[toppy (Pete)]

Hi Lee,

It is an old thread, however just wondering whether you solved the issue. My Sirius 3.5m dome requires a fair effort to move the dome manually in either direction. By a fair effort I mean putting both hands and shoulder into moving it. Research reveals that a one-handed effort should be enough to rotate the dome. The intention is to operate the observatory remotely; however, I have low confidence that the motor will cope with the load. There appears to be little information that I can find on the probable cause and solution in my internet searches.

I did note that one wheel had come away from the dome and was sitting loose on the track. This was reseated early in the hunt for the cause of the rotation issue(s). The wheels on which the dome sit, now spin relatively freely. The track and wheels have been degreased and packed with fresh grease. After the dome was lowered onto the track little improvement was noted. In addition, the walls were freed from the concrete base and packers placed under the walls to ensure the fibreglass track on which the dome rotates is level, and the radii checked and trued in relation to the central pier. The concrete base is sound and fairly flat. It required 1 - 3mm max. packers in some spots. The dome was rotated 12 times in each direction whilst the walls were unbolted from the concrete base as set down in the manual.

I am running out of ideas. The observatory is in fairly good condition without cracks or warping. It is a 3hr round trip from home, so hoping you had success with the same problem.

If others they have seen or experienced, and ideally witnessed a successful resolution it would be very appreciated if you could share.

Thanks Pete