building the Somnium observatory

[Somnium]

i thought i would start this thread to chronicle my decent into madness as i try to build a remote observatory. Given that i live in an apartment and have limited access to the sky, i thought it would be best to build an observatory at the family holiday house. it has access to fantastic dark skies and is not too far away from home (around 2 hours). the plan is to build a ROR observatory on an existing slab of concrete which currently supports a redundant shed. i have configured a micro controller to do all the grunt work which will be connected to a remotely operated PC. i have attached the first 4 images. the first is an electric gate opener which will be used to roll the roof on and off. this is rated to 1000kgs and should do the job. the second image shows the bits and pieces. the micro controller, the rain sensor which will trigger the roof to close, the modified electric gate remote which will now operate off the micro controller and the modified power board which will also run off the micro controller. the other 2 are of the proposed site and what stands in my way.

next items to tackle are;

connecting and coding the distance sensor which will give let me know if the roof actually opens and closes when i initiate it.
clearing out the shed, dismantling it and removing a tree (as per the council guidelines) which is overhanging the future site.

given that i can only work at the site on the weekends it will take longer than i would like but my current plan has me completing the project, albeit without the finishing touches, by the 5/07

i will post progress as it happens

[suma126]

heres anther opt you might like roller shutter for roofs I having one installed next week its around $1000 uninstalled does come with remote and hopefully should be able to use my iphone.

[Somnium]

wow that is a really interesting solution but do you lose much field of view that way ?

[suma126]

Yes you do lose a little bit but that's ok because there's other object in the way anyway

[Somnium]

A bit of progress made over the weekend. i have cleared out and dismantled the shed that existed on the concrete slab and timed it perfectly so that the people who bought it were able to help. this was no trivial task as the shed was over 6x4 mtrs. probably more importantly, i have made progress with the brains of my observatory. i have completed all the electronic components and housed them in a box which will be mounted in the observatory. this allows remote control of the power, the roof opening and closing as well as emergency closure if rain is detected (which can be overridden if the sensor is wet for whatever reason) and finally a distance sensor which will give me an accurate reading of how far the roof rolled back and whether it is fully open/closed. next steps are to remove the 2 trees seen in the pic and prep the slab for construction. looks like i am still on track to have it completed by the first weekend of July

[RugbyRene]

Good bit of progress. Do you have a website where you're charting your progress. I want to build an observatory and having someone whose gone through the process post info would be helpful.

[Somnium]

I am not charting progress anywhere else, but after i finish i might put something up. unfortunately all my plans are hand drawn which makes it a bit difficult to give all the details, but i will definitely be posting my learnings on this thread

[Somnium]

attached to this post is a rough design of the observatory i am building. page 1 shows the front, rear and side of the observatory in closed and open position, the second page shows the footprint as it relates to the existing slab. i have gone with a design that will roll back some of the wall in order to give greater visibility as well as catering for the automated roof mechanism. any feedback is welcome.

[Somnium]

just a quick update, the 2 trees are no longer and the site is ready to be built on. that was quite a job but all done now. i will be building the observatory on the first week of July. the site has a clear view of most of the sky and is very dark with wonderful views of the milky way, a slight upgrade from being in Sydney. the next update will be pictures of construction, i am also planning to do a time lapse. definitely starting to get excited about finishing the project.

[Somnium]

Construction week is finally here :eyepop::rofl::sunny:
the car is packed with enough tools to fill a bunnings and all the timber etc is scheduled to arrive tomorrow arvo. i will try to post daily updates for the next 5 days.

[Somnium]

thanks to the fine work of Telstra i have not had access to the internet over the past few days but i am happy to report that progress has finally been made on the Somnium observatory. as much as i would love to have it complete this week i think it is more likely going to require another couple of days work some time in the next few weeks, let alone all the power and internet cabling that needs to be done. so for now, i have raised the skeleton of the structure, the rails and the roof work perfectly, 3 of the walls and the roof are in place. still need to construct the door frame properly and the face of the structure, add paint, attach edging, connect the electric gate opener and if i have time, line the interior and paint it (the interior) black to limit any reflection.

let me know what you think, thanks for looking

[ZeroID]

Looking good, I'm jealous :P

[DarkArts]

Cool. Really looking good. But is that the beginnings of a moat I see? You might be overthinking obsy security if that's the case ... :P

[Somnium]

Thanks Brent



haha, no, that is the trench for the conduit. but a moat ... now you are thinking !

[SadisticSarz]

It will look fantastic Aidin. do you have nice horizions out yourway

[Somnium]

Thanks for that Sara, i am looking forward to taking advantages of the view, the horizon is pretty good, some mountains and a couple of trees around but the skies are extremely dark.

the latest image is attached, unfortunately it will stay this way for a little while until i can get down again and continue building.

[Somnium]

spent the majority of the day putting in the door frame, the door and the door handle/lock. i also managed to put the cement fibre on the back of the observatory roof along with starting the pine edging. progress is being made, i can't wait for this to be done and dusted !

[Flugel88]

Aidan thanks for sharing your build.
I would be interested to see what you used for your rollers and channel for the roof.
Got any more pictures?

[Somnium]

Hi Michael,

i have attached a few images which should show it in a bit more detail. The roof runs on 8 rollers each have a load capacity of 85 kgs, not that the roof weighs anywhere near that (my guess would be around 80 - 100 kgs in total) but more to ensure the weight is distributed. the rails are made of 2, 90x45 beams with a notch cut out then glued and screwed together to make a 90x90 beam with a channel. at the moment it runs directly on the timber, i am going to keep an eye on it and if need be i will line it with metal.

[Flugel88]

Nice interesting roller design different to all the others I've seen done.

I really like how you have made your walls a little short and your roof section a little taller I'm guessing to improve your field of view.
Something that i would have to consider when i finally get the chance to build one.
My building experience has only gone as far as constructing flat pack furniture so far so its going to be a steep learning curve for me :lol:.

[Somnium]

Thanks Michael, I just went with the design that seemed to work well along with being easy to construct and cheap. I am no professional builder myself, I have done the odd deck and wall in the past but there are plenty of tutorials and info on the web to ensure you don't make major mistakes. Keep an eye out for when I post the time lapse of the build, it will give you an idea of my process.

[Somnium]

the build progresses. this is a single frame from my time lapse. i did make a bit of progress into the evening but the camera cuts cant handle the site when it is lit up.but at least now the observatory is fully contained, tomorrow i will be installing the roof automation.

[Somnium]

a bit more progress made today, painting etc, but most importantly, i have installed the automatic roof opening mechanism and it works a treat. very excited when i watched it open for the first time. unfortunately i wont be able to work on it until the bank holiday weekend (a week and a half). the fact that this now looks like an observatory is getting me keen to finish it off, hopefully one last push and it will be done.

[SadisticSarz]

ROFL some amerteur stargazer I am. I never noticed it before but would cars driving on that road annoy the crap out of you when your looking in the night sky:question:

[Somnium]

Good eye, it is not a road it is a driveway so shouldn't be a problem.

[Somnium]

construction is nearly complete. i have the villaboard lining the observatory and painted black, skirting board and door surround installed. the only things left to do is give a final coat of paint on the inside and out, paint the concrete and wire up the network cable, i am so close to setting up the equipment i can taste it.

[Somnium]

this brings an end to the build part of the observatory :D:):2thumbs::rofl:. internet access is available and the painting is done, the roof rolls off and on perfectly. it is now time to set up the scope and focus on trying to get remote access working. i am also spending my nights contemplating a scope and mount upgrade ...

[Dealy]

Well done Aidan, that looks fantastic. You're gonna love it when it's up and running.

What are the dimensions?

[Somnium]

Thanks Kev, i am very excited about first light, just need the time to set up the scope. the dimensions are 2.5 x 3 m with the roof at about 1.8m with the rails running at 1.55m, the roof peaks at 2.2m. these dimensions have allowed me to keep it as small as possible without limiting my FOV.

[Paul Haese]

Looks Aidan, always very exciting to see real progress and soon you will be going through bug testing of your system.

some issues perhaps? Coming from a back ground of having a couple of remote observatories this seems prudent to ask.

The roof appears to be running on tracks but does not appear to have any hold down keepers. My roof wheels runs in a purlin which is stood up and acts like a hold down system. For remote work you will need to know the roof is always held down, especially during storms. Even with the system I have in place I have once found my roof moved 300mm off the rack during a storm with a wind gust of 120kph. The roof is quite heavy but still managed to move.

I noted that on your outside sheeting prior to painting you have dampness rising. This moisture can make its way inside the observatory in the long run and into the timber framing. Hopefully you have this problem in hand.

[Somnium]

Hi Paul, any experience and advice is welcome. to your points

securing the roof - the roof will not be secured in the open position, i couldn't figure out a design for it and figured that i will not be imaging in a storm. i have experienced winds of around 50 - 60 kph and it had no problems. the roof does become secured when it is closed, it will lock in at the back and the front.

the moisture in that image was not coming up it was actually raining that day, the roof hangs over a bit and protected the majority of the wall. That side is also south facing and doesn't get a whole lot of sun so i do need to keep an eye on it.

the next step is setting up my gear and then testing testing and testing before attempting to log in remotely ... although i am also considering an equipment upgrade, hence some of my other threads around IIS.

[Somnium]

UPS is now installed and it reliably closes the roof when power is lost :)

[strongmanmike]

That's looking really good Aidan, should be a cracker installation when kitted out, good luck with the equipment decisions :thumbsup:

Mike

[Somnium]

Thanks Mike, the temporary gear goes in this weekend for first light from the observatory, pity it is a full moon

[Somnium]

i have set up my NEQ6 to test out the observatory before the MX arrives. i have been running tests and finding some teething problems but nothing that cant be solved. we had major flooding around the area over the last week, in fact much of the farmland between Berry and Nowra is still under water. but the observatory held up really well. i also now have a reliable remote connection but i have had a couple of issues with the roof's automatic stop, which is a bit of a problem to say the least. i don't feel anywhere near comfortable to operate the observatory from Sydney but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

[E_ri_k]

Nice work. Looks like it will serve you well. I like the black paint job inside :thumbsup:

Erik

[Somnium]

Thanks Erik, i thought it was a little better for imaging than the reflective insulation :)

[Somnium]

I managed to complete my first imaging session remotely accessing my observatory. the results are not great, mainly because i am way over the limit for the capacity of my NEQ6, but the night was a success, went off without a hitch. luckily my new PMX will be in my possession in the next couple of days, i am expecting some great performance out of that mount

[vlazg]

Hi Aiden,
I have been following your process for your observatory, very impressive, you should have a great time with your setup.
one note though, it seems in your last photo you are aligning with polaris :D.
Cheers
George

[Somnium]

HAHA, thanks George, trust me that was not my fault, IIS has done that to me twice now, it rotates images, last time i rotated it upside down then saved it and uploaded it again, the thumbnail showed the right way up but the main image was upside down ... i think this is the lesser of two evils.

i am really keen to put in my new paramount MX which is in sydney waiting to be picked up, my pier should be available in a week or so, good times ahead.

[Somnium]

imaging session #2 did not go as smooth as the first one. there was an issue and i can't figure it out. my brother is at the site while i test this out, it is good to have someone down there. The relay controlling the power to my scope is not responding to commands from the arduino, i have had issues with these cheap ones in the past so i will switch them out. however, more concerning is that when i open ezcap and select my QHY9 camera and the ezcap crashes every time, not sure what the problem is, I had the computer restarted and the camera power cycled and no resolution ...:shrug: :help:

[vlazg]

Aidan , is your camera and computer using the same power supply? Could be a ground loop, check the support on QHY Ccd website.

[Somnium]

No, they are on different power supplies, i think this issue is down to a dodgy USB, will test it out over the weekend.

[Somnium]

following some welding and powdercoating this baby is destined for the observatory :)

[Somnium]

the observatory bathed in the glow of the milky way :)

a slight upgrade on the skies in Sydney

[Paul Haese]

Very steam punk looking. :thumbsup:

[Somnium]

either that or Terminator, it looks menacing

[ZeroID]

Yeah, polish the steel and clear coat, a few brass rings or something for me...

Cool !

[Somnium]

i was thinking that would look sweet, but it is already in for powder coating a nice matte black finish. plus limiting the light reflection in the observatory is probably a good idea :)

I had my IP power switch delivered today which is the last of the critical components that is stopping me from running the system remotely. i am hoping that the pier will arrive sometime early next week and i can set up my MX during the week. it will be a few months of imaging with my GSO 250 newt while i wait for the 14.5 iDK. also when the pier arrives i will put an end to my time lapse and post it on youtube.

[Somnium]

pier has been delivered and i have to say Phil did an amazing job, it weighs a tonne and is bolted firmly into the concrete, it is not going to be moved an time soon. the PMX is up and working, just need the clouds to roll away

[GC - South Aus]

Aidan

Outstanding work there, I am sure your new obs will give you many years of joy.

Maybe the signature block is in need of some updating.

Envious!

Regards

Gav

[AlexN]

Looks like an awesome place to spend a night with a bottle of red to me.

[Somnium]

thanks Gav, i will update the signature soon, that mount doesn't look like an eq6 does it



it is, but it gets very cold out there

[AlexN]

Hence the red wine. Haha.

You must be pretty pleased. Especially now with automation of the roof.

[Somnium]

It is really coming together now, I am extremely pleased with the outcome. Now that I have my power issues sorted out everything is working reliably ... Except for the weather. Even though I had everything set up for 2 nights while i was there I wasn't able to complete a polar alignment routine so I will have to wait at least a week till I start imaging, but it is a full moon so no major loss

[AlexN]

The past few nights here have been the clearest in a while. Obviously this only happens during full moon. I'm trying to test out my focuser and how deep I can get with my lens.

[Jen]

]Nice looking obs :) I'm so jealous :P Ive been running around town asking people to make one of these for me with no success, the builders are just not interested to do small jobs :(

[Somnium]

Thanks Jen,

have a think about a design, do some research, get some friends or family together and have a go at building it yourself. it is amazing what people can be convinced to do with beer :) you could also look into modifying a shed. it doesn't need to be huge. you can have a off the shelf shed (small) on tracks and just roll the whole thing away. if you have the means it is so rewarding building it yourself.

[strongmanmike]

Looking awesome Aiden...and I agree with Alex a nice rich red, or full flavoured beer, would complete the picture :D

..oh and a 14.5iDK too I guess..?

Mike

[Somnium]

haha, okay, i will have to oblige over the weekend and report back :) i definitely can't wait for the 14.5 but hoping to get some pics with my GSO 250 in the mean time. unfortunately i havent had an opportunity to accurately PA yet, though it does look like clear skies this weekend :)

[AlexN]

Best of luck for the weekend. It's a 3 dayer here in Qld with Monday being a public holiday I'm hoping to get 3 nights of imaging but all things considered I'd be happy with 1 good night.

[Somnium]

Amazingly the weather is looking good for the weekend , fingers crossed it stays that way

[vlazg]

Good luck for the weekend, :thumbsup:
here in the NT the buildup has set in so i am probably going to have to put everything away till next April :(

[Somnium]

thanks. i am not sure i could handle another 6 months away from imaging. :sadeyes:

[Somnium]

I was having issues with the 6 year old computer running in the observatory ( which is responsible for my camera connection issues) , so I just picked up a second hand Alienware pc with 16gb of ddr3 ram , 4th gen i7 and a tb of hard drive, that ought to be enough:) . A bit of overkill but it shouldn't have any problems with processing lots of images