Options to retrofit automation into a 2M Sirius Dome

[xthestreams]

Hola! With them being so busy, I've not had much luck with the Sirius folks getting a kit for automating my old 2M Sirius dome (which is factory delivered as a manual dome).

Has anyone had any success using other automation kits and if so, any recommendations?

[LonelySpoon]

Not a kit as such, but an approach used by many, is Lesvedome:

http://www.dppobservatory.net/DomeAutomation/DomeDriver.php

Neville
LSO

[xthestreams]

Thanks Neville! This dome doesn't have motors or any other hardware in it on either the shutters or the rotator base. Any thoughts on where this stuff can be found?

[LonelySpoon]

Lesvedome is very much a DIY approach. Have a look at the site

http://www.dppobservatory.net/DomeAutomation/DomeDriver.php#Documentation

and read through it.

For my 3m dome I use 2 car wiper motors (about $50 each) and a drill motor for the shutters. A 2m commercial dome would be fine on one.

The board cost about $120 delivered.

Rotation sensor (to synch with the mount movements) around $50

Because I have a laser cutter I made a big planetary gear out of ply for the rotation, most others use either a stuck on belt or wheels. Difficult to cost.

All very doable and there is a lot of support through the group:

https://groups.io/g/lesvedome

Good images of various solutions there, too.

I'm at the final stage of synchronising my dome rotation to the mount, a fiddly job that mostly only has to be achieved once. I've had a lot of support for this project from the group- much like IIS!

Check my website if you like:

https://homemadeplans5.wixsite.com/lsobservatory

Cheers,

Neville

[xthestreams]

Thanks Neville - I suspect I am being incredibly thick here, but I am unable to find any guidance on the sourcing and installation of the motors, etc - it seems largely concerned with the electronics, all the references to the Sirius assume that it's had the mechanisation pre-installed.

I'll checkout the groups channel to see if there's something more prescriptive - I was hoping to avoid a science experiment! :-)

Oh for a laser cutter....

[LonelySpoon]

Yes, Paul, very much a trawl the net and read a lot of other people's experiences path.

If you aren't up for the manufacture of various bits, in either wood or metal (brackets, etc) or confident with making up the connections between the board, relays and motor, it isn't a good path, either- unless you are a fan of really steep learning curves!

My automation of my homemade dome has been the purpose of the exercise itself, as much as a means to an end, and I've had fun(?) with the challenge.

I'm sure there are others who have done it on here, as well as those who have gone a different path.

Good luck with it, anyway, and fell free to DM if you do go with Lesvedome.

My laser cutter was the big retirement present/toy I gave myself. It cuts out anything from 1mm balsa to 7mm ply, with perspex templates for quilting in between. :)

Cheers,

Neville,
LSO