Well I finally got around to starting my first backyard observatory. I’ve designed it so it can be taken apart in less than a day and put back up it two (+7 days for the concrete to cure). I started today by digging the hole for the footing in which the pier will be bolted to. The picture shows the bolts in place in their template. The black outline in the other picture is where the shed will go over once I pick it up and build it tomorrow.
The shed will have a set of wheels behind it so I will be able to tilt it back and roll it away during a session at night. The front doors open outwards from the centre so there should be plenty of clearance between the shed and the scope. I’m thinking of “floating” it off the ground by propping all four corners up off the ground with wooden footings which will allow air to freely blow around inside keeping it cool during the summer months. It will also give me a point to which I can secure the shed to the ground by using padlocks and clasps on the shed walls and footings.
Stay tuned for more updates as the build progresses. Feel free to leave any suggestions if you think there is a better way of doing something.
Cheers,
Angus.
In the course of living in the UK and Belgium my TSO (Argos Tin Shed Observatory) has become a defacto portable observatory.
It worked so well I've brought it back to Oz!!!
(One of the simplest and cheapest I've ever built, and 200% effective!)
Thanks Laurie!
It started out housing the 12" Lx200 and now does the same job for the C11 and spectroscope........
Just a simple 6' x 8' Canadian tin shed, sold in the UK (Argos) and assembled by an Ozzie!!
180 gbp!!!
SkySlab is 6' x 8' (1.8m x 2.3). Its tight but usable without being rollaway. I have a pivoting flat roof, space restrictions for a rolloff option. 10" Newt on an EQ6 insteadof a mak.
Hi Matt, no, unfortunately it didn’t fit right away. It looks like the adapter was designed for the EQ6 but was never tested. With that said, I own a NEQ6 and I’m not sure if the base of the mount differs from the original EQ6. It doesn’t really matter though, a new azimuth adapter bolt hole and a template made out of a $5 wollies chopping board (pack of two, so the big one made a nice template for the rods in the concrete. No unhappy girlfriends here Brian J) and it was good to go and very sturdy when put up on the pier.
Day 2 is now complete and the footings for the shed are in the ground. The shed is also finished but stupid me decided to put it together on the undercover deck out of the rain but didn’t measure it to make sure it would fit in between the railings of the stairs. Looks like I’ll have to get some help to lift it over. Besides that everything is going smoothly. Looking forward to the finished product.
Well it’s pretty much finished now. I just have a few little things to fix up inside the shed but besides that the observatory is operational. I managed to get polar alignment half done the other night. Before I know it I’ll be back up and imaging.
Hope you guys liked the updates along the way. If you have any questions about my build feel free to ask. Here are some photos of the pier and some of the gear going on top of it.
That looks great. Where did you get the shed from and how much was it?
what about water proofing it? did you need to do anything?
Also, the slats on the side do they have gaps in them like window shutters or are they closed?
do you have a pic with it tilted? is the shed hinged at the back floor supports?
a video of the opening would be good.
Hi Alistairsam,
Sorry about the late reply. I've been away from home with little access to the internet.
I got the shed from duramate sheds for $449. http://www.duramatesheds.com.au/pages/1108/yardmate-5-x-3-shed
I decided to go down the vinyl shed route due to heat concerns with a tin shed and I’m not handy enough to build my own from scratch. It’s completely water proof as long as you seal the screws in the roof with silicone gap filler. The slats on the side are completely aesthetic. They are fully closed and cannot open.
I haven’t followed through with the tilting and wheels yet. The shed is light enough for me to lift it up from the inside in a shoulder pressing action against the two main metal roof spars. I essentially lift it off the footings and walk it away. This wouldn’t be feasible if you were short or not very strong in the upper body. So sorry, no photos of it tilted yet. If I do decide to move it that way I will post photos.
Thanks. How did you secure the shed onto the footing? or does it just sit on it? I'd have thought it'll fly away with a strong gust if not secured as it'll act like a parachute!!
I'm thinking of doing something very similar in my backyard.
What are the dimensions of this shed?
Cheers
Edit : just noticed the size
It’s secured on the corners and in the middle by a simple hasp and staple that is drilled into the footing and the base of the shed. It’s padlocked at night or when I’m not at home to help with the security of the shed as well. It’s not the most sturdy method I’m sure, but it does the job perfectly in my circumstance. The pictures don’t really show it but my backyard is tiny and enclosed by a brick fence that is almost as high as the shed itself. This keeps the backyard very sheltered from the wind.
I thought it would be very susceptible to being blown over by wind, but having seen it in relatively strong winds it hardly budges. With that said, if you had a similar setup in an exposed, windy location, I would be going a little further to secure it to the ground.
Looks good Angus , just one safety concern . .
Those exposed footings can become major trip hazzards in the middle of the night ?? , not to mention the worst kind of TOE breakers ,, ouch ! you dont need that .
Be careful .
Brian.
Haha thanks for the concern Brian. I've already made that mistake. Fortunately for me, once my moonlite focuser arrives, the entire setup will be controlled by the computer from inside my house via remote control. No need to be outside to touch a thing once its setup during the afternoon.