Panoramic SETI Telescope Deployments at Palomar Observatory

PANOSETI (Panoramic SETI) is an unique astronomical experiment that aims to explore the fast transient astrophysical phenomena at very high cadence. PANOSETI is designed to continuously monitor the optical (300–850 nm) sky at nanosecond to millisecond time resolutions. This time-resolution capability uniquely positions PANOSETI to contribute to high-energy and multi-messenger astrophysics. Our program has deployed telescope units at Lick and is currently aiming to deploy up to 10 telescopes at Palomar Observatory. Each telescope consists of a 0.48 m Fresnel lens and SiPM detector arrays to cover a wide field of view 10×10 degrees. Motherboard and quadrant-board electronics are custom-built and integrated with fiber-optic timing readout and the White Rabbit protocol. We will report on the in-field integration and first deployment of the telescope modules at Palomar. We describe the assembly and validation process for the modules, emphasizing lessons learned during real-world operation. These initial deployments represent a critical milestone for the broader PANOSETI program and will inform future scaling strategies toward larger arrays of modules capable of continuous, wide-field optical observations, supporting both technosignature searches and serving as a complementary optical component for time-domain and multi-messenger astrophysics.