DARA training @ Hartebeesthoek - 2025 September

14 Sept 2025, 08:00 → 28 Sept 2025, 14:00 Africa/Johannesburg

VC and Lecture Room (SARAO Hartebeesthoek)

Roelf Botha (SARAO)

SARAO Indemnity and restrictions for DARA training.pdf

Monday, 15 September

06:45 → 07:45 Breakfast

08:00 → 09:00 Welcome + Site Safety

Speaker: Dr Roelf Botha (SARAO)

1_1_DARA_at_Hart_Safety_Presentation_2024.pdf

09:00 → 10:30 Fourier Analysis

Speaker: Heystek Grobler (North-West University (NWU))

DARA_Training_The_Fourier_Transform.pdf

09:45 → 10:15 Tea

10:30 → 12:00 Digital Signal Processing

Speaker: Heystek Grobler (North-West University (NWU))

DARA_Training_DSP_Theory_and_Applications_with_Examples.pdf

DARA_Training_Introduction_to_DSP.pdf

12:00 → 13:00 Lunch

13:00 → 16:30 Fourier and DSP Exercises

Speaker: Heystek Grobler (North-West University (NWU))

DSP_Excersises.pdf

horn.mat.zip

Matlab Overview.pdf

14:30 → 15:00 Tea

18:00 → 19:00 Dinner

Tuesday, 16 September

06:45 → 07:45 Breakfast

08:00 → 10:00 An introduction to radiofrequency receivers for radio astronomy

Speaker: Tinus Stander (University of Pretoria)

10:00 → 10:30 Tea

10:30 → 12:00 Water vapour radiometers: Why, what and how

Speaker: Tinus Stander (University of Pretoria)

12:00 → 13:00 Lunch

13:00 → 14:30 Radiometer Equation

Summary of variables in the Radiometer Equation wrt to observational requirements (simpilifed) plus adaption for pulsar observations.

Speaker: Thomas Scragg (University of Leeds, UK)

4 AVN2021_radiometer_MEJ.pdf

4 Radiometer Equation - Michael Jones.mp4

DARARadiometerEquation_HartRAO20241106_1.pdf

14:30 → 15:00 Tea

15:00 → 16:30 Radio Frequency Interference (RFI)

Speaker: Thomas Scragg (University of Leeds, UK)

DARA_RFI_Examples_HartRAO20241107.pdf

Direct Youtube link for RFI Video

RFI_Jonas.mp4

18:00 → 19:00 Dinner

Wednesday, 17 September

06:45 → 07:45 Breakfast

08:00 → 08:55 Time and Position from Astronomy

Speaker: Dr Roelf Botha (SARAO)

Geodesy - determining time and position with the help of Astronomy.pdf

08:55 → 09:45 Space Geodesy

General background and an overview of what we do at SARAO Hartebeesthoek site

Speaker: Dr Roelf Botha (SARAO)

Antarctic ice loss 2002-2016 - YouTube.MP4

Hyperwall Greenland Ice Loss 2002-2016.mp4

09:45 → 10:15 Tea

10:15 → 10:45 GNSS - basic principles and RINEX data format

Speaker: Dr Roelf Botha (SARAO)

GBGB00NAM_R_20233310000_01D_01S.crx.zip

GNSS Overview and RINEX.pdf

VPS100ZAF_R_20233380000_01D_30S.crx.zip

10:45 → 12:00 GNSS processing with GAMIT/GLOBK

Introduce GAMIT/GLOBK for:
- Timeseries
- PWV

Speakers: Nkululeko Qwabe (SARAO - Geodesy), Dr Roelf Botha (SARAO), Slindile Nyide (SARAO)

13-sh_gamit.pdf

gamit-globk-workflow_basics.pdf

12:00 → 13:00 Lunch

13:00 → 16:30 GNSS Exercise with GAMIT/GLOBK

Use GAMIT/GLOBK for:
- Timeseries
- PWV

Speakers: Nkululeko Qwabe (SARAO - Geodesy), Slindile Nyide (SARAO)

14:30 → 15:00 Tea

18:00 → 19:00 Dinner

Thursday, 18 September

06:45 → 07:45 Breakfast

09:45 → 10:15 Tea

10:15 → 11:15 Geodesy's remote station network

Speaker: Bongani Ngcobo (NRF/SARAO)

HWDARA_BL.pdf

12:00 → 13:00 Lunch

13:00 → 14:30 Brightness temperature of the sun 1

Calibrating a small Radio Telescope

Speaker: Pfesesani van Zyl (SARAO)

AVN sun temperature brightness tutorial 2024 - Jupyter Notebook.pdf

GIT Repository

14:30 → 15:00 Tea

15:00 → 16:30 Brightness Temperature of the Sun 2

Measuring the brightness temperature of the
sun using a DSTV dish

Speakers: Pfesesani van Zyl (SARAO), Dr Roelf Botha (SARAO)

AVN sun temperature brightness tutorial 2024 - Jupyter Notebook (1).pdf

Friday, 19 September

06:45 → 07:45 Breakfast

08:00 → 09:45 Introduction to Pulsars

Speaker: Thomas Scragg (University of Leeds, UK)

DARA_PulsarObservationPlanning_2021_Student.ipynb

DARA_PulsarObservationPlanning_HartRAO2024011013.pdf

DARAPulsarIntroduction_HartRAO20241113.pdf

DARAPulsarTiming_HartRAO20241113.pdf

09:45 → 10:15 Tea

10:15 → 12:00 Pular backend systems

Speaker: Thomas Scragg (University of Leeds, UK)

DARAHartRAO_Pulsar_Backend_Systems20241113.pdf

12:00 → 13:00 Lunch

14:30 → 15:00 Tea

15:00 → 15:30 Week 1 wrap-up + feedback

Speakers: Dr Roelf Botha (SARAO), Thomas Scragg (University of Leeds, UK)

15:30 → 17:00 Data collection with 26m dish

Speaker: Fanie van den Heever (North West University)

Saturday, 20 September

06:45 → 07:45 Breakfast

08:30 → 13:00 Outing: Cradlestone Mall

(11 students max) Outing to Cradlestone Mall, if you want to do something different or look for gift - this mall has a huge variety of shops so it should offer something for most / all.

08:30 → 13:00 Outing: Drive to a nature reserve, hike

(12 students max)

Speaker: Dr Roelf Botha (SARAO)

12:00 → 13:00 Lunch

18:00 → 19:00 Dinner - braai

Sunday, 21 September

06:45 → 07:45 Breakfast

Breakfast and collect lunch packs

08:00 → 16:30 Weekend Outing

Day outing with a lunch at a restaurant in the area

18:30 → 19:30 Dinner

Monday, 22 September

06:45 → 07:45 Breakfast

08:00 → 09:45 Masers

Speaker: Fanie van den Heever (North West University)

Star_formation_and_Masers.pdf

09:45 → 10:15 Tea

10:15 → 11:20 Caibration of RA data - theory + exercise

Speaker: Pfesesani van Zyl (SARAO)

Continuum.zip

11:00 → 12:00 Spectral line reduction

Speaker: Fanie van den Heever (North West University)

HartRAO_spectroscopy_software.pdf

12:00 → 13:00 Lunch

13:05 → 14:30 Spectral line reduction 2

Speaker: Fanie van den Heever (North West University)

HartSpec.tar.gz

PSS.zip

Setting up HartSpec.pdf

14:30 → 15:00 Tea

15:00 → 17:00 Radio frequency components and receiver practical - session 1

Location: Microwave workshop
Content: Providing an overview of a typical receiver (VGOS test receiver) and associated power supply and control components. Practical measurements of various radio frequency components. Ambient tests and starting a cool down of the test receiver.

Speakers: Ronnie Nombembe (SARAO), Siphelele Blose

18:30 → 19:30 Dinner

Tuesday, 23 September

06:45 → 07:45 Breakfast

08:00 → 09:45 Building an Observatory

Speakers: Philip Mey (SARAO), Pieter Stronkhorst (SARAO HartRAO)

09:45 → 10:15 Tea

12:00 → 13:00 Lunch

13:00 → 14:30 Engineering workshops tour

Walk through the different engineering workshops at HartRAO giving an overview of the electronic, control, radio frequency, cryogenic, and mechanical works.

Speaker: Philip Mey (SARAO)

14:30 → 15:00 Tea

15:00 → 17:00 Radio frequency components and receiver practical - session 2

Location: Microwave workshop
Content: Continuation of day 1 concluding with test receiver measurements at cryogenic temperatures illustrating gain characterisation through hot/cold sky measurements.

Speakers: Ronnie Nombembe (SARAO), Siphelele Blose

18:00 → 19:00 Dinner

Wednesday, 24 September

06:45 → 07:45 Breakfast

08:00 → 09:45 Antenna Basics + Calibration

Speaker: James Chibueze (University of South Africa)

Jamie_Leech_antennas_v3.pdf

kchap2.pdf

08:00 → 09:45 Receiver Exercises

Speaker: James Chibueze (University of South Africa)

09:45 → 10:15 Tea

10:15 → 12:00 Antenna Exercises

Speaker: James Chibueze (University of South Africa)

12:00 → 13:00 Lunch

13:00 → 14:30 Receiver basics

Speaker: James Chibueze (University of South Africa)

RF principles.pdf

14:30 → 15:00 Tea

18:30 → 19:30 Dinner

Thursday, 25 September

06:45 → 07:45 Breakfast

08:00 → 09:15 VLBI Fundamentals / Radiometer equation (tbd)

Speaker: James Chibueze (University of South Africa)

1 MFB_VLBI_Fundamentals_2021d_print.pdf

1 VLBI Fundamentals.mp4

09:45 → 10:15 Tea

10:15 → 10:30 Shuttling to SANSA with Pool cars

Speaker: Dr Roelf Botha (SARAO)

10:30 → 12:00 SANSA Space Ops visit

Speaker: Dr Roelf Botha (SARAO)

12:00 → 12:15 Shuttle fron SANSA with pool cars

Speaker: Dr Roelf Botha (SARAO)

12:15 → 13:15 Lunch

13:15 → 14:30 VLBI

Speaker: James Chibueze (University of South Africa)

Intro_RA_VLBI.pdf

14:30 → 15:00 Tea

15:00 → 16:30 SETI

18:00 → 19:00 Dinner

Friday, 26 September

08:00 → 09:15 AVN + ARAP (zoom)

Exact title to be confirmed

Speaker: Carla Mitchell (SARAO)

AVN-ARAP.pdf

09:15 → 09:45 TSun data analysis

Speaker: Pfesesani van Zyl (SARAO)

09:45 → 10:15 Tea

10:15 → 12:00 Ubuntu installation, PC Setup and Linux overview

Speaker: Dr Roelf Botha (SARAO)

Linux_install1.txt

12:00 → 13:00 Lunch

13:00 → 14:30 PC setup and linux overview (continued)

14:30 → 15:00 Tea

15:00 → 16:30 Wrap-up: week 2

Speaker: Thomas Scragg (University of Leeds)

Saturday, 27 September

11:30 → 12:30 Photo shoot, interviews, etc.

13:35 → 15:35 Photo Session