control paddle for guiding the 61-inch Wyeth telescope
Date: circa 1933
Inventory Number: 2015-1-0013c
Classification: Control Box
Subject:
Maker: J. W. Fecker, Inc. ? (founded 1926)
User: Oak Ridge Station (1931 - 2005)
User: George R. Agassiz Station, Harvard (1951 - 1982)
User: Harvard College Observatory (founded 1839)
Cultural Region:
Place of Origin:
Dimensions:
18.5 × 7.6 × 2.3 cm (7 5/16 × 3 × 7/8 in.)
Description:
This is part of a collection of 4 different control paddles used at Oak Ridge Observatory to guide either the 61-inch Wyeth telescope made by J. W. Fecker and installed in 1933 or the 8-inch Ross-Lundin astrograph mounted by J. W. Fecker in 1933.
All are made of aluminum, with black plastic faces. Each has push buttons for slewing the telescope in a given cardinal direction or to regulate its speed. The handles of these paddles have electrical sockets into which cables went. The top of each paddle has a circular eyelet for hanging the paddle on a convenient hook in the dome when not needed.
2015-1-0013c is from the 61-inch Wyeth telescope: A small rectangular paddle with the front side having two rows of button pairs, each labeled above and alongside with lettering engraved into the plastic and outlined with white. These read: FAST / W E / SLOW / W E. This paddle was found partly dismantled and is currently missing one pair of buttons.
All are made of aluminum, with black plastic faces. Each has push buttons for slewing the telescope in a given cardinal direction or to regulate its speed. The handles of these paddles have electrical sockets into which cables went. The top of each paddle has a circular eyelet for hanging the paddle on a convenient hook in the dome when not needed.
2015-1-0013c is from the 61-inch Wyeth telescope: A small rectangular paddle with the front side having two rows of button pairs, each labeled above and alongside with lettering engraved into the plastic and outlined with white. These read: FAST / W E / SLOW / W E. This paddle was found partly dismantled and is currently missing one pair of buttons.
Signedunsigned
FunctionFrom Oak Ridge Observatory, Building 6 (Wyeth 61-inch telescope) and Building 5 (8-inch Ross-Lundin telescope); transferred to CHSI, August 2015.
Historical AttributesThis is a collection of 4 different control paddles used at Oak Ridge Observatory to guide either the 61-inch Wyeth telescope made by J. W. Fecker and installed in 1933 or the 8-inch Ross-Lundin astrograph mounted by J. W. Fecker in 1933.
ProvenanceFrom Oak Ridge Observatory, Building 6 (Wyeth 61-inch telescope) and Building 5 (8-inch Ross-Lundin telescope); transferred to CHSI, August 2015.