Schulman Telescope Hand Paddle

The hand paddle used at the Schulman Telescope is technically an non-optimized device for the LCOGT controller. The controller (like most of its kind) was designed for semi-professional operation and research and not so much for “starparty” type usage. Thus this paddle has some “features” that should be known before using it.

NOTE: Paddle Error from Experience!

If the paddle is ever inadvertently dropped, there is a small chance the E-stop will be pressed. This will do its job and bring the system to a halt- but no sirens will be heard. (It should be possible to hear the brakes clamp down…but in a crowded observatory filled with people this may not be obvious. The E-Stop light on the controller will light up.) The telescope tracking will suddenly be observed to be OFF. In order to recover, the fault must be cleared using the LCOGT GUI.