Introduction to the 800 MHz NMR Facility Booking Program
Applying for Time on the Instrument
You can book time on the spectrometer as soon as you have applied for
a user ID and have been granted access. When using the spectrometer
please observe the following as a courtesy to other users:
- Ensure the instrument is ready for the next person to start by the
end of your booked time.
This means exiting from TopSpin
and logging off from the computer. If you log off without first exiting
from Topspin, a couple of Topspin processes will remain running under
your login, and this will prevent the next user from starting Topspin.
Also, if you have been running variable temperature experiments, make
sure the instrument is back at room temperature by the end of your
booked time.
- If you can't use some or all of your booked time,
use the delete or truncate functions in the "List, Cancel, Modify
bookings" section of the booking program so that other people have
a chance to use the unwanted time.
- If you want to extend your time,
use the "modify" option in
"List, Cancel, Modify bookings", or add a new booking for the time
required. In the unlikely event that you use the instrument without
a booking, and someone else makes a booking on the system, the person
with the booking has priority and your NMR run would have to be
stopped.
- Try to submit your bookings on the web system as early as
possible.
This not only ensures that you get the time you want,
but makes it easier for other users to plan their instrument time. Of
course you may not be certain when a sample will become available.
In this case it is best to book the most likely time,
and then cancel or modify your booking if it becomes necessary -
go to http://bloch.anu.edu.au/NMR600_800/index.html
and select "List, Cancel, Modify bookings"
Organisation
Users of the system have a login name (4 to 8 characters) and
a password. Users belong to an administrative unit which can
be a university or a department within a university. Each administrative
unit has a contact who is responsible for liasing with the
800 MHz NMR Facility, arranging for payment for time used on the 800, etc.
If someone from your own administrative unit is booking so much
time that you are unable to get access, you should take it up with the
contact of your unit.
Time used on the instrument is charged for at two rates.
Prime time is from 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday. All other time
is non-prime and incurs a lower fee.
Getting Started
Before you can use the booking program you need to fill in an
Application for User ID form. This gives
you a login name and password, however your account will not be active
until we have approved your application. Anyone can view bookings without
even the need to submit a username, however only users with an active account
can submit bookings.
Booking Time
Click on one of the links "book time on the 600" or "book time on the 800".
After you have logged in, you will see a monthly calendar.
Each week has a book link which allows you to view the schedule
for that week.
The weekly schedule is divided into half-hour time segments from
7am to 10pm Monday to Sunday. Colour coding is used to highlight bookings
for each group.
To book half an hour: Click on a single checkbox. Clicking on a
"9:00" checkbox for example, gives you the time from 9:00 until 9:30.
If you click on a single "22:00" checkbox, the system sets your
finishing time to 7am the next day.
To book time within the displayed week: Click on two
checkboxes. The earlier checkbox is your starting time, and the later one is
your finishing time. But remember each checkbox includes the time up to the
starting time of the next checkbox, so if you click on a "14:30" checkbox
for example, your time finishes at 3:00pm.
If you select 22:00 as your finishing time, the system assumes that you want
to finish at 7:00 the next morning. That is, you are billed for an overnight run,
and you need to get in before 7am and remove your sample ready for the next person
to start at 7. If you click on three or more checkboxes, only the earliest two on
the schedule have any effect.
To book time which finishes on the following week:
Click on a starting time as above, and select the last checkbox (22:00
Sunday) as your finishing time. A schedule for the following week is
displayed for you to set your finishing time. If you once again select
the (22:00 Sunday) checkbox for this week, it will simply mean that
your time finishes at 7am the following Monday.
In other words, the 22:00 checkbox really means "by 7am tomorrow"
or "sometime next week." It is not possible to set a finishing time
between 10pm and 7am.
Bookings can be cancelled, modified etc, by selecting
List, Cancel, Modify bookings in the main
booking page.