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Old 22-06-2019, 09:02 PM
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Tinderboxsky (Steve)
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Tinderbox Micro Observatory

My micro observatory is now 12 months old. It has had a lot of use and it’s ease of use has proved a real boon for observing and my first steps with imaging. It has withstood the full range of weather conditions southern Tasmania could throw at it
I thought I would share it’s design and construction as the ideas may be of interest and perhaps worth trying. It would be particularly appealing for people with very limited space. You might say it is ironic that I took this approach, given that the photos show I have plenty of space. Yes, the next step will be an observatory some time in the future.
In the meantime, the pier has been in place for many years. In the past, as a visual observer, I would simply carry out my TRex mount, attach to the pier, add a telescope and start observing. The rotating round wooden shelves were used to hold eyepieces and accessories.

Last year I bought a second hand EQ mount and wanted to mount it permanently to avoid all the set up and polar alignment hassles. The simplest and quickest solution was to find a way of setting this mount up on the existing pier. This would get me up and running quickly and I could think about and plan for an observatory latter.
With some minor adjustments, I found I was able to bolt the mount directly to the existing pier.
Next step was to make a weather proof cover that could simply be lifted off. I found that the 20litre camping barrels at Bunnings were a perfect fit over the existing shelves. But most importantly, I found that if I cut the top and bottoms off the barrels at the right spot, they would nest perfectly generating a long and light weight tube with water proof joints - the lip of the lower barrel fits snuggly up inside the barrel above. These could then be bolted together with rubber O rings to seal the fastenings. The inside sections of the barrels are lined with aluminium foil and foam sandwich insulation and I have painted the outside to help further reflect direct sunlight.

The shelves all have holes and gaps to allow vertical ventilation flow and there is a top vent made of left over plumbing pipes. Last summer, our highest daytime temperature was 37 deg - the inside of the observatory stayed at a consistent 38 deg. So this should be gentle on the equipment. I have not yet detected any internal condensation. In fact, I have found when putting the cover on late at night with dew all over the mount, that everything has dried out by the time I check after breakfast the next day.

It takes me three minutes to set up and be ready for use.
  • Items to carry out of the house are the telescope (with accessories attached, eg camera etc on imaging scope, or diagonal on larger visual scope) and the laptop.
  • Lift off cover.
  • Attach counterweight bar and counter weight (stored on shelves). Pre set balance marks ensure repeatable perfect balance no matter which scope and accessories combination I am using.
  • Attach telescope.
  • Roll over the trolley that is stored under the verandah - it is under the green cover in photo 2.
  • Attach all cables.
  • Run 240V lead from external powerpoint 6 meters away under the verandah.
  • Turn on mount.

Hopefully the photograph tell the rest of the story.
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  #2  
Old 23-06-2019, 12:51 AM
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xelasnave
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Excellent idea and I must say you seem to have a wonderful spot there.
That is a great idea well executed.
I wish you had posted ten days earlier☺

Alex

Last edited by xelasnave; 23-06-2019 at 07:10 AM.
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Old 23-06-2019, 06:12 AM
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Symon (Simon)
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Thank you for posting this, it has certainly given me some food for thought.
Simon
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Old 23-06-2019, 08:34 AM
dikman (Richard)
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Very ingenious. I enjoy seeing other people's solutions (I'm following yours with interest too, Alex).


The photos got me curious, so I had to look up Tinderbox on Google Earth - what a beautiful spot! If we didn't have family here my wife and I would have moved to Tassie ourselves.
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Old 23-06-2019, 08:46 AM
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Hi Richard.
I added another photo via an edit of the last post..just now..I choose an edit cause I am sick of being at the top in this section as the pressure to perform has me working every day☺ ...this is a great idea...for me I probably wont be leaving scopes and cameras out if I am not using them so I could have saved myself a lot of effort by going this way...and even leaving the mounts in place I really need a similar cover to keep out vermin that breach the outter walls and a way to betyer control temp and moisture. ..
But I am thinking the best idea would be to move to Tinderbox as it looks ideal.
And I imagine one would enjoy looking at boats and the scenery ...what a great spot.
Alex
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Old 23-06-2019, 11:51 AM
glend (Glen)
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Steve, so obviously the tube is open at the bottom, in order to get convection flow through the tube when the sun heats it (which evaporates the dew). I have a similar larger foil insulation shroud for my CGX mount inside my observatory, which is boosted by a 25w incadescent light bulb to create a rising air column at night. I live next to the water as well and dew is a constant problem.
I would suggest you check your equipment at dawn before the sun hits the tube, i believe you will find it is still wet. The sun hitting the tube will eventually get rid of it, but that leaves alot of dark hours when it will be wet. I suggest you try a small bulb near the bottom of the tube to generate convection lift. This is an old trick that dob owners use to keep mirrors free of condensation when the scope is not in use.
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Old 23-06-2019, 12:12 PM
dikman (Richard)
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Glen, the same idea (low-powered incandescent globe) is used by leather workers for drying leather and firearm owners to keep their gun-safes free from moisture. The biggest problem these days is finding incandescent globes!
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Old 23-06-2019, 01:15 PM
glend (Glen)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dikman View Post
Glen, the same idea (low-powered incandescent globe) is used by leather workers for drying leather and firearm owners to keep their gun-safes free from moisture. The biggest problem these days is finding incandescent globes!
I use these:


https://www.bunnings.com.au/verve-de...globe_p4320629


It doesn't matter that they produce very little light, it's the filament heat that you want. These produce good heat output without being so hot that they can overheat items nearby.

You can get lower watt ones as well, I just find these 25W ones best for keeping my mount head dry in its convection shroud.

I use a 24hr timer to turn it on and off when the observatory is not being used, like now. So the timer will turn the bulb on at nightfall and off after sun up. You can use staggered on/off periods as well, like on for 30min and off 30 or 45min, then on again. Whatever works best for your convection device.

Last edited by glend; 23-06-2019 at 01:31 PM.
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Old 23-06-2019, 03:36 PM
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Tinderboxsky (Steve)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by xelasnave View Post
Excellent idea and I must say you seem to have a wonderful spot there.
That is a great idea well executed.
I wish you had posted ten days earlier☺

Alex
Thanks Alex, sorry about the timing! Yes, we are very lucky to have the spot we have. Been here about 25 years and planning to stay put!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Symon View Post
Thank you for posting this, it has certainly given me some food for thought.
Simon
You are welcome. Any further questions just fire away.

Quote:
Originally Posted by dikman View Post
Very ingenious. I enjoy seeing other people's solutions (I'm following yours with interest too, Alex).


The photos got me curious, so I had to look up Tinderbox on Google Earth - what a beautiful spot! If we didn't have family here my wife and I would have moved to Tassie ourselves.
Yes, everyone who visits is stunned by the natural beauty. Our house is right at Pierson’s Point which forms the western mouth to the Derwent River. The views you see in the photos are due east across the Derwent River. Our panoramic views extend around through north and further to the northwest. Hobart is about 25 klms away due north from here.
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Old 23-06-2019, 03:46 PM
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Tinderboxsky (Steve)
I can see clearly now ...

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Quote:
Originally Posted by glend View Post
Steve, so obviously the tube is open at the bottom, in order to get convection flow through the tube when the sun heats it (which evaporates the dew). I have a similar larger foil insulation shroud for my CGX mount inside my observatory, which is boosted by a 25w incadescent light bulb to create a rising air column at night. I live next to the water as well and dew is a constant problem.
I would suggest you check your equipment at dawn before the sun hits the tube, i believe you will find it is still wet. The sun hitting the tube will eventually get rid of it, but that leaves alot of dark hours when it will be wet. I suggest you try a small bulb near the bottom of the tube to generate convection lift. This is an old trick that dob owners use to keep mirrors free of condensation when the scope is not in use.
Yes, the bottom shelf has generous openings to encourage an upward convection current. Likewise the other shelves have plenty of air holes and gaps.
Despite being near the water, we seldom suffer significant dew. Maybe it is the 70 meter of elevation, being exposed right at the end of the Tinderbox Peninsular and the fact that the thin soils in the area are seldom very wet keeps the dew levels done. Who knows! On the nights where I have packed up and there is light dew on the mount I have found it gone in the morning, even before the Sun rises.
Your low wattage globe on a timer sounds like the solution. Even if only as a precaution down here. Best to be “safe than sorry”. Thanks for the heads up.
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Old 24-06-2019, 08:53 PM
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mynameiscd (Andy)
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Hi Steve,
What a simple but clever solution with the blue drums. At the moment I've got 2 bin bags, a couple of towels, and a foam vegie box with an octopus strap over my Heq5.
I know which one is better!!
You have a brilliant spot at Tinderbox and having lived in Hobart for a few years I can see why you're staying put. A couple of years ago we nearly bought a place in Snug but ended up here in Vic.
Also your organized trolley is a great idea.
You have given me some ideas until i build a full observatory.
Maybe I dont need to.
Cheers
Andy.
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Old 25-06-2019, 08:48 AM
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Tinderboxsky (Steve)
I can see clearly now ...

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Thanks Andy. Autumn 2020 is likely to be my next Snake Valley, so hopefully we will catch up again and share notes on observatories.
Cheers
Steve.

Quote:
Originally Posted by mynameiscd View Post
Hi Steve,
What a simple but clever solution with the blue drums. At the moment I've got 2 bin bags, a couple of towels, and a foam vegie box with an octopus strap over my Heq5.
I know which one is better!!
You have a brilliant spot at Tinderbox and having lived in Hobart for a few years I can see why you're staying put. A couple of years ago we nearly bought a place in Snug but ended up here in Vic.
Also your organized trolley is a great idea.
You have given me some ideas until i build a full observatory.
Maybe I dont need to.
Cheers
Andy.

Last edited by Tinderboxsky; 25-06-2019 at 08:48 AM. Reason: Update
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