Contents 

	m400: robot operation and usage by undergraduate classes
	change in reservation rules for all spectrometers: overnight time and time slots just before

m400: robot operation and usage by undergraduate classes
Every year around that time, the m400 spectrometer is assigned to undergraduate student usage. For those who are new to this Department, this was the intended purposes for its purchase a few years back. In other words, undergraduate needs for this spectrometer have priority over research request.
With the introduction of the sample changer robot, the situation is somewhat new this year as there is no longer a meaningful on-line reservation system for m400. To make room for the undergraduate sampled, starting Tuesday September 30, 2008, the robot will be inaccessible to anybody other than the NMR lab personnel from 09:00-13:00 on most days of the week. This time is set aside to load the robot rack and measure the samples of the undergraduate labs. This can be nearly 50 samples at the time. Access by other users will be impossible during that time.
Based on changing activities in the ch36x labs, there are days, sometimes an entire week, where m400 is not needed and hence the spectrometer will be available to other users. The only way to find out whether or not m400 is available for sample submission to the the robot, is to check on the web under m400 reservations. The time set aside for undergraduate use will appear as
ch36x block time
whereas the times available for general use appear in the usual form as
general access: robot operation

Please note that due to the sometimes large amount of undergraduate samples the day queue may fill up. The night queue, should not be affected.

As a reminder, the m400 spectrometer can only be used with a valid e-mail on file. It can be entered here, if not already provided.

Change in reservation rules for all spectrometers: overnight time and time slots just before
The combination of time slots preceding the overnight time with overnight time has so far been allowed but causes fairly regular complaints. Most users see it as nothing else but pooling of time with the purpose to start the overnight experiment earlier.

Most spectrometers' overnight time starts at 20:00. This late start is in place to provide extended high-throughput, i.e. short, access to the systems. In the future, and gradually implemented over the next week or so, it will not be possible anymore to book overnight time when the time slot immediately preceding the overnight period is taken by the same user. The on-line reservation rules will mention this change as soon as it is implemented.