New Observatory…I mean new Property!

[Nesti]

Recently secured a bid for a 17 acre property in the hills. About 3km away from Perth Observatory, on the top of a nice big hill (well above the valley moisture) and lots of large trees to block any other light.

Subject to sale, but that won't be too difficult.

I'm now thinking of building something up the hill in a nice clearing...a wee Observatory for my nocturnal activities.

I want to secure my scopes up there so any suggestions on what's available (prefab domes etc) would be appreciated.
*

[JD2439975]

Nice spot Mark, well done.
Used to live in Mahogany Creek not far from there, gets some fairly dark skies for so close to Perth.

Hope it all runs smooth for you.

[KenGee]

Sirus domes are great if you have the cash. I have one and I think it is the best thing a have got.

[sheeny]

A Skyshed POD is another alternative worth checking out. I think Matthew at Telescopes and Astronomy sid he was delivering to WA this year?:shrug:

www.skyshedpod.com

Al.

[TrevorW]

Security and strength go prefab-concrete with roll off roof and warm room, then add a nice flat bitumen area you can let for a small fee for other's to come to dark sky viewing nights not far from Perth central

[Nesti]

That's a nice place...rode through there quite a bit.

The place is in Piesse Brook...it's also my favorite place in WA.

Might have to have a BBQ me thinks! :thumbsup:

[Nesti]

Thanks guys, I'll look into those domes.

@Trevor: Prefab??? LOL, you'll never get a cement truck up the driveway; must be 20-22 percent grade in places.

[Nesti]

Now you've got me thinking!

[renormalised]

I know precisely the right scope to setup on that piece of real estate....

Either...

http://planewave.com/index.php?page=1&id0=6&id=0

or

http://www.dfmengineering.com/cct_50.html

:):)

[TrevorW]

Maybe from the proceeds of his book when it reaches No. 1

PS: rammed Earth

[Nesti]

That wasn't PlaneWave's phone number BTW, it was the price! :lol:

The second was just plain stupid...I mean who would want it in yellow?! :lol:

[rogerg]

Nice, I had been waiting to see if you mentioned the place again after it last came up :) I lived the first 27 years of my life 1km east of your spot. Still drive by every week as I have several relations living there still. Nice place you've got yourself, congrats.

Re obs, Depends on your budget of course, but for your horizons there, toss up between a roll-off to maximise the view vs wind protection of a dome. Shed is always more secure from the outset because it can look so inconspicuous. If you look for a roll-off or pier I can recommend the engineer who built my 6x3m observatory and piers, he's just over the hill from you. Line of sight in fact, hill top to hill-top.

Edit: When I had my observatory there (1km from u) my biggest problems were dust, wind, and lightning. Easterlies kicking through much of the summer. Lightning is attracted to the local vicinity due to high density of high voltage power lines (we think). Just some things to keep in mind for building your obs.

[renormalised]

I know...$185K isn't all that dear:)

Change the colour:)

[Nesti]

Thanks Roger. I'll have to do some work and extensions on the place to bring it up-to-speed; but it's nice enough.

1km's not far, geez! East...that would be just past the Aldersyde Rd turn-off.

Obs budget will depend upon the sale of this house so I'll have to wait and see...might end up being a cardboard box with a pair of Binos. The Chinese have bought every house for sale in the area (buying before the new legislation I suspect). But they're also paying very high prices, $1.9M for a 3x2 bungalow (traditional Perth red brick thingy) with no views and in a normal street. Perth's gone insane!

"I can recommend the engineer who built my 6x3m observatory and piers, he's just over the hill from you. Line of sight in fact, hill top to hill-top" Sure, that would be great. Can you PM me contact details please.

[Nesti]

Is there anyone who actually owns a $185k scope??? At home!!

[renormalised]

If I'm lucky enough, one day I will:)

[renormalised]

The Chinese will end up owning everything if they keep buying stuff up...all thanks to KRudd.

[astroron]

Hi Mark, Next time I am in WA I will come and so some observing from your New Observatory site:astron::thumbsup:

[Jen]

:lol::lol: yeah keep dreaming buddy ;):lol::lol:


Enjoy you new lovely site Mark :thumbsup: Trevors idea sounds good to me :D

[renormalised]

Dreams are where realities start:)

[Nesti]

Nar-mate, the Chinese have been saving while we (most of western culture) have been spending and borrowing...Rudd has little if anything to do with it, that's because we've been at it for nearly 60 years!

If you don't believe me, stand outside any Chinese, Vietnamese etc business and see how many hours they work for their money.

Actually, I wish Keating was available for the next 8 years. :)

[Nesti]

Change your nationality to Chinese...they're cashed-up!! :lol:

Good Fortune for you Mr Carl! :rofl:

[Nesti]

That would be my pleasure Ron.

We'll see how things progress.

[renormalised]

Don't worry...I know how hard they work, and they're as tight as!!!!

Keating....no thanks!!!

[renormalised]

Confusion say (no, I meant Confusion...:P), person with little or no money pretty hard up!!!:):P

Confusion say...buy lotto ticket!!!

[Nesti]

Cheers Jen. ;)

[multiweb]

Hey Mark, I was checking the place on Google map. With the current rate of growth of Perth don't you think that witin 2-3years your block might be in the middle of suburbia again and affected by LP. Unless I missunderstood and you're not getting the place for astronomy or build an obs. :shrug: It's very close to Perth outskirt, that's all.

[Nesti]

Hi Marc, sorry, the block has a house on it; it's where I'll live. :rofl:

Perth is indeed growing, but it's not doubling overnight. The block is on the eastern side of an escarpment, Perth is on the other side, to the west, and on the flat land across to the coast. There are quite a few houses in the area already, and the town is only 3km up the road, but it's a bit hilly for the suburban sprawl.

Also, there's a reason I wanted some land. I think the days of sub-dividing is coming to an end. Many places doing that just aren't getting the profit returns expected. The numbers of sub-divided blocks as so high these days and larger in-tact blocks are now getting rarer...supply and demand now swings toward the in-tact blocks and forces their prices up. So sub-divided blocks are becoming undesirable (over-supply) and in-tact blocks very desirable (rarity).

An example of this is in Subiaco, and a small section called Subi-Centro. Blocks were sub-divided several times; effectively leaching the land value and that's where the money was made. It's kind of an up-market high density Ghetto (hard to picture I know). But, there is little opportunity to make money there now, as it has already been made.

The block in the hills is 17 acres and council approved for sub-division...I believe that sitting on an approved sub-dividable block, and doing nothing about it, is where the property market is, not heading. So as Perth expands you're effectively sitting on a block which has retained it's value in two ways; it hasn't been leached of value through sub-division and it is rarer. Mix in with the notion that property in Perth's hills is undervalued by 30-40%, makes for a good investment.

Make sense?

In regards to obs, well it's got to be better than what I'm currently using; a second story balcony with lights from Subiaco oval, Leederville oval, the CBD buildings and the whole of Perth surrounding me. :lol:

[mithrandir]

Our dearly beloved government is allowing councils to rate properties approved for subdivision as if they had been subdivided. So your 17 acres would be considered to be about 60 * 1/4 acre house blocks. At the about $1K/pa rates we pay for our 1200m2 that would not be amusing.

[renormalised]

You should count yourself lucky....we pay $1400/half year for 50% less area, and that's actually about the average in town. Most of the new areas in town, are postage stamps in size (450-650m^2) and they pay even more than we do!!!.

[mithrandir]

What are you getting for that? It would not matter much if the land was 480m2 which is about as small as it gets here. We'd still pay almost a much. My figure is only for the land and might be low as SWMBO usually pays it.

There are other rates like water on top of that which she usually pays. I get the mortgage, electricity, internet, landline and both mobile phones. We each pay our own car bills and split any other large bills.