NEAT PALOMAR TRI-CAMERA
=======================

  Instrument Overview                                                         
  ===================                                                         
    In 2001, the Palomar 1.2m Oschin Schmidt telescope located                
    in northern San Diego, CA was incorporated into the NEAT                  
    inventory.  The Palomar 'Tri-camera' consists of three                    
    separate 4096 x 4096 pixel CCDs.  The CCDs are arranged                   
    in a linear, north-south, orientation and denoted by 'A,                  
    B or C.'  An approximate one-degree gap is between each                   
    CCD and each CCD covers nearly 1.0 square degree.  The                    
    15 micron pixels yield a pixel scale of 1.01 arc-sec/pixel.               
    No filters were used, but matches closely with a Bessel-                  
    type R filter at 0.6 microns and TECs maintained an                       
    operating temperature of -30 degrees C.  Four amplifiers                  
    readout the CCD in four quadrants.  This camera, as well                  
    as the Maui camera, used 'CCD485' chips produced by                       
    Fairchild Imaging.  The central wavelength is 702 nm.                     
                                                                              
    The table below provides a comparison of the QUEST and                    
    tri-camera instruments used by NEAT at Palomar Observatory.               
                                                                              
    --------------------------------------------------------------            
    |  Site                  Pal/Tri-cam      Palomar/QUEST      |            
    |  Dates of Operation:  4/01 - 6/03       6/03 - 4/07        |            
    |  Telescope Diameter:      1.2m               1.2m          |            
    |  f/ratio:                 2.50               2.50          |            
    |  Camera:              4096 x 4096 x 3   600 x 2400 x 112   |            
    |  Pixel Size:             15 x 15 u          13 x 13 u      |            
    |  Pixel Scale:           1.01'/pix           0.87'/pix      |            
    |  Cooling:              TEC @ ~-30C        LN2 @ -120C      |            
    |  Filter:                   None             610 nm         |            
    |  IAU Site Code:            644                644          |            
    |                                                            |            
    |  Latitude / Longitude: +33deg 21.4'    116deg 51.8'W       |            
    |  Elevation / Timezone:   1726.3m           UTC - 8         |            
    |____________________________________________________________|            
                                                                              
                                                                              
    Regardless of the camera, each CCD chip read to a unique output           
    file.  Filenames are based on the universal start time of the             
    exposure and, if appropriate, identify the specific chip used.            
    The Maui and tri-camera images contain the 4080 x 4080 imaging            
    area.  The initial orientation of the Maui and Palomar tri-camera         
    images has East towards to left and North downward.  Each                 
    uncompressed, 4k x 4k, image (Palomar tri-camera and Maui) is             
    66.6 and 33.3 Mb in size, respectively.