend, holiday or after normal business hours you may wish to deposit the vehicle keys in the lock box that is located on the left side of the mechanical workshop exterior door at the rear of the JAC building. You will need to obtain the lock box code from the vehicle scheduler or your JAC support staff member. All JAC vehicles can be filled with petrol at the Union 76 Service Station on Kaumana Drive (on the way up to Saddle Road). The station holds the JAC credit card and the fuel is on a self-serve basis.  Please leave the receipt with the attendant. If you return a vehicle on a weekend or holiday, please ensure it is left at the JAC fully fuelled.

Please advise the JAC staff if anyone plans to make his/her own transport arrangements with non-JAC vehicles.
 

3. Medical Clearance

A copy of the medical alert disclaimer in plain text or MS Word is available on the JAC webpage. As principal contact it is your responsibility to ensure that a copy is seen and signed by every member of your group who plans to visit the telescope. Each disclaimer form should then be sent to the JCMT or UKIRT Secretary, the FAX No. is 1-808-969-6591, or by post to JCMT/UKIRT Secretary, Joint Astronomy Centre, 660 N. A'ohoku Place, Hilo, Hawaii 96720, USA. (For your convenience, this  fax number and address appear at the bottom of each form.)

4. Procedures in Hilo

5. Mountain Procedures

Any changes to accommodation during your stay at Hale Pohaku must be made via the correct route:

 -- for JCMT: through the Scheduler, Linda Gregoire.

 -- for UKIRT: through the UKIRT Secretary, Anna Lucas; or through the Scheduler, Mark Rawlings, outside regular office hours.

It is insufficient just to notify the Camp Manager or the cooks/staff members of HP.

Long Distance Phone Calls

You and the members of your team are responsible for the payment of any long distance telephone calls made from UKIRT or JCMT for private or business purposes. Please complete the appropriate Observers Telephone Logging List located at each telescope.

Smoking

Please note that smoking is not permitted in JAC vehicles. Also, since 16-Nov-2006, the Hawaii smoking law prohibits smoking in public workplaces, and within
20 feet of any entrance. This includes the summit facilities. See

http://www.hawaii.gov/health/healthy-lifestyles/tobacco/Smoke-Free-Law.htm

for summaries and links to the law itself.

6. Billing

An invoice for your accommodation/meals during your stay at HP, and any long distance telephone calls you may have placed from our facilities will be mailed to your institution unless instructed otherwise.  If you prefer to pay for your charges before leaving, please see the Accounts Clerk at the JAC office (Room 6A). All payments will be accepted in the form of cash, travelers' checks, personal checks in US Dollars only, or by credit cards (only VISA, MasterCard or American Express are accepted).