Quote:
Originally Posted by AstralTraveller
Hmmm, not so sure about this.  I notice you're just metres from a public road. Aren't you worried about passing traffic? 
But seriously, wow oh wow.
When it's nice up there it is going to be just so perfect. Beautiful days and impeccable nights. However when the wind blows it will be 'character building'. If you are ever looking at going off grid consider wind power! |
From my limited experience already, you are spot on Dave
As amazing and awe-inspiring as
location B would be, I thiiiiink I am leaning to ruling it out as a site for the observatory, as it is completely exposed to these winds, so on windy nights I wouldn't be able to point the dome into the wind, no way! Not to mention having to make sure the structure was very sound and anchored well. There is a good open area, up behind location A in my photos, far right in
THIS shot, at the very highest NE point of the 100 acres, that has a nice circular barrier of medium height trees that act as an effective wind break, without blocking too much of the horizon sky.
I will clear and flatten the entire space and once I have placed the dome, as planned, on an elevated (reinforced!!) deck ~1.5m high, at this spot...the dec shaft will sit at or very close to, the 1450m (4756ft) ASL mark too....hard to imagine
and the surrounding trees will block only the bottom 10-15deg of sky to the north and a little less to the south..but of course this could aaaaall change, after more investigation, experience and ideas...
Oh and we are off grid already!...the system is circa 2008/9 so on its last legs and struggles a bit, so I am currently pricing a 2021 era more capable upgrade with larger battery capacity and more solar panel power
There is a wind turbine connected already (you can see it in the photos) but it is sited such that it just keeps spinning around without finding the wind direction for any length of time and the blades hardly turn, must be caught in an eddy forming area..? so it is next to useless..
Mike