36 Foot Telescope, December 1977

Following NSF final approval in February 1965 and 2.5 years of construction on Kitt Peak AZ, NRAO's 36 foot telescope began formal operation in January 1968. From the start, there were frequent improvements and replacements to the system, initiated by the talented technical staff in Tucson and Charlottesville. In late 1977, Tucson staff installed a new Cassegrain box and new 150 GHz quasi-optics. In this photo from that installation process, the old receiver control rack has been lifted across the dome by Bill Hale (left on the platform) and Don Cardarella (right on the platform), who lower the rack to Bob Freund; Bob will wheel it into the electronics building seen to the right of the dome. Before the electronics building was completed in 1976, staff had to haul delicate electronics down the mountain to Tucson and then back up again, a trip that was both time-consuming and risky for the equipment.

Records of the NRAO

Still Image

GB78-16431-lowering-36ft-rack-dec1977.jpg

B&W negative

1977-12

NRAO/AUI/NSF

GB78-16431

Photographs Series

36 Foot Telescope Unit

2A