Skyshed Pod - any reports yet?

[ballaratdragons]

I remember about 6 months ago (maybe more) that about 9 people in here ordered a Skyshed 'Pod' Dome observatory.

Have any of you recieved your Pod yet and any reports on it?
I haven't seen any threads about them yet :shrug:

It would be interesting to see what Aussies think of it in action :thumbsup:

[stlfiremedic35]

I dont have one but I think Im going to. Zoning says cant build an observatory in the only place on my property. that would work, but I can park a car, truck, and bingo! a trailer. They put the pod on a flat bed truck to wind test, so I get it put it on a trailer and park it over my pier with a hole cut in the trailer floor. Think it will work? Ken

[Kal]

I intend on buying one. Last communication I received they didn't have a firm price yet and were still working out the cost of getting them here.

[bojan]

Also, they are still in a process of collecting enough expression of interest/orders so that they can have one container full of them...

[nightsky]

G'Day
Good idea it should work :) unless they have a go at you putting in the pier :(
Cheers
Arthur

[ballaratdragons]

:lol: Worth a try!

I have heard of wierder things done.

Back when I was in another Astro Club, a fellow member, and old gentleman, wanted to build an obs in his back yard but his council was really strict about new out-buildings. He came up with an idea and it worked!

He had an old run-down shed/barn in the back yard. He cleaned it out, built the observatory INSIDE the shed (he built it out of brick, with a steel dome!!), left it for a year to get all infested with cobwebs and dust, then applied to the council to tear down the old shed in his yard so he could use the old observatory inside!!!!! :rofl:

They said he could :thumbsup: and no permit was required.

[allan gould]

I was thinking of purchasing one but I'm still waiting for Andrew to contact me with a FIRM price including delivery. Its taking a while but I would have purchased one some time back but couldn't get a firm pricing.

[avandonk]

Getting a container load is the only realistic way to get one of these great little obs. I have ordered one and am willing to wait until this happens. I may even order two just to fill the container!
Meanwhile I still have the agility and strength to carry stuff in and out.

As for firm price there are too many variables.

Bert

[koputai]

If you have trouble getting council approval for a proper observatory, what about this:
Buy a 5000 litre poly water tank ($1300 retail)
Put it on a cement slab ($200)
Cut a door in it ($100 for bits)
Slice around it, 3ft down from the top so it can rotate ($200 for bits)
Cut a window in said top ($100 for bits)

One basic observatory for under $2k.

In this day and age, I don't think any council is going to say no to a water tank.

Cheers,
Jason.

[Kal]

My local council is actually quite decent. I emailed them asking and they said I don't need a building permit as long as the building is under 10M^2 and as long as I follow a couple of basic rules (like at least half a meter away from fenceline etc)

[sheeny]

I'm not in a position to buy one yet, but I too would be interested in comments/reviews for when I get the opportunity to set one up.

It all looks good to me. The only concern I have is the opening is 200mm short of zenith. I'm just not sure if this means the scope/pier should be offset, or if the offset of an EQ mount pointing at zenith is enough to clear it:shrug:. I suspect not quite...

I'm interested to see what others think when they start using them.

Al.

[lesbehrens]

hi guys. i am interested in buying one of these, what are your opinions? how much did it cost, construction etc.
where did u order from? did u buy form telescopes and astronomy?
thanks
les

[strongmanmike]

Gold :lol:

[mozzie]

hi les
i bought my pod in the first shipment 2 years ago its a xl3 which means it has 3 bays,cant remember the price around $4000 delivered.matthew at telescope and astronomy is the dealer in aus hes looking for sales for his 3rd shipment at the moment so now is a good time to order.
they are easy to set up mines on a concrete slab (underground) water tank levelled with a timber deck a concrete pier for scope,its the best accessory ive bought for astronomy no setting up.
in my opinion they are fantastic,rather cheap and easy to set up.:thumbsup:

[lesbehrens]

how do they cope with the australian weather?
les

[OICURMT]

:rofl:What a great story.... :lol:

[mozzie]

no water problems at all!!! but i did buy a pod cover in he last shipment it keeps the heat down money well spent

[sheeny]

I love my POD:D:thumbsup:.

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=35747

No problems with water or snow getting inside. We had real blizzard conditions here the other day and I was interested to see if any snow got in... none!:thumbsup: So if get snow in yours at Kilcoy, you've got problems!:P

We don't get as hot here as Mozzie does so I haven't resorted to the Dome Cover yet. I am using a solar ventilation fan though which helps keep the temp down a bit. I'd suggest for you the dome cover is the way to go.

Matthew at Telescopes Astronomy is the agent.

Al.

[Strawb]

Guys,

Considering one of these myself but up here in cyclone country I'm not sure how the council is going to go with it. I've had a good look around the website but cant see any engineering specs that I could impress my local inspector with - did any of you guys have issues?? :question:

Cheers

Dave

[sheeny]

No, no issues at all, but we aren't in cyclone territory.;)

There is no official wind test data on the POD. Skyshed considered doing it but the cost of the testing would've pushed up the price of the POD significantly enough they thought it might not succeed, so rather than do expensive official testing they did a "red-neck" wind test.:) They built a POD on a flat bed trailer and towed it behind an F350 or similar truck at speeds up to 90mph I think, into the wind, dome open, dome closed etc and videoed it.

You ight be able to find a copy of the video on their site. It comes on the assembly instruction DVD and is good for a giggle:thumbsup:.:)

Al.

[Strawb]

Yes I saw that - good fun but can't really see an inspector signing off on it. I guess I'll just front up and see what they have to say. Cheers

[mozzie]

hi dave
al sumed the pods up perfectly. ive had some big winds through the mid north coast but no cyclones!!!! thank goodness our house here would probably blow away....
i didnt consult council with mine (bugger them) but that may be different for you as you in a cyclone area and structures in yards may become missiles.in saying that contact skyshed pod via email and ask the question they are very helpful,also skyshed pod on yahoo users group

[Strawb]

Thanks Peter,

I'm thinking also that I have the option of making it 'temporary' because I understand it would be possible to pull it down and store in my spare garage should ole whirly approach. I'll contact skypod direct though anyway

Cheers

[lesbehrens]

hi. i am thinking of buying pod soon. i was after people opinions on if it worth going for the basic pod or to get one with a few bays. i was also looking at getting the visor too. did any one buy a pod cover? do u think its needed? just for fun did any one get the glow pods? how bright is the glow? is it too distracting for astro photography?
les

[sheeny]

G'Day Les,

I would suggest you think seriously about getting a POD with bays. Unless you have a very spartan setup, I reckon you need at least one bay to store gear in. I have a 3 bay POD, and of course I have all 3 bays full. (well utilised anyway).:P:lol:

I don't have a dome cover, but I have painted the inside of my POD with black Fusion to allegedly reduce IR penetration, and I have a solar ventilation fan. I'm in a cool climate and I reckon I just get away with it (POD temps get to around 40°C in summer). Mozzie has a dome cover, and I've heard they work well at keeping the max temps down, which I expect you'll need in Kilcoy.

I haven't seen a glow in the dark POD, but I don't see the point... its got to affect your night vision:shrug:... maybe it would simplify taking flats???:P:lol:

Al.

[lesbehrens]

hi.i thought that about the glow. like i said just for fun. lol. i want the insulated walls so i thought i mite get away with the cover? the solar fan where do i get one? or make/put something else on to make it cool?
what it life span like?
Les

[jenchris]

Has anyone ever thought of using a plastic water tank as an observatory"
5000 litres should do it

[sheeny]

http://www.whitworths.com.au/main_itemdetail.asp?item=92106&search123=vent&intAbsolutePage=2

... but I think the dome cover would be more effective especially in a warmer climate. I notice the details on how to fit the solar fan are no longer shown on the POD website, so I suspect they no longer endorse them. I don't think the solar fan makes a lot of difference in summer unfortunately. I suggest the dome cover:thumbsup:.



Yeah, I did. But by the time I bought a tank, modified it, and made it both watertight and secure... I reckoned the POD was a similar price and much better sorted out!:thumbsup:

Al.

[lesbehrens]

did u get the insulation? was it out then? would it still be better than the paint?

[sheeny]

No, I didn't get the insulation. It was available at the time, but I'm not convinced insulation is what you want in an observatory. Yes, it slows down heating from the outside, but it also slows down cooling. If it really stops the IR it might be worth it, the advantage of the POD is you can open the dome for the cool down period and dump the heat pretty well.

:shrug:

Al.

[mozzie]

hi les
ive a pod its not insulated and after getting a pod cover save your money getting it insulated and buy the cover as well.id take al's advise and get the xl3 you need the extra room for your accessories.ive had no problems with mine and its been a good investment