FAQS
[edit] Q. Who Do I Contact For Problems During My Run?
A. The user support number from within the lab is x2500. From off-site, the full number is 510-495-2500. This number will reach one of the staff at all times.
[edit] Q. How Should I Ship My Dewar?
A. The best way to ship your dewar to the BCSB is via FedEx. Please let a staff person know you are shipping it. It is especially helpful if you could email the FedEx tracking number to BCSB Administration and include whether it is being shipped wet or dry. We will pick it up and bring it to the facility. In general it is best to ship so that it arrives a day before you do.
For sector 5, address the dewar to:
Gary Giangrasso/Stacey Ortega BL (insert beamline number here)
Lawrence Berkeley National Labs
1 Cyclotron Rd.; MS 6R2100
Berkeley, CA 94720
(510) 495-2450
For 8.2.1 and 8.2.2, address the dewar to:
Gary Giangrasso/Stacey Ortega BL (insert beamline number here)
Lawrence Berkeley National Labs
1 Cyclotron Rd.; MS 6R2100
Berkeley, CA 94720
(510) 495-2450
[edit] Q. How Can I Return My Dewar?
A. Contact BCSB Administration or call (510) 495-2450. Please have a FedEx account number to help keep our costs down, where you would like it shipped, a phone number, and whether you would like it shipped full or dry.
[edit] Q. Where Are There Accommodations?
A. The best place to find places to stay are on the laboratory's accommodations page. In addition the ALS has apartments available for users. For information on the apartments, contact the ALS Housing Coordinator by email at alsrooms@lbl.gov, or by phone at 510-486-7666.
[edit] Q. Who Should I Contact For Gate Access And Parking?
A. Contact BCSB Administration via email, or call (510) 495-2450.
Please note that due to heightened security, you must give the BCSB Administration an exact list of who is coming to the beamline. Anyone not on the list may be denied access to LBL. According to Lab policy, students are not eligible for parking privileges; consequently, students who are driving will be turned away at the front gate. However, it is possible to request an exception for non-local students. If you would like to request an exception, please contact BCSBBeamtime@lbl.gov.
[edit] Q. Where Is A Good Place To Eat Around Here?
A. An excellent web page was created by Lucille, Art, and Harold Poskanzer of food in the Berkeley area, which lists nearly all the places to eat with maps.
[edit] Q. What Media Should I Bring For Data?
A. Firewire and USB external drives are ideal. The Linux data collection and processing computers should be able to accommodate Ext2/3 formatted drives. Additionally, there is a Windows computer on each of the beamlines to support NTFS, and there are two Macs, one in sector 8 and the other in sector 5.
Furthermore, most of the data processing machines have DVD writers.
[edit] Q. Where Do I Get Liquid Nitrogen?
A. Should the large Dewar, normally located next to the crystal mounting table, run out and you need liquid N2 for freezing crystals, walk around the ring counterclockwise (i.e. take a left when you exit BL 5.0.2). Keep walking until you come across a liquid N2 station (its about a quarter of the way around the ring). If you need nitrogen to fill the dewar on the cryosystem, contact the beamline staff, or ask for help in the control room.
[edit] Q. Where Is the Cold Room And Where Do I Get Ice?
A. There is a large 4 °C room in the protein crystallography labs - aka room 204 in building 80. In the crystallography labs there are also constant temperature rooms for storing and/or growing crystals. For ice, go to Building 80, Room 202.
[edit] Q. What Pin Type And Length Should I Bring?
A. The ideal range is 18-24mm. If you are using the robot, you can only use the "Hampton 18 mm" pins: see the requirements on the Automounter page for more details.
[edit] Q. How Do I Acknowledge The BCSB In My Publication?
A. For BCSB attribution in your papers, please see BCSB Acknowledgement