Observing strategies for using Keck-NIRC2 to conduct high-contrast imaging in the mid-infrared

The Keck-NIRC2 electronics underwent an upgrade in the fall of 2023 that dramatically increased the readout efficiency in the mid infrared (3-5 µm). We present an updated analysis of how this upgrade improved the sensitivity of Keck-NIRC2 in the modes most commonly used by the exoplanet direct imaging community. We provide on-sky testing results of the throughput measurements of the vector vortex coronagraph and an evaluation of the thermal background dynamical timescale. Our goal in this proceeding is to provide Keck-NIRC2 users with knowledge and recommendations for how the recent NIRC2 upgrade affects the optimal observing strategies in the mid-infrared high-contrast imaging application.