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  #81  
Old 22-10-2019, 10:20 AM
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It's hard going with only an ordinary hammer but I think I will get there...but I can only manage 10 minutes pounding and need an hour break...
And I decided against painting cause it probably would come off anyways from the abrasive action during installation.
Anyways before they disappear under concrete I thought I would post a photo so you get the idea.. there will be five for each pier ..ten all up.
Alex
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  #82  
Old 23-10-2019, 03:51 PM
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Big day today.
Got all pickets into the heq5 form work area. Near killed me but I really wanted to make some real progress.

Put the pier in place only to find the bolts were too long ...rather than dig deeper which given the pickets were driven home would not be an easy job I thought to bend the bolts ..making them shorter but giving much better key into the concrete when poured.
So bending them...I was lucky to be able to use the bracket for the jockey wheel on the van to hold the bolt and used one of the pipes I used to roll the on around to allow my minimal strength to bend the bolt..I bent them all and have fitted them on the pier and may even put the thing in to morrow...if I can recover...the pounding was very difficult for me.

But so happy to be making decent progress for a change.
I will post photos if I remember tomorrow but I sortta can't move at the moment...still if it clear tonight I have the heq 5 with the 115 mm ready to go..polar aligned last night but it clouded over.
Alex
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  #83  
Old 27-10-2019, 06:48 PM
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I regard the van as part of the observatory ..today I laid around but it got to 40 degrees in the van and was only 35 in the Annex so I went out there and had my feet up resting but so could not help myself in putting up the stuff to put to aurconditing in place..I had the materials and by using clamps and leaning on the wall and chair was able to out things in place..but when it was all clamped up I thought..heck it's only a couple of screws may as well finish it so I screwed it all down...took no time at all but man did I sweat... tomorrow the girls said they will come down and lift it into place so maybe tomorrow I won't have to endure so much heat.

So I feel great cause this should have been done days ago and I feel rather smug using the clamps getting it done step by step and not abusing my ankle.
Still can't drive.
Alex

That is a swallows nest on the light if you are wondering.
Alex
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  #84  
Old 27-10-2019, 09:12 PM
Startrek (Martin)
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Looks like your still making some good progress even with an injured ankle
Enjoying reading your progress
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  #85  
Old 28-10-2019, 09:24 AM
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It is in position.
Alex
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  #86  
Old 02-11-2019, 11:03 AM
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It has been so nice since I installed the air conditioner a d it works.. until my ankle is better I cant seal it proper but taping some cardboard does a fair job at the moment.

But I have been sitting down on the job...I can't do a ythi g else and although a unbelievable battle I am happy a d proud to announce both piers are concreted in place ..the finish looks ruff a d it is on purpose because I am beat so I concentrated on structural soundness and with pretty it up when the floor is in place with an additional layer ..the ruff finish will act as a good surface to key in that pretty final touch.

I know..no photos it did not happen...so here is a photo pre clean up ...and my little life saving work chair.

I did not worry about isolating the cement from the frame which was my first idea and thought vibration wont be a problem cause I will never be in there when imaging and by running the cement to the frame I think the piers will be more stable.
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  #87  
Old 09-01-2020, 12:05 PM
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This project has done me some favours...the various challenges, having to rotate the damn thing when almost imovable for me...but it has kept me same thru the fires and dad going up and down.. you are on this he could go at any time and I should be there all the time...but I know he will go well past a hundred..but it svtews things...working to get all this keeps me normal.

So...update...had a bean bag chair and emptied the contents into the floor cavity, lowered the floor in place resisted the urge to screw it down choosing to seal gaps with foam and hold in the beads...painted inside what was left to be done, ... Fitted mounts and polar aligned...ruff but to position mount pretty close to see if it fits..unfortunately pole master sees only half the sky thru one mount so I need to raise the mount a little...made a door fitted it added a bolt lock.
Sorted out the roof which occasionally was jumping it's track...just needed some guidance.

All my gennys have given up..so took a key start model from the house..so good...anyways three gennys need looking at..I didn't have space or tools so they are on the to-do list.
The batteries I was so happy about that came with van are useless but I have that sudt working..regulator panels on roof battery box wire etc..I have ordered three 100 amp sealed batteries...I am setting up a number of different battery banks..say keeping my fridge going. .it will drain any of my current banks..so it's handy to have a battery that will keep it going longer...
Bought another pump..$200 from Bunnings and 200 MTRS of 19 mm Polly pipe for water transfer and a spray system in the future.
The Annex would hold water such that it threatened to collapse so I put in three thru skin fittings and now collect that rain water..it goes to a toxic tank at the moment but I have a decent tank at the house they don't want that I will set up.
But surprised how good this little pump worked..good to get some water to van..cementing etc..but the water supply and fire control is getting there...

Fitted a guide scope to the 115 mm refractor only to find the camera cable was too short..little things...you know the other night I was trying to polar aligned and forgot to switch the mount tracking off...sent me crazy😀

The observatory is too small to allow anything other than manual control for the right and the 115mm refractor..they will hit the walls..I get my region of sky above ..which is limited but I am figuring just to image stuff straight up...but it makes the wifi control less useful..anyways I have another observatory in mind cause I really need another mount😀...two sheets of thin ply to make a cylinder and get this..the removable lightweight doom is no more than a cheap dome tent with a couple of coats of resin...that should work .but another idea after working with that foam is.. you make your some out of wire, bird wire on a wire frame a couple of layers to enable molding it ..cover inside with paper , spray foam on outside sand down add Matt and resin..

I managed some captures of Orion ..to get the core..
I purchased Registar which enables combining images from different scopes and cameras. Had a go and got this..you can see why I want a core😀 and the on with out the bolt on yet.
Alex
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  #88  
Old 09-01-2020, 12:15 PM
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The image was from combining stuff from the various set ups 80 mm eight Nikon and zwo.
Just testing but I am getting the hang of it and if it will be useful.
I can run a dragon fly set up sotta.
Alex
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  #89  
Old 29-03-2020, 08:37 PM
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Finally made it out of Sydney only to find the recently installed fire pump was crushed by a fallen tree.
Alex
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  #90  
Old 16-04-2020, 10:57 AM
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I have had a guy here, still working, cutting trees to open up the sky and the Celestial South Pole. So thats great however the pier for the eq6 is a little out as even with full adjustment on the mount it is just a little off...I worked out however I can fix the problem by elongating the holes.
I wonder if Bunnings have a tool to elongate the holes...May be a round file in a drill I guess.
So I hope to get a little more sorted ow that I can see CSP and the Milky Way which has been hidden to me.
This project has taken much longer than I expected but I hope to have it 100% finished before 12 months have passed and I am thinking of building another roll off to house say a 12 or 16 inch.
Alex
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  #91  
Old 16-04-2020, 12:39 PM
Startrek (Martin)
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Alex
I bought a set of these drills ( 3 sizes ) with a rasp section for elongating holes at Bunnings 6 months ago
It worked well in 4mm steel , not to sure about steel thicker than quarter inch though ?
Martin
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  #92  
Old 16-04-2020, 01:28 PM
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Alex
I bought a set of these drills ( 3 sizes ) with a rasp section for elongating holes at Bunnings 6 months ago
It worked well in 4mm steel , not to sure about steel thicker than quarter inch though ?
Martin
Thanks Martin they look great.
The CSP is clear so many trees down..this guy has done what I thought would take a week...very happy.
Alex
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  #93  
Old 16-04-2020, 03:08 PM
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Before and after.
Alex
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  #94  
Old 16-04-2020, 05:04 PM
miker
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Hi Alex,

Which adjustment have you run out of? Azimuth? If so can you just move, remove or thin down the pin that the two adjuster knob/ screws bear on?

Michael

P.S. I have an AZ-EQ6.
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  #95  
Old 16-04-2020, 10:29 PM
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Hi Alex,

Which adjustment have you run out of? Azimuth? If so can you just move, remove or thin down the pin that the two adjuster knob/ screws bear on?

Michael

P.S. I have an AZ-EQ6.
Thanks excellent suggestion but it may be ok it seems. But certainly if it is not your idea may save the day..er night.
The problem I ran into using polemaster is it gets the observatory wall so tomorrow I hope to raise it to clear...lots of little things to sort out but it's nearly there...but so good to have the trees gone.
The tree guy will be back tomorrow and start cutting up the tree that fell on the pump.
Alex
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  #96  
Old 17-04-2020, 12:11 PM
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Well last night climbing in and out thru the four foot hole that is the door got to me..it was agony...I left the top on to give the structure strength but I had my tree fella to cut out the top bit so I could walk in and out with out contortion.
So this is how it looks now...I have raised the mount on the bolts and when the lappy is finished is current stacking will see if pile master can see over the wall..if not tree fella will cut out a section..won't be as pretty as before but heck it's about function.

Alex
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  #97  
Old 17-04-2020, 01:24 PM
glend (Glen)
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Originally Posted by xelasnave View Post
Well last night climbing in and out thru the four foot hole that is the door got to me..it was agony...I left the top on to give the structure strength but I had my tree fella to cut out the top bit so I could walk in and out with out contortion.
So this is how it looks now...I have raised the mount on the bolts and when the lappy is finished is current stacking will see if pile master can see over the wall..if not tree fella will cut out a section..won't be as pretty as before but heck it's about function.

Alex
Pile Master, love it Alex. Sounds like some sort of cream.
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  #98  
Old 17-04-2020, 04:42 PM
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Pile Master, love it Alex. Sounds like some sort of cream.
That was pole master

Well I tried the pole master and the PA points about 4 inches below the top of the wall at the moment..To cut out that much requires doing a fair bit additional structural work but I am going to try and tilt the mount which I will try later..it won't be level but it should not matter too much if I can get a view of CSP and at least get reliable PA.

Addition via edit.
I just now looked at the mount in the above picture and you can see the pier is tilted so hopefully that is the problem.
I measured everything and put everything in place when I poured the concrete so it really should be ok
Alex

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  #99  
Old 23-04-2020, 01:32 AM
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The eq5 mount was too low so I added a section and now the pole master sees over the wall. Set up the 80mm and imaging now,

The eq6 I gave the holes some enlarging with a file..I made a special trip to Bunnings but they did not have the tool that Martin suggested..Anyways put it all back but pole master shows it it still out just a wee little bit.. more work with the file needed.

Great to be using at least one mount..although I did some widefield unguided with DSLR at up to 200 on the eq6 and it worked well even being a little bit out.

So the thing is more or less complete but with all these trees down I am thinking to build a log cabin with roll off roof and maybe get a 16 inch.

Alex
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  #100  
Old 23-04-2020, 03:09 AM
glend (Glen)
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Originally Posted by xelasnave View Post
The eq5 mount was too low so I added a section and now the pole master sees over the wall. Set up the 80mm and imaging now,

The eq6 I gave the holes some enlarging with a file..I made a special trip to Bunnings but they did not have the tool that Martin suggested..Anyways put it all back but pole master shows it it still out just a wee little bit.. more work with the file needed.

Great to be using at least one mount..although I did some widefield unguided with DSLR at up to 200 on the eq6 and it worked well even being a little bit out.

So the thing is more or less complete but with all these trees down I am thinking to build a log cabin with roll off roof and maybe get a 16 inch.

Alex
Geez Alex, a log cabin roll off roof, that sounds pretty heavy (The roof). What about putting an old caravan on blocks, with a pier up through the floor, and a slide off roof - might work ok and be less work than a log cabin, but probably ugly as hell.
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