Skyshed pod

[Capricorn1(Tom)]

Good Day...my darling wife did her own research and suggested the purchase of a XL1 Skyshed Pod with insulation for 1 bay and 4 walls ....only provision it had to have a white dome and grey walls to match the colour of our house...I jumped at the proposal...saved me building a observatory.

Check out Matt and Trish web site at
www.telescopes-astronomy.com.au (http://www.telescopes-astronomy.com.au)

Cheers Tom :D

[Camelopardalis]

Congrats on winning approval Tom, but how could she resist the glow in the dark model ? :D

Keep us posted with your experience, seems a very convenient solution for building an obsy. If I ever get a useful garden, I want one :)

[Ric]

Congrats Tom

your a lucky man.

[ZeroID]

Excellent !! Congrats, you will find it makes it just so much easier.
Of course you know we won't beleive you till we see pix of the construction etc ... :P

[rustigsmed]

they look really good if the price is right.
congrats on the approval!!

[sheeny]

Congrats Tom. You'll love it. If you ever think you'll want to image, I'd suggest more bays though.;) I have 3 bays in mine. Full of course.

Al.

[Capricorn1(Tom)]

Thanks Al to keep the price down going with one bay.

Russel yes the price is right, the Skyshed pod is less expensive than its competitors.

Thanks Brent been told by the Australian agent the minimum waiting time is 6 months, they import them by the shipping container load.

Thanks Ric Cheers Tom.

Dunk the insects might like the glow the dark model also.

Cheers Tom:D

[Camelopardalis]

Yeah fireflies would really bugger up imaging :eyepop:

[Capricorn1(Tom)]

Agree there Dunk....Cheers Tom

[Capricorn1(Tom)]

A feature I like about the Skyshed pod is the assembly and disassembly process, also the dome is composed of quadrants. The whole observatory could be transported in a box trailer, good if you have to move residence.

See further info on the link below:

www.skyshedpod.com/podinfo.html (http://www.skyshedpod.com/podinfo.html)

Cheers Tom

[Capricorn1(Tom)]

In case you are interested

http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/skyshed-pod/info

Cheers

[Capricorn1(Tom)]

Good Day...please see Pod Galleries....different combinations.

Cheers Tom :D....ok I admit hoping for the next shipment to arrive asap.

www.skyshedpod.com/galraw.html (http://www.skyshedpod.com/galraw.html)

:rofl::rofl:

[Capricorn1(Tom)]

Heard on the grapevine.....that the next shipment of Skyshed pod's (Shipment Number 5) only requires a couple more orders to complete the next shipping container load.....please feel free to place a order so I will get my obs sooner than latter:cool: cheers Tom

[rustigsmed]

unfortunately my fundage isn't quite there at the moment Tom, hopefully someone else picks up the slack for you :thumbsup:

[Capricorn1(Tom)]

Thanks for that Russell.....I have my fingers and arms crossed...some of the members might be interested....to bring the order forward....maybe wishful thinking.... Cheers Tom

[Baddad]

Ooh, ... Now I know what I want for Christmas:):lol:

[Capricorn1(Tom)]

Marty...Christmas is a long way of......make it Easter instead...cheers Tom:lol:

[graham.hobart]

You will never regret it. Down here in Tas we get four seasons in one day so I love just closing the lid and coiling up the power leads.
My daughter calls it "daddy's house"! is she saying something?
Good choice
Graz

[Capricorn1(Tom)]

Graham thanks for your words of wisdom...we live in a great location...minimum light pollution ...the day will come when we have to move.....I can dismantle the dome .....and install in a new location...cheers Tom:)

[PhilTas]

Hi Tom,
I placed my order for an XL1 last July. I think I might have been the last order for shipment 4. It arrives Adelaide next week, it's been a long wait.
I got an email from Patricia last week, they have 4 confirmed orders for shipment 5 and a number of maybes.
Hopefully you won't have to wait as long.
I am also having a white dome with light grey walls and bay.
It is going to be fitted onto a 12'x7' ex-caravan chassis, will post some pics when done
Cheers Phil

[Capricorn1(Tom)]

Hi Phil

I was hoping for a few more orders....I must be order number 4 for the 5th shipment....have the same configuration and colour that you have ordered....but am considering 3 bays...... your proposed set up on the trailer will allow you to go to dark sites...excellent....looking forward for your pics:thumbsup:....cheers Tom

[acropolite]

Very tempting, but I fear shipping to Tassie will be expensive, how much did yours cost to ship Graham, or did you transport it yourself?

[PhilTas]

I was given a rough freight estimate ADL-DWN of 2K.
I can drive down and bring it back on a trailer for half that in fuel cost. Am waiting for some quotes now that delivery is close.

Re: putting it on a caravan chassis, the original caravan floor will stay, and I will make a new floor at top of the wheel arches. This will give about 300mm of underfloor storage. Room for battery bank, underfloor cabling, spare tyre etc.

I am working up some design ideas of a heavy tripod base which will sit on the ground, the pier will bolt to this, and come up into the pod through a well. If I make the well rectangular, it will allow me to offset the pier as needed. The base will be raised and bolted to the chassis when moving.

If I was going to put the pod on a fixed site, I reckon I would build a two-floored deck, to have underfloor storage.

I have a lot of trees on my block, so a mobile pod has advantages.

Phil

[Capricorn1(Tom)]

Maybe I should go into marketing.....ha...

See Sky Shed Pod News on

http/www.telescopes-astronomy.com.au/

Get in quick taking last orders:rundog:

Cheers Tom:D

[PhilTas]

That's good news Tom,
I hope yours comes quicker than mine.
I remember when I placed the order that Matt and Trish said they might consider buying a couple to have for stock if they could not fill the container. That was back last July though.
I imagine they would be able to sell them fairly easily.
Cheers Phil

[Capricorn1(Tom)]

Thanks for that Phil...Cheers Tom

[Capricorn1(Tom)]

My darling wife now has up graded me to a XL3 due to the C14 + hyperstar she bought me.....now boy's that true love...Cheers Tom:love2: Cheers Tom

[Octane]

Sorry for the thread necro.

Has yours been delivered yet, or are you waiting on a full container?

I am considering proposing this to the dear wife, instead of building my own. The concrete slab out the back (while not perfect, decking would be better) would be just the right size for a pod and one bay. I've emailed Matthew, and am awaiting a reply.

H

[PhilTas]

H,
I'd suggest you keep trying to contact Matthew. I got an email from him last week to say they had received the latest shipment, and had two spare pods for sale. They are probably away doing deliveries so they might not be able to reply to emails straight away.
I received my pod with one bay in the previous shipment and am still working on the installation. It's mounted on a 3mt x 2.3mt trailer. I cut a rectangular hole in the trailer floor and am presently working on a pier/tripod which will retract up into the pod for transport
Phil

[Octane]

Phil,

Thank you for the reply.

That looks great!

I'm thinking that it will make a worthwhile interim solution. I have a very limited area in the yard where I can erect an observatory. It just so happens that the best place for it already has a 3.5 x 2.5m concrete slab. It will be fine for the one bay pod.

I'll try contacting again after a week.

How long did you have to wait for delivery after ordering?

Thanks!

H

[PhilTas]

G'day H,
I ordered my pod from Matthew last July and didn't get it until early March. They seem to be getting popular.
Have you considered putting a wooden deck over the concrete slab?
The advantage would be that -
The deck floor would be isolated from the pier
You could run all cables underneath, no trip hazards
Storage space for batteries etc
Probably be easier to keep the inside dry.

I am implementing these ideas on the trailer. I had bought a trailer which was a steel frame on an old caravan chassis. But I ended up with a 3m x 2m trailer from a workmate who built it to cart quad bikes. It's built like a tank.
I have put a wooden floor on it, both for extra width needed for the pod, and also for the ideas mentioned.
I am also planning for solar power and am going to install a couple of 12v fans which which direct cooler air from under the trailer up into the dome. I am hoping it will also help to keep humidity a bit lower. Always a problem here in the wet season.
Cheers Phil