I finally got the motivation (via a new scope) to demolish my absco pool filter enclosure obs to a full roll off roof.
My old observatory was too small for me to move around without bumping the scope, had no real floor (just dirt) with no insulation so it was always quite damp.
Knowing nothing about building, pretty much all of this was built via YouTube for guidance. It's not perfect, but I quite like the way it turned out.
The new observatory has lots of room for both a desk and my scope, is properly insulated plus a dehumidifier, so no condensation inside, has automated emergency roof closing ability via a Boltwood cloud sensor, and a proper floor. It's a pleasure to use.
I haven't properly added up the full wad of bunnings & jaycar receipts, but a quick flip through them and I'd say the total cost was around $5-6k, excluding tools (AEG nailgun, Ryobi mitre saw, Bosche Blue impact driver, Bosch Blue hammer drill, hand saw, concreting floats & towels) which I can use on future projects.
I thought I'd share some photos of the construction.
My old observatory:
http://adam.lundie.com.au/gallery/newobs/old%20obs.jpg
The trigger for demolishing, a new GSO 10" f/4 newt:
http://adam.lundie.com.au/gallery/newobs/reason.jpg
Demolished. You can see the type of grade I had to deal with. It was mostly shale too. I have a broken neck, so digging this up was a major pain (literally):
http://adam.lundie.com.au/gallery/newobs/demolished.jpg
Slab complete. It was my first time working with concrete. It bowed out a bit in the middle, but not noticeably upon completion of construction.
http://adam.lundie.com.au/gallery/newobs/slab.jpg
Frame and gantry completed:
http://adam.lundie.com.au/gallery/newobs/gantry.jpg
Wrapped with some detail of the roof setup
http://adam.lundie.com.au/gallery/newobs/wrap.jpg
Roof and cladding done:
http://adam.lundie.com.au/gallery/ne...f%20action.jpg
Interior walls. Thanks again to YouTube for telling me how it's done:
http://adam.lundie.com.au/gallery/newobs/mud.jpg
Installation and testing of winch
http://adam.lundie.com.au/gallery/newobs/winch.jpg
Weather station close-up. Bloomsky camera, conventional weather station, and Diffraction Limited Boltwood CloudSensor:
http://adam.lundie.com.au/gallery/newobs/weather.jpg
Top-down view:
http://adam.lundie.com.au/gallery/newobs/top.jpg
Installation and testing of scope, ready for 1st drift alignment. The walls look too high, but those parts of the sky are already blocked by my neighbours houses, or too close to the horizon to seriously image.
http://adam.lundie.com.au/gallery/newobs/testing.jpg
Two nights ago, imaging Sh2-237 with an ED80 (the red lights are turned off when the actual imaging starts):
http://adam.lundie.com.au/gallery/newobs/testing2.jpg
Now the sad part. I tried to use my new GSO 10", and there is so much coma! I've ordered a Paracorr II, so hopefully that will address it. Single 25 second unguided exposure of the lagoon nebula:
http://adam.lundie.com.au/gallery/newobs/lagoon.jpg