Tangra Observatory

[hpavlov]

Hi All,

I thought some may find it interesting to see images from almost 2 years ago when I built my observatory. Started in Dec 2010 and finished in May 2011:

http://www.tangra-observatory.org/images.html

I have done some more work since then but haven't updated my web site yet. Currently working on automating the opening/closing of the roof but finding time to work on it is not easy. Being a dad of a 2 yo and a 4 yo can keep you very, very busy :)

[byronpaul]

Interesting, thanks for sharing.

Starting to think that a roll-off roof type observatory would be good. Not only provide a place to store all my equipment, but also enhance useable time.

Was out in the backyard on Friday night and one of my dogs ran through my equipment, got tangled in the cords, and dragged my laptop off the table and onto the concrete pavers :mad2: but to my amazement it's still working as I post this reply :).

Now I wouldn't have that problem if Santa brings me an observatory :P

[lacad01]

Nice looking obs - thanks for posting the chronology. Just need some clear skies to make the most of it :)

[ZeroID]

Yep, guaranteed. I opened up Sunday afternoon for a bit of Solar, then later about 9:00pm till just after midnight and witha bit of luck the weather will hold and I'll open up again tonight. Certainy makes it aheck of a lot easier, ... and it is a good place to store all the bits. And ready to go :thumbsup:.
Actually probably the best thing I did because it minimises time away from SWMBO because you can take advantage of shorter opportunities to observe. And weather.

[OzEclipse]

Nice simple design. I like it. Does the roof have anything to stop it blowing off in a BIG blow? Seems like it is just sitting there under it's own weight?

Is the sarking insulating? Question is should you insulate an observatory - stops it heating up during the day but retains heat at night?

Joe

[hpavlov]

Hi Joe,

I have attached two chains from each side of the roof that lock to the walls when I want to secure the roof. A few feeks ago there was a severe storm with strong winds. There were a few trees on the street that were ripped off the ground. The roof wasn't locked then. I was very worried about it. However the wind had only opened it slightly but it was still in place. There was water inside and on the computer. Everything still works fine but I started locking the roof every time I am not using it.

About the sarking ... well I don't know what is best. My reasoning was to prevent large temperature variations inside the observatory (when it is not in use) that could (in my thinking) be bad for the optics and the equipment. When I observe the air inside the obervatory cools down quite quickly after I open the roof so this doesn't cause focusing issues througout the night for example.

Hristo.

[h0ughy]

wow you put a lot of planning and thought into that - excellent work

[hpavlov]

The idea about aligning the formwork of the pier to the South Pole using a small 8" telescope belongs to Dave Gault - he is a clever bloke :D.

He has provided me with invaluable advice during the planning and engineering of the observatory.

[ChrisM]

An informative series of photos of your handy work and an interesting pier design. I bet that your observing time has increased significantly!

Thanks for posting,
Chris