10 foot Home Dome
Submitted: Tuesday, 19th February 2008 by Dr Dietmar Hager
Review of Technical Innovations 10 foot Home Dome
Packing Crate, Transportation and Vendor’s ComplianceJerry W. Smith handled all my requests and technical specifications for the HD 10 in a professional and detailed manner. All additional questions and issues were addressed promptly and to my satisfaction. Though the delivery address was different than the billing address, there was no delay or problems in shipping the dome to its new home. Jerry was a most professional and competent partner, interested in being informed personally about the entire transportation progress. I really appreciate this- Thanks Jerry!
The crate was very stable and solid. It gave great shelter for the precious goods inside. AssemblyJerry sent a detailed manual prior to the arrival of the HD enabling us to prepare the tools required for assembly. The entire process took only a couple of hours.
The two elements that comprise the dome were also watertight after the screws were set in place. An additional seal made the flange impervious to the elements. The ShutterThe shutter consists of three elements. The ‘Rear Shutter Element’ controls the two halves of the dome. The shutter provides the observatory with a 36.6” wide opening, extending 15° beyond the zenith. Though an electrical opener/shutter is available from Technical Innovations, I decided to create a simple manual version with ropes and pulleys. Polyethylene pads (PE) are attached to the sliding portion of the front-third of the shutter. Spraying on some silicon oil made it open very easily as seen here.
Both ropes must be attached to the front shutter element which is parked in the "open" position in this image. This is best achieved by making use of an eyelet-screw-system which forces the 2 rope-ends towards the shutter. Making sure that the sliding surface is not compromised is vital!
After the dome was assembled on the ground, Gottfried gave it a lift with his tractor. Thanks for your help and advice Gottfried! Your reliability "is as constant as the northern star..." (W.S.) For increased stability the recommended, temporary wooden beams were installed.
I made certain the dome was exactly horizontal using a level before fastening it to the structure with 20 M10/100 mm screws. Though the dome has been installed for more than one year, there has been no loosening of the screws, or any signs of instability of the dome itself despite several heavy storms.
As the dome is perfectly level, I can move it with only 2 fingers! To ensure contact between the (20) rollers that carry the dome and the underside of the rectangular ring, Jerry applies a gritty material to increase friction. To prevent misalignment while rotating, there are several horizontal rollers that keep the dome concentrically in place so a "roll off" can never occur.
All of the dome’s flanges were sealed with silicone- even the strong winter of 2005-06 didn’t harm it or the instruments inside.
MaterialsJerry uses only high-quality materials. The dome’s outer surface is highly reflective and keeps the inside of the building relatively cool even in summer. The inner surface is a flat, dark blue and absolutely non-reflective, thereby eliminating any annoying reflections. Well-done Jerry! ConclusionThe HD 10 is a beautiful and very reliable cover for my observatory. In more than one year I have had no problems. I can heartily recommend the HD 10 to anyone seeking an adequate shelter for his instruments! Resources and Links
Review by Dr Dietmar Hager (Dietmar). Discuss this Review on the IceInSpace Forum. |