Well it's been a while between posts, but I've been at it every day. Sometimes it doesn't seem like I get much done, but these things just take time.
Anyway...
A few photos for you all. I'm about at the stage where the observatory building is completed and now it's time to start filling it with scope and electronics etc.
I spent a great deal of time on dust and water proving the room as much as possible, as you'll see in the photos. I have a 180W exhaust fan that will be installed to provide air circulation for cooling electronic gear, aswell as providing a positive pressure to the room to keep dust out.
The photos show, in no particular order:
3 homemade bolt locks.
Tracks with upside down angle where the wheels run.
Keepers that have 2 bearings on each to keep the roof running where it should incase anything want to move or if the roof wants to lift.
Double seals on every wall to roof contacting point.
The roof motor and racks.
It's a little dirty, but it's all getting a paint at the end.
Next steps are mounting of weather sensor and sky monitoring gear, all sky camera aerials, the fan and filter, then the electronics inside.
Not to far away now
Man that is one strong looking bolt door lock! Wow.
I need to renovate my observatory at some point. The rolls off roof mechanism isn't that great being just some 90 x 45 pine timber rails.
I did use upside down C purlin at one stage so may go back to something like that. Also better wheels which don't have an axle stick out the side but rather attach underneath.
Where did you get the brushes from and what is the stock number? We have had trouble with birds at out Society's observatory and I think those brushes look very sturdy.
The rubber seals - which manufacturer and website? Similar to the bird stuff. We have prevented water getting in but some places the birds still could have access and those rubber seals look the ticket to me.
It's going to be robust overall but I wonder about the gate opener. A metal rack and pinion will suit that purpose overall. Is that metal or plastic?
I am enjoying watching the build progress. How many coils of Mig wire or rods have you gone through? Heaps of welding. No getting through that door though.
I got the brushes from Woolworths, it was a broom brush cut in half.
I got the rubber seals from a local V belt and rubber shop.
I have no idea of the stock numbers, but I can inquire.
The gate opener is operating at 30% of Max torque to open and close the roof, I spent some time on this getting it right. The pinion is steel, and the rack has a 10, maybe 12mm square steel bar running inside it for its full length. I'll post a picture. Then plastic around it. I had the motor running at 100% torque, and making it stall, there was no issue with the rack failing.
I few rods, yes, and about one and a half coils of wire at 15kg each.
I'm nearing completion of the outside work on the observatory, which means I'll start to put the electronics inside shortly.
These photos show the weather sensors to open and close the roof as needed.
I made an automated cover with a windscreen wiper motor to shade the all sky camera in the daytime as the camera sensor gets very hot in full sun. It's tinted acrylic, and I may put some window tint on it if necessary. The cover is on a schedule in time with the sun up and down. It's switched by a single pole double throw relay with power going to the motor all the time depending on which way the switch is thrown. At the motor, there is a single pole double throw toggle switch which is turned on and off with the cam on the motor shaft. This means it can always start it self.
Also up there is a Hydreon rain sensor that is a backup to the AAG cloud watcher if it fails to close the roof in a rain event. I have run water tubing to wash the sensors and all sky dome periodically of dust etc. The washer motor is bellow the tank so its alwsys primed. All electronic cables are covered in flex conduit and heatshrunk together for water tightness and bird proofness😂 Cables from the sensors are ducted through the frame and into the observatory that way.
Other things include an air cleaner to clean the air before it's pulled into the observatory by the fan, the Yagi directional antenna for cell signal and a couple of security cameras inside and out. The inside one has a microphone so I can hear what's going on if necessary.
I have some numbers and photos for you Paul in regards to the seels and brush.
I’d think twice about using cable ties. In a year they will be brittle and be crack ing off. Just a couple of laps of electrical tape will be thre a long time. Or stainless cable ties.
I’d think twice about using cable ties. In a year they will be brittle and be crack ing off. Just a couple of laps of electrical tape will be thre a long time. Or stainless cable ties.
These cable ties seem to be okay, I've been using the thick ones at work and had them in direct sunlight, they've been in place for 8 years so far. Still holding on 🙂
Thanks Marcus.... arghhh thats what I forgot, the sink!!!
The AAG should be able to handle the winds, thousands are in use worldwide.
The aerials are good for 40m/s so that's okay. The acrylic cover, well we shall see... I tried to make it as horizontal as I could to help with that, while still slowing water to shed. The Max wind at the site over the past 8 years has been 104km/h, but usually no more than 80.